Download April 2014

VIKING WEAPON
PROTECTION
AND TRANSPORTERS
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 The Viking Age sword was for single-handed use to be
combined with a shield, with a double edged blade
length of up to 90 cm. Its shape was still very much
based on the swords of the Dark Aged and on the
Roman spatha with a tight grip, long deep fuller and no
pronounced cross-guard. It was not exclusive to the
Vikings, but rather was used throughout Europe
 These arms were also indicative of a Viking’s social
status. As war was the most prestigious activity in
Viking Age Scandinavia, beautifully finished weapons
were an important way for a warrior to display his
wealth and status. A wealthy Viking would likely have
a complete ensemble of a spear, one or two javelins,
a wooden shield, and either a battle axe or a sword.
The spear was the most common weapon of the peasant class of
Scandinavia and also throwing spears may have been used by the
warrior class. They consisted of metal heads with a blade and a hollow
shaft, mounted on wooden shafts of two to three meters in length, and
were typically made from ash wood. The spear heads could measure
between twenty and sixty centimeters with a tendency towards longer
heads in the later Viking age.
(April 2014)The Bow and
arrow was used both for
hunting and in battle. They
were made from yew, ash
or elm trees. The draw
force of a 10th-century
bow may have reached
some 90 pounds force (400
N) or more, resulting in an
effective range of at least
200 m depending on the
weight of the arrow. A yew
bow found at Viking
Hedeby, which probably
was a full-fledged war bow,
had a draw force of well
over 100 pounds.
 In the viking time they used long boats
for sailing but some younger viking
didn’t know to sail, or they weren’t
allowed to because it’s out of control!
THE VIKING SWORD WAS A WEAPON OF THE VIKING AGE. IT WAS A
DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMAN SPATHA, EVOLVING OUT OF THE MIGRATION
PERIOD SWORD IN THE 8TH CENTURY, AND INTO THE CLASSICAL KNIGHTLY
SWORD IN THE 11TH CENTURY WITH THE EMERGENCE OF LARGER CROSSGUARDS.[1] EARLY VIKING AGE SWORDS WERE PATTERN WELDED, THOUGH
LATER BLADES WERE MADE OF MORE HOMOGENEOUS STEEL. OF PARTICULAR
NOTE IS THE "ULFBERHT" SUBSET, WHICH USED STEEL OF HIGHER PURITY AND
CARBON CONTENT THAN ITS PEERS IN THE REGION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
IMPORTED IN INGOT
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 There were no supermarkets or shops to buy food so the
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Vikings ate what food they could grow or hunt. Plants
Vegetables e.g. leeks, onions, turnips, parsnips and carrots.
Wild nuts e.g. hazelnuts and walnuts.
Berries e.g. gooseberries, blackberries and blueberries.
Grains to make bread and also porridge
Herbs e.g. fennel, common sorrel, wild garlic, parsley
Leaves e.g. nettles and spinach
THE VIKING AGE SWORD WAS FOR SINGLE-HANDED USE TO BE
COMBINED WITH A SHIELD, WITH A DOUBLE EDGED BLADE LENGTH
OF UP TO 90 CM. ITS SHAPE WAS STILL VERY MUCH BASED ON THE
SWORDS OF THE DARK AGES AND ON THEROMAN SPATHA WITH A
TIGHT GRIP, LONG DEEP FULLER AND NO PRONOUNCED CROSSGUARD. IT WAS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE VIKINGS, BUT RATHER WAS
USED THROUGHOUT EUROPE.
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