Since the figurines primarily show the Norse mythological god Odin and the goddess Freya, locals at the time probably conducted pagan ceremonies for these gods at the temple. Freya was a goddess of beauty, love, fertility and attraction, while Odin was a god of wisdom, war, battle and death.
The lion symbolism of the "Mickey Mouse" brooch, therefore, would have been in keeping with the popular culture and beliefs of the time in Sweden's Iron Age (500 B.C.-1050 A.D.), although the object's charm has not diminished over the years.
A spokesman for the Walt Disney Company told Discovery News, "Mickey has always been a timeless Disney character with universal appeal across the generations. This certainly reinforces that notion in a way we never expected."
It is possible the connection between the two images might have to do with the simple "circle upon circle" design. The Disney company's website mentions that the earliest drawings of Mickey Mouse in the 1920's consisted of multiple circles, even for the character's body. Changes over the following decades, such as the addition of Mickey's pear-shaped body and eye pupils, gradually led to how the character looks today.
One generation's rodent turned out to be another's fierce lion.
As Rosengren said, "An elite Swedish woman from the Iron Age never would have worn a mouse on her clothing, but the lion object certainly does look like our culture's modern Mickey Mouse."
