Sutton Hoo and especially the early medieval helmet discovered there is now the icon of Suffolk. The emblem of the Sutton Hoo helmet will be used in publicity material to highlight what the county is all about. This happened as a result of a poll that had to identify the icon of Suffolk.
The poll was initiated last summer by Choose Suffolk, the body promoting the county as a great place to live and to visit. The Icons Project was inspired by the Cultural Olympiad, which includes a wide range of cultural events anticipating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To determine the icon of Suffolk, a site was created, where visitors could download pictures and videos of places, scenes, statues, buildings and other things that represent Suffolk for them. The picture of Dani Filth, a death metal singer from Cradle of Filth was downloaded too. To surprise many, it received a huge amount of votes from Dani’s fans.
Sutton Hoo, however, was chosen by the people of Suffolk as the top icon. Brigit Parker from Choose Suffolk, said: “It’s a symbol of national historic importance. If you see that image, the world over, it undoubtedly is something you’d link back to Suffolk. It’s distinctive and representative – something that sends a powerful message.” Suffolk Icons has been awarded a London 2012 Inspire Mark, which recognises outstanding projects that help creating a legacy that will last beyond 2012 Olympic Games.
To be sure, this will help to promote the image of the Anglo-Saxon helmet from Sutton Hoo as a recognizable symbol not only in Suffolk but all over the world.
Photo: Sutton Hoo helmet. Courtesy pettifoggist. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic Licence.
