Willow Wicker Basket, Germany
The history of the word "Wicker" is interesting. It is related to an old Swedish dialect word Vikker (Willow), which is in turn related to the verb Vika, to bend or fold. Vika has strong connotations: a Vik is a fold in the coastline, hence a bay or creek. The Vikings are the Ingas (men of a tribe) from the Viks... Our English word Wicker carries with it the memory of battles and invasion a thousand years ago by the Bay-Men in their longships. Now it is as closely twisted and folded into our tongue as the pliable twigs of Willow in a well-woven basket. And all the sleepy little towns and villages along the British coasts and rivers, with names like Sandwich, Berwick, Wick, Mallaig (Malvik), and Uig (Vik) carry just a hint of the terror described in The Battle of Maldon, one of the earliest English poems:
- Then was a splintering of shields, the sea-wolves coming on
in war-whetted anger.