The stone head exhibited at Slettebø has been the subject of much pondering. When was it made? Who made it? And what in the world was it used for?
Rosslandsguden has always been controversial. When it came to the museum in 1910, it entered the public eye, and became the focal point of a debate that kept resurfacing throughout the 1900s – a debate regarding the stone head’s history and origin: Is it a pagan god or does it express something different? Who found it and when did this happen?
The Rossland God
Rosslandsguden comes from Rossland in Sokndal. It is carved from local rock and is approximately 60 cm tall. Its age and origin is highly debated, but experts today believe it is likely prehistoric. A while after the stone head arrived at the museum, it was joined by two stone vessels, that are said to have been discovered in proximity to where the head was first found – in a scree right by the “Altar”.
Rossland is a rich cultural heritage site, which may have been a place of worship during the Older Iron Age, seen in the context of the pre-Christian blót and fertility rites.
Rosslandsguden and the stone vessels are exhibited at Dalane Folkemuseum's facility at Slettebø in Egersund.