Viking swords and axes. Viking sword. Helmet and social status

Briefly about Viking weapons

“Lord deliver us from the wrath of the Vikings and the Magyar arrow” - this prayer is still pronounced in Europe
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The Vikings were amazing, magnificent, tireless and wonderful specialists in robbery attacks, the organization of criminal gangs, murders by prior conspiracy of two or more persons, as well as extremism, terrorism, mercenarism and insulting the feelings of believers. But as they say, they are not like that - such is life, back in the 50s of the twentieth century. Norway was a completely impoverished country, due to crazy economic problems from Sweden in the early twentieth century. 1.3 million Swedes left, all because of hunger and poverty, but what about the VIII-X centuries? Little grows on bare rocks, there is iron ore, which allowed the development of blacksmithing, stunted sheep breeding and fishing in the harsh waters of the Norwegian, North and Baltic Seas, that's the whole economy. The same can be attributed to the north-west of Russia and the Baltics, where poor agriculture, hunting and fishing did not allow to lead a well-fed life, so the influx into the Viking formations did not stop, there were gangs, which, according to evidence, consisted exclusively of Slavs.

There were much richer neighbors in the south, and on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea there were simply fabulously rich people, naturally, in the head of a medieval person, not burdened by any morality and other pseudo-cultural husks, a logical thought arises - to take away and give to your loved one. Since the Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Icelanders, Balts and Slavs got along well, armed with what they could (mostly with clubs, spears and knives) on one fine day for them and terrible for all others living from Egypt to Dublin and from Baghdad before Seville, the Vikings took their monstrous sea dragons out to sea.

What exactly is the success of these sea vagrants? There were more of them in a certain place at a certain time - the only main secret of any war, no need to leaf through Xun Tzu, he did not know about this because there are always and everywhere more Chinese than the enemy, however, this has never helped them. Europe is an extremely sparsely populated place even now, towns and villages are often scattered, but unsociable people a couple of kilometers apart may not see each other for years. What can we say about the times of the Vikings, when the largest metropolis of Novgorod had 30,000 inhabitants, the large European city of London had a population of 10,000 people, and the average village around the castle had well, if 100-150 inhabitants, along with a baron, warriors, a molted falcon, dogs and wife.

Therefore, a sudden landing of 20-30 more or less combat-ready, and most importantly well-motivated Vikings, was a crushing blow to the stretched coastal defenses. Moreover, this is not a modern situation, when the notification occurs in minutes, and the time of arrival from Lipetsk to Estonia of the strike group is 42 minutes. Then the villagers only by the alarm (if anyone survived) and smoke could find out that an attack had been committed. If the local prince or baron was in place, then there might have been some resistance, at least at the level, to close in the tower and wait while firing back until the Vikings left, the villagers did the same, they fled or, having learned about the attack, sat out in the forest farms . There was no united resistance from the whole village, so even a single detachment of Vikings, understandably limited in number by the number of places on the drakkar (the huge one took 80 people, and temporarily up to 200), had in front of the baron with 10-15 servants and 3-4 villagers with bows and at best with scramasaxes or axes, overwhelming superiority. Well, like all the marines, they were guided by the motto: "the main thing is to get away in time" until the detachment of the king or duke arrived. Each Viking is a drakkar motor, if there are too few of them left to row, write wasted. A squadron formation of 10-20 drakkars could easily lay siege to London or Ladoga. Regarding serials and women in hird or blacks - 50 years ago in Sweden it would have sounded like a great anecdote, women were occasionally rulers, but I don’t remember a single saga about a woman, let alone a black hirdman, because this is impossible.

Over time, having accumulated wealth and equipped their harsh lands, the Vikings got a taste and, instead of the boring northern summer, they had incendiary annual sea cruises in order to rob their neighbors, rape them in perverted forms, and, with resistance, kill them with preliminary severe torture. In addition to robberies, they gradually began to trade, because they realized that goods valued in Ladoga (wine, jewelry, swords) are not so expensive in Seville, but in Rome you can sell cheap wax, honey and furs on the Novgorod market. Like all poor nations, the Vikings became mercenaries, not only in the Slavic, but also in the Roman lands, their detachments were monstrously cruel, poorly controlled and self-willed, in Novgorod there are a lot of laws and documents related to the criminal offenses of the Vikings. Needless to say, when the captains of Rurik, the legendary Askold and Dir, having deserted from the army, simply put together an organized crime group and easily captured Kyiv, which was completely normal for the Vikings, who twice besieged Paris, repeatedly captured London and passed fire and sword through all lands from the Levant to Lapland.

In terms of battle tactics, the Vikings were predominantly marines, that is, they specialized in landing amphibious assaults, which determines the northern nature itself with many water arteries. As such, there were no roads in those days in the north, so all life flowed along rivers, lakes and seas, where the Vikings felt great. The Vikings had horses, rich Vikings even had war horses, they were transported on drakkars, but in general, small furry Viking ponies, little different from a tall dog, were used as a very auxiliary force in rocky terrain where there was nowhere to graze. The movement of the Vikings was on the ship, then landing and fast foot crossings, which is why the type of heavy infantry weapons was developed, which made it possible to move quickly and resist a few cavalry in a shield formation with spears.

The main Viking weapon is the spear, it is cheap, easy to replace, its use against any other weapon except the halberd is devastating.

The Viking shield is also a weapon - knocked together from boards with glue, with a crossbar for holding, sometimes covered with fabric or leather, with an iron umbon to protect the fist - they can be beaten. There was no binding, it was made of different types of wood, held in a fist, worn behind the back, transported on board a longship.

The Viking ax is a popular weapon - cheap, strong. They were by no means of heroic size - they can also be perfectly wielded.

What is called a battle ax is an axe. It was slightly larger than a battle ax, sometimes double-sided.

The war hammer (pictured are French samples) was also by no means of a heroic size.

According to the typology, the Carolingian Viking swords are characteristic of all of Europe at that time and came out of the Carolingian Empire, which included Germany, France and Italy. The Carolingian type of sword crystallized around the 8th century, at the end of the era of the Great Migration of Nations, at the beginning of the unification of the states of Western Europe under the auspices of Charlemagne and his descendants, which explains the name of the type of sword (“refers to the Carolingian era”).

The Viking sword is a weapon mainly slashing, rarely seen in the saga that someone was stabbed. The usual length of a sword of the 10th century was about 80 - 90 cm, however, a sword of 1.2 m in length was found in Russia. The width of the blade was 5 - 6 cm, thickness 4 mm. Along the canvas on both sides of the blade of all Viking swords are valleys (Fuller), which served to lighten the weight of the blade. The end of the sword, not designed for stabbing, had a rather blunt point, and sometimes even simply rounded. The pommel or apple (Pommel), hilt (Tang) and crossguard of the sword (Guard) on rich swords were decorated with bronze, silver and even gold, but more often, unlike the Slavic Carolingians, Viking swords were rather modestly decorated.

As it usually appears in films, a certain master forges a sword day and night to the heroic music and hands it over to the main character, which is absolutely not the case. Perhaps somewhere in a remote village, a blacksmith who ascended above himself, usually forging sickles, scythes and nails, would have forged a sword if he had obtained a lot of iron somewhere, but the quality of this sword would have been low. Another thing is the weapons corporations that were engaged in the manufacture of weapons and, in particular, Carolingian swords on an industrial scale. For some reason, few people know that even in the Stone Age, and certainly in the Bronze Age, in all regions of Europe there were large corporations that produce weapons, even by today's standards. The division of labor was also characteristic of the production of the Carolingian sword, so the swords were made by several craftsmen, and the corporation put a trademark. It changed over time, the type of inscription changed, fonts changed, rebranding took place, because of illiteracy or other reasons (Albanian language?!) the letters in the inscriptions turned over. For example, in Russia there were two such corporations LIUDOT KOVAL and SLAV, as evidenced by signature swords in museums.

In Scandinavia, apparently, there were smaller corporations that did not put their trademark or did not have the right to do so, but there were many exported swords, although the Carolingian Empire strictly forbade the sale of swords to anyone, but this law was poorly enforced or, judging by the number finds were not performed at all. In Germany, the huge arms corporation ULFBERHT worked, whose swords are simply dotted with Scandinavian countries and Slavic lands, there were other massive signature swords, that is, other corporations such as CEROLT, ULEN, BENNO, LEUTLRIT, INGELRED worked.

The so-called signature swords were found throughout Europe, it is clear that the production of swords was put on stream and the arms trade was carried out everywhere. Making a sword in a corporation had the advantage of maximum output at minimum cost and expense with the best possible product quality. Iron was purchased in bulk at the lowest prices, scrap was processed into less important products, apprentices were engaged in the manufacture of an iron base that required low-skilled blacksmithing, master blacksmiths assembled a blade that was complex. Master jewelers decorated the sword if it was of the appropriate value, or their apprentices stuffed a couple of cheap designs. This approach, by the way, is typical for artists - apprentices write the background, most of the characters, and the master finishes the face of the main character or applies a couple of strokes and puts his signature.

The blade consisted of an iron or iron-steel base with hardened blades welded to it, then they learned to cover the iron base with steel plates from above, and later they learned how to make a solid blade. The iron base was made twisted or chopped and repeatedly forged again to create the so-called welding damascus, known from the 2nd-3rd centuries. This gave the blade with hard and sharp, but not flexible and brittle blades the necessary plasticity and the ability to bend under load. With the growth of blacksmithing skills, the complex damask technology was abandoned, since the quality of the iron base had already become acceptable and the blades no longer bear such a revered pattern that appears when etching wrought iron.

Swords were worn in wooden or leather scabbards, less often in iron, they could be covered with leather or later with velvet, any material that gave a “barbaric” chic, at that time they loved everything different from the color of the linen and raw leather. The colors in both clothing and weapon decoration were the brightest of the available organic dyes, as soon as the warrior got rich - pommels, tips, plaques, brooches and rings glistened in the sun like a jewelry shop. They wore a sword on a belt or sling, not behind their backs, which is inconvenient both when rowing and when hiking, when the shield is thrown behind their backs. The scabbards were richly decorated, which is clear from the surviving tips, sometimes made of precious metals. NO ONE EVER carried a sword in a scabbard behind his back - it is impossible to get it out of there.

In addition, the Vikings had the second most popular sax or scramasax sword (lat. sax, scramasax) - rather a long knife than a short sword that came from the ancient Germans, but among the Vikings it had approximately the same length as the Carolingian up to 90 cm and a characteristic design handles. The Saxons, by the way, flatter themselves with the hope that their people comes from the name of this knife.

The blade length of the pan-European Saxon reached half a meter, the thickness was over 5 mm (for the Scandinavians and Slavs it could reach up to 8 mm), the sharpening was one-sided, the end was pointed, the shank, as a rule, was asymmetrical, the pommel of the handle was often made in the form of a raven's head. When using the Saxon, thrusting was preferred; according to the evidence, he pierced good chain mail and leather armor. More often, the sax was used not separately as a sword, but as a large knife in everyday life, something like a machete, but together with a sword as a daga (dagger), if the shield was torn out.

Helmets, like swords, were a status item and not everyone had them. Basically, they copy the helmet from Gjermundby (Jarmundby), partially preserved and incorrectly assembled in the museum from pieces.

The nasal helmet (Norman, as it is called in Russia) was typical for the Slavs and Europe, partly for the Vikings, it is most often used because of its cheapness.

Chain mail was an expensive pleasure, they mostly managed with leather jackets with bone or iron lining, or generally went into battle without armor. Chain mail - each ring was riveted, of course, no "briefing" - that is, just a ring cut and flattened by flats).

There were also lamellar armor - especially after serving in Byzantium, the so-called "plank armor" - metal plates connected by straps or rings of steel, such were from the Bronze Age bone, bronze, then iron, steel, in India, among samurai and Slavs as well as the Vikings.

The Vikings naturally had bows, crossbows (crossbows) and darts (sulits).

You are on your boat, and do not spend the night in houses:
The enemy can easily hide there.
On the shield the Viking sleeps, he squeezed his sword in his hand,
And only the sky is its roof ...
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You are in bad weather and a storm, unfurl your sail,
Oh, how sweet this moment will be ..
On the waves, on the waves, better straight to the forefathers,
Than to be a slave to your fears...

Vikings... This word became a household name several centuries ago. It symbolizes strength, courage, courage, but few people pay attention to details. Yes, the Vikings won victories and became famous for them for centuries, but now they got it not only due to their own qualities, but primarily through the use of the most modern and effective weapons.

A bit of history

The period of several centuries from the 8th to the 11th centuries in history is called the Viking Age. These Scandinavian peoples were distinguished by militancy, courage and incredible fearlessness. Courage and physical health inherent in warriors were cultivated in all possible ways at that time. During the period of their unconditional superiority, the Vikings achieved great success in martial art, and it did not matter at all where the battle took place: on land or at sea. They fought both in coastal areas and deep in the continent. Not only Europe has become for them the arena of battles. Their presence was also noted by the peoples of North Africa.

Excellence in the details

The Scandinavians fought with neighboring peoples not only for the sake of booty and enrichment - they founded their settlements on the reclaimed lands. Vikings decorated weapons and armor with a peculiar finish. It was here that artisans demonstrated their art and talent. To date, it can be argued that it was in this area that they most fully revealed their skills. The Viking weapons belonging to the lower social strata, the photos of which amaze even modern craftsmen, displayed entire plots. What can we say about the weapons of warriors belonging to the higher castes and having a noble origin.

What were the weapons of the Vikings?

The weapons of the warriors differed depending on the social status of their owners. Warriors of noble origin had swords and various kinds and forms of axes. Viking weapons of the lower classes were mainly bows and pointed spears of various sizes.

Protection features

Even the most advanced weapons in those days sometimes could not fulfill their main functions, because during the battle the Vikings were in fairly close contact with their opponent. The main defense of the Viking in battle was the shield, since not every warrior could afford other armor. He protected mainly from throwing weapons. Most of them were large round shields. Their diameter was about a meter. He protected the warrior from knees to chin. Often the enemy deliberately broke the shield in order to deprive the Viking of protection.

How was the Viking shield made?

The shield was made of boards 12-15 cm thick, sometimes there were even several layers. They were fastened together with specially created glue, and ordinary shingles often served as a layer. For greater strength, the top of the shield was covered with the skin of dead animals. The edges of the shields were reinforced with bronze or iron plates. The center was an umbon - a semicircle made of iron. He protected the hand of the Viking. Note that not every person could hold such a shield in their hands, and even during the battle. This once again testifies to the incredible physical data of the warriors of those times.

Viking shield - not just protection, but also a work of art

So that the warrior could not lose the shield during the battle, a narrow belt was used, the length of which could be adjusted. It was fastened from the inside on opposite edges of the shield. If it was necessary to use other weapons, the shield could easily be thrown behind the back. It was also practiced during transitions.

Most of the painted shields were red, but there were also various bright paintings, the complexity of which depended on the skill of the craftsman.

But like everything that came from ancient times, the shape of the shield underwent changes. And by the beginning of the XI century. the warriors had the so-called almond-shaped shields, which favorably differed from their predecessors in shape, protecting the warrior almost completely to the middle of the lower leg. They were also distinguished by a significantly lower weight compared to their predecessors. However, they were inconvenient for battles on ships, and they happened more and more often, and therefore they did not receive much distribution among the Vikings.

Helmet

The warrior's head was usually protected by a helmet. Its original frame was formed by three main stripes: 1st - forehead, 2nd - from the forehead to the back of the head, 3rd - from ear to ear. 4 segments were attached to this base. On the top of the head (where the stripes crossed) there was a very sharp spike. The warrior's face was partially protected by a mask. A chain mail mesh, called aventail, was attached to the back of the helmet. Special rivets were used to connect the parts of the helmet. From small metal plates they formed a hemisphere - a cup of a helmet.

Helmet and social status

At the beginning of the 10th century, the Vikings had conical helmets, and a straight nose plate served to protect the face. Over time, one-piece forged helmets with a chin strap came to their place. There is an assumption that a fabric or leather lining was fastened inside with rivets. Cloth comforters reduced the force of a blow to the head.

Ordinary warriors did not have helmets. Their heads were protected by hats made of fur or thick leather.

The helmets of wealthy owners were decorated with colored marks, they were used to recognize warriors in battle. Headdresses with horns, which abound in historical films, were extremely rare. In the Viking Age, they personified higher powers.

chain mail

The Vikings spent most of their lives in battle and therefore knew that wounds often became inflamed and the treatment was not always qualified, which led to tetanus and blood poisoning, and often death. That is why the armor helped to survive in harsh conditions, but to afford to wear them in the VIII-X centuries. only wealthy warriors could.

Short-sleeved, hip-length chainmail was worn by the Vikings in the 8th century.

Clothing and weapons of different classes differed significantly. Ordinary warriors used and sewed bone and later metal plates for protection. Such jackets were able to perfectly reflect the blow.

Particularly valuable element

Subsequently, the length of the chain mail increased. In the XI century. cuts appeared on the floors, which was very welcomed by the riders. More complex details appeared in chain mail - this is a facial valve and a balaclava, which helped protect the lower jaw and throat of a warrior. Her weight was 12-18 kg.

The Vikings were very careful about chain mail, because the life of a warrior often depended on them. Protective robes were of great value, so they were not left on the battlefield and not lost. Often chain mail was inherited.

Lamellar armor

It is also worth noting that Oni entered the arsenal of the Vikings after raids in the Middle East. Such a shell is made of iron plates-lamellae. They were laid in layers, slightly overlapping each other, and connected with a cord.

Viking armor also includes banded bracers and greaves. They were made from metal strips, the width of which was about 16 mm. They were fastened with leather straps.

Sword

The sword occupies a dominant position in the arsenal of the Vikings. This For warriors, he was not just a weapon that brings inevitable death to the enemy, but also a good friend, providing magical protection. The Vikings perceived all other elements as required for battle, but the sword is a separate story. The history of the family was associated with it, it was passed down from generation to generation. The warrior perceived the sword as an integral part of himself.

Viking weapons are often found in warrior graves. The reconstruction allows us to get acquainted with its original appearance.

At the beginning of the Viking Age, patterned forging was widespread, but over time, thanks to the use of better ore and the modernization of furnaces, it became possible to make blades that were more durable and lighter. The shape of the blade has also changed. The center of gravity has moved to the handle, and the blades taper sharply towards the end. This weapon made it possible to strike quickly and accurately.

Double-edged swords with rich handles were the ceremonial weapons of wealthy Scandinavians, and were not practical in battle.

In the VIII-IX centuries. Frankish-style swords appear in the arsenal of the Vikings. They are sharpened on both sides, and the length of the straight blade, tapering to a rounded point, was a little less than a meter. This gives reason to believe that such a weapon was also suitable for cutting.

The hilts on the swords were of different types, they differed in hilts and the shape of the head. Silver and bronze in the early period, as well as chasing, were used to decorate handles.

In the 9th and 10th centuries, the handles are decorated with copper strips and pewter. Later, in the drawings on the handle, one could find geometric figures on a tin plate, which were inlaid with brass. The contours were emphasized by copper wire.

Thanks to the reconstruction on the middle part of the handle, we can see a handle made of horn, bone or wood.

The scabbard was also wooden - they were sometimes covered with leather. The inside of the scabbard was lined with a soft material that still protected from the oxidation products of the blade. Often it was oiled leather, waxed cloth or fur.

Surviving drawings from the Viking Age give us an idea of how the scabbard was worn. Initially, they were on a sling thrown over the shoulder on the left. Later, the sheath began to be hung from the waist belt.

Saxon

Viking edged weapons can also be represented by the Saxons. It was used not only on the battlefield, but also in the economy.

Saks is a knife with a wide butt, in which the blade is sharpened on one side. All Saxons, judging by the results of the excavations, can be divided into two groups: long ones, the length of which is 50-75 cm, and short ones, up to 35 cm long. It can be argued that the latter are the prototype of daggers, most of which modern masters also bring to the status works of art.

Axe

The weapon of the ancient Vikings is an ax. After all, most of the warriors were not rich, and such an item was available in any household. It is worth noting that the kings also used them in battles. The handle of the ax was 60-90 cm, and the cutting edge was 7-15 cm. At the same time, it was not heavy and allowed to maneuver during the battle.

The Viking weapon, the "bearded" axes, were mainly used in naval battles, as they had a square ledge at the bottom of the blade and were great for boarding.

A special place should be given to an ax with a long handle - an ax. The blade of the ax could be up to 30 cm, the handle - 120-180 cm. No wonder it was the favorite weapon of the Vikings, because in the hands of a strong warrior it became a very formidable weapon, and its impressive appearance immediately undermined the morale of the enemy.

Viking weapons: photos, differences, meanings

The Vikings believed that weapons had magical powers. It has been kept for a long time and passed down from generation to generation. Warriors with wealth and position decorated axes and axes with ornaments, noble and non-ferrous metals.

Sometimes the question is asked: what is the main weapon of the Vikings - a sword or an ax? The warriors were fluent in these types of weapons, but the choice always remained with the Viking.

A spear

Viking weapons cannot be imagined without a spear. According to legends and sagas, northern warriors greatly honored this type of weapon. The acquisition of a spear did not require special expenses, since the shaft was made by themselves, and the tips were easy to manufacture, although they differed in appearance and purpose and did not require a lot of metal.

Any warrior could be armed with a spear. The small size allowed it to be held with both two and one hand. They used spears mainly for close combat, but sometimes as throwing weapons.

Particular attention should be paid to the spearheads. At first, the Vikings had spears with lancet-shaped tips, the working part of which was flat, with a gradual transition to a small crown. Its length is from 20 to 60 cm. Later, spears with tips of various shapes from leaf-shaped to triangular in cross section were encountered.

The Vikings fought on different continents, and their gunsmiths skillfully used elements of the enemy's weapons in their work. The weapons of the Vikings 10 centuries ago have undergone a change. The spears were no exception. They became more durable due to the reinforcement at the point of transition to the crown and were quite suitable for ramming.

In fact, there was no limit to the perfection of the spear. It has become a kind of art. The most experienced warriors in this matter not only threw spears from both hands at the same time, but could also catch it on the fly and send it back to the enemy.

Dart

To conduct combat operations at a distance of about 30 meters, a special Viking weapon was needed. Its name is a dart. It was quite capable of replacing many more massive weapons with skillful use by a warrior. These are light one and a half meter spears. Their tips could be like ordinary spears or similar to a harpoon, but sometimes there were petiolate with a two-thorn part and socketed.

Onion

This common weapon was usually made from a single piece of elm, ash or yew. It served to fight at a great distance. Bow arrows up to 80 centimeters long were made from birch or coniferous trees, but always old ones. Wide metal tips and special plumage distinguished Scandinavian arrows.

The length of the wooden part of the bow reached two meters, and the string was most often braided hair. Great strength was required to work with such weapons, but it was for this that the Viking warriors were famous. The arrow hit the enemy at a distance of 200 meters. The Vikings used bows not only in military affairs, therefore, arrowheads were very different, given their purpose.

Sling

This is also a throwing weapon of the Vikings. It was not difficult to make it with your own hands, since you only needed a rope or a belt and a leather "cradle" where a rounded stone was placed. A sufficient number of stones were collected when landing on the coast. Once in the hands of a skilled warrior, the sling is able to send a stone to hit the enemy a hundred meters from the Viking. The principle of operation of this weapon is simple. One end of the rope was attached to the warrior's wrist, and he held the other in his fist. The sling was rotated, increasing the number of revolutions, and the fist was unclenched at the maximum. The stone flew in a given direction and slew the enemy.

The Vikings always kept their weapons and armor in order, as they perceived them as part of themselves and understood that the result of the battle depended on it.

Undoubtedly, all of the listed types of weapons helped the Vikings to gain fame as invincible warriors, and if the enemies were very afraid of the weapons of the Scandinavians, then the owners themselves treated him very respectfully and reverently, often endowing them with names. Many types of weapons that participated in bloody battles were inherited and served as a guarantee that a young warrior would be brave and decisive in battle.

The medieval Viking had three main values that testify to his social position - vehicle (horse or ship), outfit and, of course, the weapon that he always kept with him. The weapons of the medieval Scandinavians were very diverse, for every taste and for every situation, as you can see for yourself.

Attributes of a real warrior

As we all know, the Vikings were very warlike. By the way, they put a negative connotation into the word “Viking” itself - after all, not all medieval Scandinavians were called that before, but only those of them who were engaged in maritime robbery.

Nevertheless, in the event of an attack, not only warriors participating in campaigns, but also small landowners (bonds) protecting their allotment, household, slaves and servants could stand up for themselves and their families. Moreover, even a simple Scandinavian peasant or shepherd in the VIII-XI centuries. (this period in history is called the Viking Age) knew how to fight.

Therefore, there were many weapons. He was always kept with him. And it got to the point that, sitting down at the table at home, the Vikings put the sword next to them at arm's length. You never know.

A beautiful and solid weapon was a source of pride, they could well have been killed for it. After all, the property of the vanquished passed to the winner. There was also the concept of “ancestral weapons”, which were inherited. And if the weapon was presented as a gift, then this gift was assessed as very generous. Wealthy people decorated it - gilded, silvered, they also decorated the walls. Indeed, why hang carpets when you can hang shields or spears on the wall? Therefore, the profession of a blacksmith was considered prestigious, and even rich people, but what are people, even gods in the Scandinavian pantheon, could forge swords at their leisure. In the Elder Edda, for example, the wizard-blacksmith Völund is mentioned, a magnificent craftsman who also flew on wings made by himself.

About glorious swords

The most common Viking weapons were swords and spears. There were a great many swords - the researchers count up to 26 types, distinguished by the shape of the handle. Among them were swords with long blades (sverd), and with short ones, intended for close combat (skalm), and a heavy sword - sax.

Swords at the Viking Museum in Hedeby, source: wikimedia

They also differed in the number of blades. There were both with one blade and with two. All, however, were united by a similar length of the blade - from 70 to 90 cm, and the weight of the sword - from 1 to 1.5 kg. The blades, as a rule, were wide and narrowed slightly only towards the tip, mainly for chopping blows.

In addition, Scandinavian swords have valleys - special grooves on the blade that lighten its weight. On the valleys, it was customary to put the mark of the master-manufacturer. Swords were decorated with twisted handles, images or runes etched on the blades.

Interestingly, Swedish swords were valued more than Icelandic or Norwegian ones: it was all about the quality of the steel. But the Frankish ones were considered the best, they are also called "Carolingian type" swords.

Judging by the hallmarks, every third sword was of Frankish origin, which, however, is highly debatable. Thus, researchers believe that local craftsmen often stylized their products as fashionable imported swords and forged hallmarks.

Spears, axes and other tools of the militant people

Now about the spears, which also had many varieties. Some were distinguished by a wide leaf-shaped tip, which could be both stabbed and chopped. Such spears were very heavy and long - the shaft of the Scandinavian spear reached a length of about 1.5 m. Other throwing spears were lighter and more meek, with a relatively narrow tip. They are still easy to recognize by the metal ring, which helped to correctly indicate the center of gravity during the throw. Spears could be made with plumage, as well as fetter the shaft with iron (such a spear was called a stake in armor). Sometimes the tip itself was supplemented with a hook like a harpoon. It turned out to be a very practical device if you need to attack a ship or pull an enemy off a horse.

The Vikings were also very fond of battle axes, including axes, axes with a semicircular blade, sharpened on the outside. In particular, during excavations of mounds in Norway, 1200 axes are found for 1500 swords.

Battle axes differed from ordinary ones in their smaller size, greater lightness and narrower blade, so that if necessary it could be thrown. There were also more massive axes, the so-called "Danish". Wide axes with a long thin blade, and sometimes with a hook, were valued. They held the ax with both two and one hand, which was much more common.

A little more about weapons, or Everything was used

In general, in addition to spears and axes, a lot of other things were thrown at the enemy. For example, darts or stones. There were even special belts for throwing stones - they were convenient during the siege. They could crush the wall or shields, for example. They also used bows, both heavy and light, made from one piece of wood (ash, elm, yew), with a string of tightly woven hair. Arrows, or rather their tips, were different. For battles - narrower and thinner, and wider for hunting. A knife hung around the neck all the time - they were also used to cut meat during dinner, or to practice manual dexterity in their free time.

For protection, the Vikings wore iron chain mail made of link plates, and under them thick quilted vests. Helmets were put on the head: just felt or metal, over the felt. The shields were wide, both oblong (the length of the warrior's height, so that the deceased could be carried on it), and smaller round ones. They were decorated with bright colors, coats of arms, and images from overlaid metal.

viking shield

As we can see, almost anything could serve as a weapon, even the butt of an ax or a club. For example, Thor, the most revered god of the ancient Scandinavians (despite the fact that Odin was supreme), generally had a Hammer. Visiting temples where it was forbidden to draw weapons, or coming to the place of the Thing (gathering of free people), the Vikings tied the scabbards on the “strings of the world”, but they still kept their weapons with them. They took care of him, loved him, decorated him (with silver and gold, protective runes, gems) and even gave their names - for example, in the medieval sagas, the ax Star, the spear Gray blade, the armor of the Principal, Emma's chain mail and the completely ridiculous ax of the Beetle or Boar are mentioned.

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Of course, the manufacture of weapons occupied a special place in the blacksmith's craft. As a rule, the weapons of a Viking warrior were an iron helmet with a half mask, chain mail, a wooden shield with metal fittings along the edges and a umbon in the center, an ax with a long handle and a double-edged sword.

Perfected Scandinavian sword of the 9th-11th centuries. became a true symbol of the era. In the special literature, it is called the "Viking sword". The "Viking sword" is a direct descendant of the spatha, a long double-edged sword of the Celts and a direct ancestor of the knight's sword. In fact, it should be called the "Viking sword", since these swords belong to a certain era and were worn by all the warriors of the Viking era, and not just the Vikings. However, the expression "Viking sword" also took root because the sword was a typical Viking weapon. Although the battle ax still played an important role, the sword was more valued by the Vikings.

The pagan Viking sagas are full of tales of special swords. For example, in the Edda about Helga Hjorvardsson, the Valkyrie Svava describes the hero’s magic sword as follows: “There is a ring on the head, courage in the blade, the blade inspires fear in front of the owner, a bloody worm rests on the blade, the viper curled up in a ring on the back.” Along with magic swords, famous family swords are known that have their own name and special qualities.

Viking swords: a - collection of the Bergen Museum; b - Scandinavian sword; c – modern reconstruction of the Viking sword of the 9th–11th centuries; d - from the collection of the German Museum

The Scandinavian sword of the Viking Age was a long, heavy double-edged blade with a small guard. The Viking sword weighed about 1.5 kg. Its usual length was about 80 ... 90 cm, the width of the blade was 5 ... 6 cm. Along the canvas on both sides of the blade of all Scandinavian swords there are valleys that served to lighten its mass. The thickness of the sword in the area of the valley was about 2.5 mm, on the sides of the valley - up to 6 mm. However, the dressing of the metal was such that it did not affect the strength of the blade. In the IX-XI centuries. the sword was a purely slashing weapon and was not intended for stabbing.

During the Viking Age, swords increased somewhat in length (up to 930 mm) and acquired a slightly sharper end of the blade and the tip itself. Throughout continental Europe between 700-1000 B.C. n. e. swords of this design have been found, with minor differences. Not every warrior had a sword - it was primarily a professional weapon. But not every sword owner could boast of a magnificent and expensive blade. The hilts of ancient swords were richly and variously decorated. Masters skillfully and with great taste combined noble and non-ferrous metals - bronze, copper, brass, gold and silver - with a relief pattern, enamel and niello. Precious decorations were a kind of gifts to the sword for faithful service, signs of love and gratitude to the owner. They carried swords in scabbards made of leather and wood.

A clear evidence of the blacksmithing skills of the Viking Age is the Sutton Hoo Smoke sword, kept in the British Museum. In 1939, a magnificent, well-preserved ship burial was found on Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. As a result of research, archaeologists came to the conclusion that this is the grave of the Anglo-Saxon king Redwold, who died in 625. One of the most significant finds in this burial was Redwald's sword. His blade was welded from numerous strips of Damascus steel. The handle is almost entirely made of gold and decorated with cloisonné enamel. If gold cells are usually filled with colored enamel, then the Sutton-Khu sword has polished grenades inserted into them. Truly it was the weapon of the king, representing the highest standard of metallurgical art.

Specialists of the British Museum, using modern research methods, have established that the sword consisted of a core of complex design and blades welded to it. The core was made of eight bars, each consisting of seven Damascus steel rods. The bars are twisted in opposite directions and shackled alternately "torted" and "straight". Thus, a characteristic pattern was formed - a kind of "herringbone" and sections with a twisted pattern and a longitudinal pattern alternated along the length of the blade. The average length of both is 55 mm, and the pattern is repeated at least 11 times.

The British Museum offered to make a blade in the Sutton Hoo style to US blacksmith Scott Lankton, who is known for his work in this area. First, a package was welded by forge welding, then forged into a rectangular blank with decreasing dimensions (10 mm is the size of the larger base, and 6 mm is the smaller one) 500 mm long. The materials included in the package were selected based on the color they acquire after etching. Eight of the best twisted bars made up a package, welded at the ends by arc welding and additionally fastened with clamps.

The complex stack thus obtained was forge welded using borax as a flux. For the blade of the sword, a plate was forged, consisting of 180 layers of high-carbon steel (80% wt.) And soft iron (20% wt.). The core was “wrapped” with this plate, and it was welded to it by end forge welding. As a result, a sword with a total length of 89 cm was forged with a weight of just over a kilogram and a blade length of 76 cm.

After filing and polishing, the sword was hardened in oil. Vacation was made in hot oil. After seven days of grinding and polishing, the blade was etched in the "classic" 3% nitric acid solution. The beautiful pattern that appeared was like wisps of smoke rising from a flame. This type of pattern is now called Sutton Hoo Smoke. The Smoke Sutton Hoo sword is now part of the collection of the British Museum and is on permanent display next to the original. The Smoke Sutton Hoo sword is extremely popular with modern smiths who specialize in Damascus steel. His numerous replica reconstructions are known, including such outstanding masters as M. Sachse, M. Balbach, P. Bartha.

Another common weapon in the Viking Age was a heavy spear, which was significantly different from its counterparts from other countries. The northern spear had a shaft about five feet long with a long (up to half a meter) wide leaf-shaped tip. Such a spear could both stab and chop (which the Vikings, in fact, did with success).

Thus, the Scandinavian blacksmiths, who forged swords for their compatriot warriors, mastered the complex technology of blacksmith forging, pattern welding and heat treatment. In the technique of production and artistic decoration of swords, they surpassed the masters of both Europe and Asia, as evidenced, for example, by the fact that it was Scandinavian swords that were exported to the countries of these regions, and not vice versa.

The Viking Age left a huge mark on world history. The development of metallurgy and shipbuilding allowed them to achieve great success in the field of navigation. Until now, researchers have found traces of the Vikings in various parts of the world. The ability of the Vikings to make excellent weapons and tools, build ships and fight allowed them to take a leading position among other peoples of that era. Thanks to their technical achievements, the Vikings were able to make their raids and conquer vast territories. In the IX-XI centuries. they made trips up to 8000 km long. These bold and fearless people reached the borders of Persia in the east, and the New World in the west.

Viking weapons there were swords, spears, and battle-axes, as well as bows and arrows.

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swords

Swords were partially brought from neighboring countries, in particular from the Frankish Kingdom. This is evidenced by the stamps of the Frankish weapons workshops on the blades - Ulfberht, in particular. A considerable part was made in Scandinavia itself, often copying and developing imported samples. Single-edged swords were used in the first half of the Viking Age, up to the 10th century at most - only double-edged ones are found later. According to Petersen's research, the quality of imported Frankish swords was much higher than similar Scandinavian ones - the carbon content in the steel of Norwegian swords is significantly lower.

Compared to later European melee weapons, which weighed 3 kilograms each, the Viking era sword is very light, however, due to the design features of the hilt and blade, it is almost impossible to strike with them, except for chopping. Unambiguous sources - descriptions or images - that show exactly how they fought with this weapon have not been preserved. One can only assume that the sword was most often used for work with the right hand, paired with a round wooden shield with a fist grip. The blow of the sword, most likely, was taken on the shield, and his sword was used to strike back. Strikes in this combination are best applied to the head or legs, for which there was practically no protective equipment in the Viking era.

Axes

According to, for example, Norwegian archaeologists, for 1500 finds of swords in the burials of the Viking Age, there are 1200 axes, and often an ax and a sword lay together in the same burial. It is often quite difficult to distinguish between a work ax and a battle ax, but the Viking Age battle ax is usually smaller and somewhat lighter than a work ax. The butt of the battle ax is much smaller, and the blade itself is much narrower. Most battle axes were supposedly used for one-handed work.

At a later time, in the -XI centuries, massive so-called. "Danish axes" - with crescent-shaped edges, blades up to 45 cm wide, called "brodex" or "bridex" - breið öx (carpenter's ax).

Knives (Saxons)

A sax is a long, single-edged knife commonly owned by honorary citizens in Norwegian society. The longer version was called scramasax. In peacetime, it was somewhat of a machete, but was also a formidable weapon in close combat. A rich man owned a larger knife, slightly smaller than a sword.

Spears

Spears are the most common type of weapon. The northern spear had a shaft about five feet (about 1.5 m) long with a long, wide, leaf-shaped tip. Such a spear could both stab and chop. According to other sources, this spear was also called a horn. The shafts were made mainly from ash, bound with iron so that the shaft could not be cut. Such a spear weighed a lot, so it was not easy to throw it.

There were also special throwing spears, similar to European darts and sulits. Such spears were shorter, with a narrower tip. Often a metal ring was attached to them, indicating the center of gravity and helping the warrior to give the throw the right direction.

Luke

The bow was made from a single piece of wood, usually yew, ash, or elm, with braided hair often used as a bowstring. Arrows in the 7th-9th centuries had different tips depending on the application - wider and flatter for hunting, narrower and thinner for combat use.