The Skien animal was found during an excavation in Skien, Norway, in 1979. It is carved into a plank, and is dated to the 9th century. This, and other findings, shows that Skien was a trading centre from before year 1000, and Skien was therefore celebrating it’s 1000 year jubilee in the year 2000.
The Skien animal has three heads, one looking backwards, one looking to the side and one looking forward. One possible interpretation of this symbol is that one should both focus on our history (backwards), at the present (sideways), and into the future (forward).
Famous quotes containing the word animal:
“Come into animal presence.
No man is so guileless as
the serpent. The lonely white
rabbit on the roof is a star
twitching its ears at the rain.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)