Variations of famous Viking-era swordsmiths' names

[JanskyS]

We likely all know that the most famous makers of Viking-era (and post) were the "Ulfberht" and "Ingelrii" workshops. I have read interesting articles about swords that have alternate spellings of Ulfberht and the theories are that contemporary swordsmiths (most likely illiterate) tried to enhance the value of their blades by unintentionally misspelling the fake "maker's mark" on their blades.

There are relatively many "Ulfberht" swords, but supposedly only @20 "Ingelerii" swords. Literature usually leaves out the second "i" at the end. My question is: does anyone know of genuine swords with a variation of Ingelrii? My research in what the word could mean has led me to many interesting ends: In Latin, Ingeri is the present passive infinitive of ingero, i.e. "to be carried". In Finnish, Inkeri means a region around the southern shores of Gulf of Finland that in Viking times was controlled by the Swedes.

So, is the second most famous Viking sword "brand" not a maker's name but a status symbol or location...or are any variations fakes?

[Battara]

I'm bringing this to the European side for more responses. And welcome to our little forum.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by JanskyS

We likely all know that the most famous makers of Viking-era (and post) were the "Ulfberht" and "Ingelrii" workshops. I have read interesting articles about swords that have alternate spellings of Ulfberht and the theories are that contemporary swordsmiths (most likely illiterate) tried to enhance the value of their blades by unintentionally misspelling the fake "maker's mark" on their blades.

There are relatively many "Ulfberht" swords, but supposedly only @20 "Ingelerii" swords. Literature usually leaves out the second "i" at the end. My question is: does anyone know of genuine swords with a variation of Ingelrii? My research in what the word could mean has led me to many interesting ends: In Latin, Ingeri is the present passive infinitive of ingero, i.e. "to be carried". In Finnish, Inkeri means a region around the southern shores of Gulf of Finland that in Viking times was controlled by the Swedes.

So, is the second most famous Viking sword "brand" not a maker's name but a status symbol or location...or are any variations fakes?

Fascinating and excellent topic!! and welcome to our forum!
I am sure you have "Swords of the Viking Age" by Pierce, Oakeshott and Lee Jones. Naturally you are in the right place to discuss this (it is Viking Sword after all
Thank you for sharing the interesting perspectives you have discovered on the names, and looking forward to more from other members, especially Lee Jones, who pretty much has this field covered.

[Reventlov]

Originally Posted by JanskyS

There are relatively many "Ulfberht" swords, but supposedly only @20 "Ingelerii" swords. Literature usually leaves out the second "i" at the end. My question is: does anyone know of genuine swords with a variation of Ingelrii?

So, is the second most famous Viking sword "brand" not a maker's name but a status symbol or location...or are any variations fakes?

There are a good many more "Ingelrii" swords out there in museum collections. The exact number will depend on how much leeway you allow for variations! At least 35+ that I think no one would disagree they are deserving of the name. Some of these show that "Ingelrii" is indeed the maker's name as the inscription continues with ...me fecit: ie. "Ingelrii made me." This kind of inscription can be found on many medieval artifacts and architecture.

One example that is generally considered a "real fake" (ie. a medieval imitation of the original brand) was found in the River Nene, and is inscribed with something like INGEFLRII on one side, and an equally mangled Ulfberht signature on the other.

[vilhelmsson]

In "The Vlfberht sword blade reevaluated," from 2008, noted sword scholar Anne Stalsberg says that the high count on documented Ingelrii's is 37 by Geibig. Of those 37, she accepts 32.

For reference, Stalsberg examined 166 Ulfberht's in her study. But she says that there is really no good way to estimate how many there are for a couple of reasons. First, there are a lot in private hands. Second, given the way inlays can deteriorate or be obscured over time, determining which swords are Ulfberhts through close analysis, delicate cleaning, and CT scan is a monumental task because of the volume of swords. There are over 2,500 swords in Norway alone that still have to be examined.

There are a lot of nice sword finds in Finland, and there is some evidence that Finnish smiths had advanced techniques that weren't practiced in western Scandinavia. But the weight of the scholarship at this time is that Ingelrii is linguistically Frankish, and most likely the name of a person because of the finds of inlays with "me fecit" (made me) following "Ingelrii."

[Jim McDougall]

Vilhelmsson, this is a fascinating topic which has intrigued and obsessed me through most of the many years I have studied arms. Makers marks and blade inscriptions have been a field which has really needed far more investigation in the broader scope of arms, however the Ulfberht and Ingelrii inscribed blades have been one of the exceptions.

Some years ago as I was researching the 'Passau wolf' mark, I began to wonder if perhaps this was a kind of pictographic representation which would recall the 'berserks' of Scandinavian and of course Viking fame. I thought that with little literacy, that such a device representing 'feared warriors' would have a place on the blades of swords in Passau, a sort of center for mercenary soldiers. In the well known convention of quality or 'trademark' type symbolism this would recall the also well heralded exploits of these much earlier warriors.

It was the that I began thinking of the very swords the Vikings used, the 'Ulfberht' bladed swords, and that perhaps the word itself meant something akin to 'wolf man'. With this possibly the word was used as a kind of metaphor in a religious sense to protect the warrior in battle and imbue him via the sword, the power he needed to prevail.

In the past couple of days, trying to research more so I could better reply here, I found the article "Ulfberht Blades: New Answers to Old Questions" in 'History of Antique Arms: researches 2016'...by Anne Feuerbach and Thomas Henley.
In these, that very idea was posed in a compelling study which reflects the remarkable research which Ms. Feuerbach has always presented in her well known work on the metallurgy of sword blades, well supported by her co author Mr. Henley.

In this article (2017) it is revealed that most of the Ulfbert blades of the 10th century, many of which were found in English regions, were likely commissioned by Haakon the Good, the Norse ruler who was situated in England in those times. What is unique on these early examples is that the blades were forged using crucible steel from Central Asia traded with Scandinavia, and this trade is well supported in the material. The other apparently later examples of Europe were of high quality smelted steel.
It would seem that perhaps the early examples (of Haakon? 10th c.) of crucible steel ingots may have been the initiation of the Ulfberht 'hallmark' which was carried forth in the Frankish production. Naturally where these were produced is still inconclusive, but possibly this was the case.


It is noted that in these times literacy was virtually non existent, and paganism and the use of runes were of course common. While Christianity was becoming well spread, it was a transitional period with regard to language and the methods of conveying it. The use of alphabetic characters was not notable until the 11th century.

Here it is suggested that Haakon the Good, who is believed to have commissioned these early Ulfberht blades may well have used the 'word' (in Carolingian letters and with the Cross Potent or Greek cross) to appease both the Pagan and Christian elements of his forces. The 'wolf' metaphor was of course recognizable to both (cited, "Wulf min wulf: An Eclectic Analysis of the Wolf Man" by S. Danielli, ' Neophilogus, 91, (3), 505-24, 2007).

The Greek crosses would have had a certain 'runic' appeal as well as the Christian symbolism , and the 'word' would be seen as a recognizable one which could be read by the literate in its metaphoric sense.
What puzzles me (as a non linguist) is that the 'T' is separated by a cross rather than being included in the word. Is this some sort of diacritic (?) or superscript type of abbreviation?

With the Ingelrii, as has been pointed out, this does appear to be a shop or maker name (Me Fecit noted). The Ulberht however, does seem to be a metaphorically used religious imbuement and talisman.

[Victrix]

Jim, it’s interesting to note that even today in Sweden you find people whose first names are Ulf and Bert, which have Germanic origins and mean wolf and noble/shining respectively. So Ulfberht could then be translated as noble/shining wolf. I think the vikings were Germanic tribes which settled in the North, and were stubbornly reluctant to be converted to Christianity with lapses in between. The Franks and other Germanic tribes further South were much earlier in adopting Christianity. If the blade was decorated with crosses then presumably it would more likely have been produced by a Christian smith perhaps in Frankish lands. It’s a mindboggling thought that the Ulfberht (noble/shining wolf) brand could be the predecessor of the latten running wolf mark of Passau? Surely it must be a coincidence, and the Passau wolf mark appeared centuries later I understand.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Victrix

Jim, it’s interesting to note that even today in Sweden you find people whose first names are Ulf and Bert, which have Germanic origins and mean wolf and noble/shining respectively. So Ulfberht could then be translated as noble/shining wolf. I think the vikings were Germanic tribes which settled in the North, and were stubbornly reluctant to be converted to Christianity with lapses in between. The Franks and other Germanic tribes further South were much earlier in adopting Christianity. If the blade was decorated with crosses then presumably it would more likely have been produced by a Christian smith perhaps in Frankish lands. It’s a mindboggling thought that the Ulfberht (noble/shining wolf) brand could be the predecessor of the latten running wolf mark of Passau? Surely it must be a coincidence, and the Passau wolf mark appeared centuries later I understand.

Victrix, thank you so much for answering!! Interesting note on the Ulf and Bert names still used there. My suggestion of a possible link from Ulfbert to Passau Wolf is admittedly tenuous, but I thought an intriguing possibility. When the 'wolf' came into use in Passau by knife makers long before its recognized use on sword blades, it seemed a most interesting choice for a symbolic device. It was of course so highly stylized it was in cases almost unrecognizable, still it carried an almost temporal significance in a talismanic sense, along with what became known in that capacity as 'Passau art'.

The point was that in this same convention, the Ulfberth name seems very likely to have been the same kind of imbuement. The connection between it and the Passau wolf is of course most probably a coincidence, but in my view a most interesting one.

To carry similar theme, the Passau wolf (actually used in Solingen in continuation of the symbolism/quality connotations) was later transmitted into the Caucasus with trade blades, likely late 18th c. It continued use representing quality (presumably) but again the wolf symbolism carried forward. The universality of the wolf warrior connotation is unclear in connections, but the similarities are compelling.

To the original query, the somewhat contemporary name 'Ingelrii' (to Ulfberht) does seem a maker (or shop) name which probably may have been used spuriously in the same manner which prevailed in sword blade making industry in continued instances over time.