Viking Swords

For the Vikings, the sword was an object of special importance, which was passed from generation to generation. It was taken as a trophy in wars and quite often even received its own name. For the enemies of these fearsome warriors, the Viking sword also enjoyed special importance, since due to its enormous size and weight it could kill with just one blow. This fact was well known at the time, giving rise to gruesome stories that instilled fear and horror throughout the world. Viking swords were very expensive combat weapons, so owning one of them indicated the high social status of its owner.

Characteristics of Viking swords

As we mentioned previously, the Viking sword was a long sword, usually measuring about 90 cm. Its weight was quite high, reaching up to 1.5 kg. Despite this, they were one-handed swords. You can imagine how strong the warrior had to be to wield this deadly weapon!

The blade of the Viking swords was straight, double-edged and grooved, although there were also single-edged versions. In the area of the fist the blade was thicker and tapered towards the tip of the sword. The tip was very dull, since these ancient weapons were designed to cut the enemy and not pierce them.

The hilt of Viking swords was short. They were often carefully decorated with runes and symbols, sometimes gold was used. Normally the handle was made of wood or horn. The pommel of the Viking sword was usually lobed or triangular in shape.

But the most notable feature of a Viking sword is the material from which the blade was made, which surprised archaeologists and historians for centuries. Until recently, it was considered that in the Viking Age there was no technology to forge a metal as pure as that of which the barbarians' swords were made. These swords contained almost no slag, and also had three times the amount of carbon than metals manufactured during this historical period.