To the Vikings, weapons and armor, especially the sword for those who owned one, were more than mere tools. They were a part of their identity, and what they relied upon to keep themselves and their family safe from harm. Moreover, weapons were a necessary part of life in the martial society of the Viking Age. Where men were expected to be ready to answer a call to arms from their chieftain or king at short notice.
In this guide I am doing a deepdive into all that we know about the different Viking Age types of weapons and armor. I will try to cover both the practical use and the deeper meaning some weapons were imbued with, especially the sword.
The Role of Weapons in Viking Society
It goes without saying that in the Viking Age, there was a strong weapons culture. However, this wasn’t just because they would be going on raids to foreign shores. Threats would likely come just as fast and hard at home. Although a rules-based society, there was an expectation that a man should be able to defend himself and his family.
Moreover, it wasn’t just the threat of physical harm you might have to contend with back then. In their society honor was almost as important as your life. As such, an insult or some perceived slight might quickly escalate into an armed conflict.
If you were unlucky, you might one day wake up to a berserker knocking on your door. I haven’t found any reliable sources for how common this might have been. However, a law was passed against berserkers late in the Viking Age, so it was obviously an issue. Before they were outlawed, a berserker might challenge someone to a fight to the death. Then more or less rightfully take all the possessions of the poor man he would likely kill.
Fighting Battles at Home and Abroad
In the Viking Age, especially so at the beginning of it, Scandinavia was a large group of smaller kingdoms. Many of these petty kings would have falling-outs that ended in smaller or larger battles. The Old Norse sagas are full of petty kings battling over land, and the power and influence that came with it.
Similarly, there were the sons of petty kings striking out by themselves to claim fame and fortune. While a chieftain or petty king might have many sons, he usually only had one area of land he ruled over. Thus, the norm was that he might supply the second or third son with ship(s) and men to go out and stake his own claim. For all these battles, men were called out to come join their chieftain or king.
Finally, dying in battle, weapon in hand, was the idealized way to die for men of the Viking Age. In preparation for all this, weapons were common and something all men, some women and even children would own.
Weapons in Viking Burials and the Afterlife
The people of the Viking Age believed firmly in the gods of Norse mythology. To them, the gods and mythical beings or phenomena were all around them. Part of this belief was that they believed they would go on to another place, or world after their death.
There were actually several places one might end up, depending on the manner of your death, your bravery and other life choices. For the warriors, they hoped to go to Odin’s hall Valhalla. There they would join the ranks of the Einherjar, and prepare for the final battle at Ragnarök. However, there were a number of different possibilities where one might end up.
No matter where you might end up though, one thing was for sure. You wanted to be prepared for whatever might come. Preparation in this regard meant being buried along with all that you might need in the next life. This was because they believed they would get the things both for their journey there, as well as enjoy them in the afterlife
Based on this belief, most Vikings were buried with things personal to them. Depending on their wealth and status, this could mean quite a lot. Even for children, this could mean they were buried with a toy, a piece of jewelry, and maybe a knife. Then for the upper classes, for both men, and some women, viking burials might include a ship, horses and animals, slaves, wagons and all manner of weapons.
Below is an image of the items found in the grave of what is believed to have been a riding warrior. Having both a sword, a shield, an ax and one or two spears, he would have been well equipped.
Types of Viking Weapons
The Vikings had a range of different weapons, some purely for combat, while others might serve other purposes as well. Since most people lived as farmers in the Viking Age, axes were a widely used weapon. Another type of weapon most or all men would own was a knife. They might come in vastly different forms though as I’ll discuss below.
A weapon almost as common was the spear. Ranging in length and design, they might be designed either for throwing, or in a shorter version meant more for stabbing. A more long-range weapon was the bow and arrow. Both the spear and the bow could also be used for hunting.
Finally, the least common, yet most coveted weapon for any viking was the sword. Being as much a status symbol as a weapon, swords were an expensive and treasured possession. The crafting of a good sword likely took both time and a special skill set. Interestingly there is evidence of popular types of blades being imported from Germany to be finished by local Scandinavian craftsmen.
The Sword – Sverð
With warriors being looked up to, carrying a nice sword was a point of pride for many Vikings. The cost of a good sword however put it out of reach of most farmers and men who had not participated in raids yet.
For the Viking warrior class, nobles, and men who had been on raids in foreign lands, most had likely secured themselves a sword. The cheapest way to get one of course, would be to take it off someone who you had just killed with your ax. Raiding and pillaging being the goal, every trip Vikings took abroad would likely bring home a host of different weapons.
There are a few distinct styles and designs recognized as Viking swords. However, they had lots of influence from outside of Scandinavia as well and trading in weapons was common.
Design and Style of Viking Swords
There have been found more than three thousand swords from the Viking Age in Norway alone. Spanning in age from the early 8th century to the end of the 11th century. it. While there are many different Viking Age swords, they are typically categorized into one of roughly forty different types.
The earliest swords, some dating back well before the onset of the Viking Age, but found in Viking graves, were single-edged. Almost like an over-sized knife, they were simpler to forge, and required a less skilled blacksmith to create. However, as the Viking Age picked up, the Vikings started both exploring, raiding and trading more.
As production of swords in Scandinavia evolved, likely also influenced by swords found abroad, they became the one-handed, double-edged swords we recognize today.
The overall length of Viking Age swords were around three feet, where four-six inches were the hilt, handle and pommel. Used in combination with a shield, they needed to be light and would typically weigh around 2.5-2.8 lbs.
Evolution of Sword-Making Techniques
In Viking Age Scandinavia, swords were forged using what is known as the pattern-weld technique. I am not a master blacksmith, but as I understand it, pattern-welding is a process where different rods/pieces of iron/steel with slightly different qualities (amount of carbon in the mix) are twisted together and forge-welded into one. This was in order to create blades that were both tough enough, as well as having harder edges that could be sharpened well.
Creating high quality blades which were durable yet had razor sharp edges was somewhat of a science. So much so that there were certain blades that were sought after because of the skill of the blacksmith. One example are the so-called Ulfberht swords that have been found all over Europe.
Obviously well regarded for the quality, almost two hundred swords with the characteristic “+VLFBERHT+” engraving have been found. Out of these, almost fifty were found in Norway. However, though most have been found in Norway and Scandinavia, it is believed that they originated from somewhere in Germania, then part of the Frankish Empire.
The Ax – Ǫx
Possibly the most common weapon for both peasants and warriors, the Viking Age axes used in battle came in many different types. Seeing as most men in the Viking Age were farmers, they all owned at least one ax. If you both wanted to cut down large trees as well as create furniture, planks for building etc. you likely had several different axes.
However, while the battle axes might have been born out of utilitarian tools, some evolved into pure tools of death and war. This likely followed the same path as when a farmer evolved into a more professional warrior, as many did. In the early Viking Age, an ax was a poor man’s weapon, and wealthier men or nobles wore swords. However, this changed over time as axes evolved and became something most warriors would also carry at least one of.
Primarily you could say there were two different kinds of axes used by Vikings in battle, the bearded ax, and the broad ax. I will discuss them both only as tools of battle, but it is clear that while the broad ax was truly a battle-born weapon, the bearded ax seems to have evolved from the common ax.
Bearded Ax – Skeggöx
The Viking Age skeggöx (skegg is Old Norse for beard), was a smaller ax, meant to be used one-handed. The skegg, or beard part of the name comes from how the blade is extended down, hanging like a beard.
As you can see in this image the blade extends down somewhat, effectively increasing the cutting edge of the ax. There is also a small “knob” on the bottom of the blade, adding to a secondary function of the beard. This is to use the ax as a hook, ripping someone’s shield down or to the side.
While this feature is a well established fact, I can’t help but think about how a warrior would be using it in battle. Facing an enemy with some kind of weapon and a shield, you use your ax to hook the other guy’s shield and pull it down or to the side. Then what?
If you carry a shield of your own, do you use it to strike at him? Many shields of the time had iron all around the outer edge do make them sturdier and it would probably be painful to get one right in your face. Another possibility, and just as likely is that in the other hand there wouldn’t be a shield. Instead the warrior might be holding some other weapon, like a second ax, a sword or a short spear. A second possibility, again quite likely, is that as you hook the ax and pull the poor guys’ shield away, one of your comrades in arms finishes him.
Broad Ax – Breiðøx
The broad ax is the larger cousin of the skeggöx, meant to be wielded two-handed. As I mentioned earlier, the ax started out as the poor farmers’ weapon of choice. However, over time, the ax evolved and became highly regarded weapons of war. Part of that evolution was the larger broad ax, in Old Norse known as the breiðøx, (breið meaning broad).
Larger than the one-handed skeggöx, the broad ax required two hands as it was both longer and heavier. With a cutting edge of around ten inches, and the head alone weighing around two lbs, it was an impressive weapon. The handle of a broad ax would be around four feet, giving the man wielding it some range for striking.
The ax pictured below is known as the Langeid ax, found at Langeid in Norway, it was part of a number of artifacts found in a Viking Age grave. Clearly a broad ax, it was quite well preserved.
While the real viking broad axes weren’t as large, or long as one might believe based on more popular depictions, they were formidable weapons. They were apparently also a new and novel weapon for the Anglo-Saxons when they met the Vikings on the battlefields in Britain. It would become known as the Dane-ax. This was since Vikings, to the Britons, often were known just as Danes, no matter where they actually came from.
The Spear – Geirr
The spear was actually a very common weapon among viking warriors, possibly as ubiquitous as the ax. Furthermore, spears also came in different variations where the two main distinctions were their length. Like with the ax, the length most likely also dictated whether it was intended for one, or two-handed use.
Naturally, we don’t have many whole spears from the Viking Age, since usually it’s only the head that has survived. Fascinatingly though, a few have survived with their shafts, one such spear was found in melting glacial ice in Norway. Sadly, the shaft which had survived a thousand years of being frozen in the ice has somehow been broken into three while at the museum.
The total length of this spear was only around seven feet which puts it at the shorter end for spears of the day. Longer ones would be as long as ten or almost eleven feet.
Odin’s spear Gungnir
While there are a number of named swords, there aren’t that many known spears. However, it helps when the one we know was wielded by none other than Odin. Forged using magic by two dwarven master craftsmen known as the Sons of Ivaldi, Gungnir was a spear like no other.
It is also referenced in the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, verse 28, when Odin throws it over the Vanir, starting the Aesir-Vanir war.
28. Broken was the outer wall of the Aesir’s fortress. The Vanir, foreseeing conflict, marched over the plains. Odin cast his spear, and over the people he hurled it: that was the first war in the world.
Another example of how important the spear was thought to be is found in the epic poem Hávamál, verse 38.
38. One must not go a foot from one’s weapons in the field; for, out on the roads, a man never knows for certain when he’ll have need of his spear.
Suffice to say, the spear was an important weapon, and based on the beautiful and intricate design of some, they were highly regarded as well.
The Bow – Boga
Bows were used both for hunting and as a weapon of war in the Viking Age. Having said that though, from what I have been able to find, the use was maybe not as widespread as it maybe was among the Anglo-Saxons for example. This is based on the Anglo-Saxons, and Franks for that matter, having designated archers as part of their military units.
However, the viking warriors seem to have been well versed with a number of weapons. Many of them used a bow as part of their arsenal, but it might not have been seen as their primary weapon.
From the little we know today, the bows were typical longbows. The few that have ben found intact were around six feet long. The length and design would indicate an effective range of about 200-250 yards.
However, rather than have archers lined up shooting at the opposing enemy at great range, it seems the vikings would use bows in the midst of battle. One such reference is known from Olav Tryggvasons saga found in Heimskringla.
The renowned warrior and master archer Einar Tambarskjelve’s bow breaks, and king Olav throws him his own. However, being as strong as Einar, the bow was too light to draw and it proved useless to him. Frustrated, he screamed; “Too weak, too weak is the king’s bow!” whereupon he threw it back and fought with his sword.
The Knife – Knífr
It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that every man in the Viking Age had a knife, likely on him at most times. Based on numerous finds from Viking Age burials, most kids likely ran around with a knife in their belt as well. Knives have been found in the graves of both women and children, some as young as about four years old. Obviously it was thought that carrying a knife would come in handy no matter which realm they were going to.
Requiring less skill than when pattern welding a sword, knives were likely made by all blacksmiths. However, while simpler to make than a good sword, knives could also be more technical in their design and creation. Some knives from the Viking Age have been found to have been made with a steel core. Wrapped with softer iron outside, making it easier to sharpen.
As with axes and spears, knives came in a range of sizes. Smaller ones with blades of 4-5 inches, up to the really long ones with blades of 12 inches or more. These longer knives, known as seax, were likely exclusively created for use in battle.
Early Viking Age swords have been found that only had one edge. With such simple swords, it might have been a fluid transition from a long knife to a short sword.
Viking Age Armor and Protection
The Vikings certainly didn’t look like medieval knights. However, they did some types of protection that they wore, or carried into battle. Many would carry a shield, some wore a helmet, and a lucky few could afford a chain mail.
Chain Mail – Brynja
Chain mail is made from hundreds and hundreds of small, lightweight interlocking metal rings. Typically what you might think of if picturing a medieval warrior, but invented as early as around the third century.
Since the thin metal rings don’t hold up well through hundreds of years in the ground, few have been found. However, one of the earliest and best preserved (everything is relative) are the remains of a chain mail found in Gjermundbu in Norway.
Dated to some time in the second half of the 10th century, it was found in a burial mound along with some other fascinating finds. This was clearly the final resting place of a rich and powerful chieftain. However, it is unknown exactly who it was.
Shield – Skjǫldr
If you have seen anything of the series Vikings you would be familiar with what a “shield wall” is. Going into battle, the Vikings had different tactics, and formations they would use. Shared by most of them would be that the front row of men carried shields. Forming a wall which they would push up against the opposing force.
With the shields up, they might try to stab at the opposition, or open up slightly allowing for someone right behind you to use a spear or a bow. Shield walls could be wedge formed as well, to better drive into the enemy and break up their lines.
The shields of the Vikings were round, and not that large. Made from wood planks glued together, they were around three feet across. Naturally, not many shields have survived, but one found in Denmark gave some insight into its construction. Less than half an inch thick at the middle, and around a quarter inch thick at the edge. In the center there was a cut-out for a handle, and on the outside, a metal boss nailed to it to protect the hand holding it.
However, I want to caveat this description with the fact that shields were made by locals all across Scandinavia and obviously they were far from all the same. Some have actually been described in Old Norse sagas as being decorated in great detail, depicting stories of old. Others had a metal band nailed all along its outer edge, making it more durable and to better protect it.
Helmet – Hjalmr
In the same burial mound where the mentioned chain mail was found, they also found the remains of a helmet. Looking into where the eyes of a fierce viking once would have stared back is pretty captivating.
Made from a thin sheet of iron, it would likely stand up to an arrow, or a glancing strike of a sword. However, if confronted with an ax or a spear, the helmet would likely be much too thin to save the man wearing it.
Featured Image Credit: © Marius, vikingr.org
