Trees and flowers exsist in all the variations. The tree of life has innumerable forms: naturalistic as a tree trunk with branches, in an extremely stylish variation as an arboreal palm, planted in the urn of life or a vase etc. The tree of life is an ancient allegory of creative power and fertility. From Norse mythology we know the Yggdrasil. The tulip is frequently used in Hedebo Embroidery and is referred to as the flower of the Hedebo area. In textile art it is known from Persian decorations, and was presumably transferred into patterns in Baroque Europe, when bulbous plants became exclusive and modern. The pomegranate became a treasured motif in Hedebo Embroidery, maybe because the fruit with its kernels fitted the open work and fillings of “Hvidsøm” and “Baldyring”. Many of the motifs can be found in other peasant textiles from the Hedebo area e.g. woollen embroidered blankets, and also in other types of interior decoration such as on furniture and wood panels.
Hedebo Embroidery and Motifs
Hedebo Embroidery contains many varied motifs, which refer to Christianity, other religions, and Norse mythology. We do not know if the women who made the Hedebo Embroidery recognised the symbolic significance of the motifs. Maybe the women reproduced the motifs because they were pleased with their beauty, they matched the women’s abilities, or they went well with the composition of the embroidery. Still, it is interesting which symbolic connotations the women mirrored in their embroidered textiles. The motifs often appeared in pairs in a symmetric composition.
Geometrical Symbols
The majority of the Hedebo Embroidery variations use different geometrical patterns. The distinctive eight- pointed star is often reproduced in nearly all variations. The eight- pointed star is, like many other motifs, a symbol of Christ. But the star also refers to the Northern Star and is thus a symbol for the Nordic people or folk cultures. In India, the eight-pointed star is also a universal symbol. The rosette and the heart became characteristic shapes in “Udklipshedebo”.
Fauna
Drawn thread work and square cut work consist of many animal motifs, which often have significance in Christianity and other religions of the world. Horses, cockerels, pigeons, eagles, and maybe reindeer, were familiar objects of women’s everyday life, but what about lions, peacocks, and the firebird/ Phoenix? It is likely that the women copied these motifs from other embroideries and pattern books. We do not know if they tried to give extra meaning to the textiles by choosing a motif, or if the motif was chosen because of its aesthetic value, the technical challenge, or the desire for change. Did the women know that the lion, the eagle and the firebird/ Phoenix were symbols of Christ or the resurrection, and also referred to pre-Christian art in both the Middle East and amongst the heathen people of prehistory?