Traces of medieval individuals: New seal matrix discoveries in Finland

Abstract

In the Middle Ages, people expressed their social differences, positions and roles as well as religious affinities in various ways. One of them was the use of seals, and the present article analyses four recent finds of medieval seal matrices from Finland. Three belong to priests, and based on the use of heraldry, one to a member of the nobility. In terms of materials, one is of silver and the rest bronze alloys. As objects of identity performance, medieval matrices, archival sources permitting, can open large vistas on the genealogical networks of medieval society as well as individuality in medieval culture.