Norwegian Viking Age Swords – Typology

Interesting sword information.

Norwegian Viking Age Swords – Typology

Remains of a Viking sword from the Island of Ingøy, Northern-Norway, classified as a Type H sword in the Peterson typology. (Photo: Kystmuseene.no)

The sword was one of the most important weapons in the Viking Age together with ax and spear. Viking swords are found throughout Scandinavia, but the majority counting about 3500 have been found in Norway.

The reason is that the pagan burial customs of putting swords into graves were more common in Norway than in Sweden and Denmark. Several Viking swords are also found in the British Isles, Mainland Europe, Russia and the Baltics.

A typical sword has a blade that measures 70 to 90 centimeters (27.5 – 35.4 in) – and may have one or two edges. Single edges were common at the start of the Viking Age, but in the 800s and 900s AD, two edges became common.

The…

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