Viking Sword with an History

[Tordenskiold1721]

Reading the article about the Viking sword find and it's plausible history is interesting in it's self:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...h-battles.html

What I find the most interesting is the wire wrap and what looks like turk's heads on such an early sword in Northern Europe.

Anyone that has any good insight on wire wrapping this early in Northern Europe on sword hilts? Imported?

.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much for posting this exciting sword! It seems it has been quite a month for finds and publishing of earlier ones.

As the article indicates it seems most likely this sword is not actually Norwegian though a grave find located in Norway. I agree with the suggestion this is more in line with Anglo-Saxon types and corresponds to similar forms such as in Oakeshott (1960, pp.133-36, fig. 57) which describes them as type V.
This type is considered to have been in use c. 875-950 AD, and the curved guard and peaked pommel according to Wheeler (1927) the form itself is regarded as English, Abingdon form (Ellis-Davidson, #67, plate X, p.55).

With regard to the 'turks heads', it seems that this is likely also English affectation, as seen in an example of 10th c. also a Thames find, which has remains of silver plaited wire circles which may have once held the leather grip cover. ("Swords of the Viking Age", Lee Jones & Ian Pearce, 2002, p.104).
Apparantly the swords of the Vikings were decorated by the smiths rather than by jewelers (Oakeshott, p.139) and the English swords were likely to have far more embellishment of this kind.

The spiral and geometric decoration seem to relate most likely to the complexities of Celtic and associated symbolism, while the other characters seem to be so as well rather than to be runes. Perhaps the pictograph of a hand holding a cross might represent some sort of blessing or achievement in the Church?

While in a pagan graveyard, it does not seem that such associations would be relevant in the case of a celebrated warrior or powerful figure.

[Tordenskiold1721]

Thank you for your good input and identifying the sword as Anglo Saxon. It is as you point out clear that this hilt is not of Norwegian late Viking age origin.

This type of hilt can not be found in Dr. Petersen typology. Petersen Devised the original hilt typology of 26 Viking types that is still widely used across Europe for classifying and dating Viking swords. Based on about 1,700 finds of Viking swords in Norway, this typology remains the most commonly used. Since 1919 we have found a little more that 2500 Viking swords in Norway. This gives us a wider scope of variations and makes it easier to date the Viking swords.

In 1927 Wheeler Created a simplified typology of Viking sword hilts based on finds from Britain. This gave additional insight into the use of the Viking Sword.

In 1960 Oakeshott added two more types to Wheelers typology bridging the gap between the Viking Age and the later medieval sword. This is critical for those with particular interest in Viking swords, as some high quality Viking blades was often used on hilts from 1100 - 1200. Norway still held large territories in Scotland up until 1266. Making the real history slightly different than the simplification of "Pirate raiding started at Lindinsfarne in 793 and ended at Hastings in 1066......"

Anyway, I am just mentioning the above so that we are all on the same page regarding your reference to Oakeshott and his wider scope of study of swords than Petersen and Wheeler and how to bridge the three when using on of them as reference.

I think the Christian symbol on the Anglo Saxon sword found in this Viking Grave is particularly interesting since there is a runic stone below the grave in the same Valley with the text:

"Arnstein raised this stone in memory of Bjor his son. He found death When Canute "went after" England. God is one" (Translated from the Old Norse). The text probably refers two King Canute's conquest of England in 1013-14.

The three words "Good is one" tells us that the reference is to the Christian Good. This again corresponds with what we see on the sword.

It is very rear that swords found in Viking graves or sites can be attributed to specific campaigns, but this Anglo Saxon sword brought home by a Viking to Norway can plausibly be linked to King Knut / Canute's military campaign that lead to the conquest of England and the establishment of the "North sea Empire", Denmark, England, Norway and large parts of Sweden.

https://translate.googleusercontent....8VffdovX_RyKqA

By using google translate this Norwegian article translate into English or any other desirable language:

http://www.fvn.no/lokalt/setesdal/Vi...t-2853277.html

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all and Tordenskiold1721...This is another important thread adding to the last few months haul of vital and excellent additions to Forum... I searched but can only find this reference to wire work on Viking hilts and show below a pommel so decorated...Please see http://www.hurstwic.org/history/arti...hilt_inlay.htm As for Anglo Saxon I add picture below from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...ddfface1ac.jpg

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Tordenskiold1721]

Hello Ibrahiim, Thank you for the very pleasing photos !! I think Jim is right when he identifies the sword hilt as Anglo-Saxon. He also refers to an other contemporary Anglo-Saxon sword find where the grip also has wire wrap. I think Viking grips where mostly wood with leather.

You are right. I did write wire wrapped hilts and some Viking swords hilts are found with richly silver wire inlays. Unfortunately the grips are almost always long gone as on the viking swords below.


I can see your location is Oman. Arabic silver coins are often found in Viking archaeological sites. Regular trade as far as Baghdad is well documented. Relations with the middle east was peaceful trade up until Christianity brought the viking era to an end.

King Sigurd of Norway "the Crusader" went on crusade persuaded by the Pope, "to help" King Baldwin the first of Jerusalem who had some serious military set backs.

Sigurd was probably more motivated by going on "Viking" than crusade but he did the dirty work for the pope that there was no other fighting force in Europe at the time that was capable of successfully undertake with such certain outcome as King Sigurd and his men as they still where conducting battle in the Viking ways:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Crusade

http://thedailybeagle.net/2013/06/08...crusader-king/

[Reventlov]

Hello everyone,
This is a remarkable sword which is very much worthy of discussion, thanks to the original poster for sharing this article! The suggested link with England is new to be and quite interesting. I must say however that it seems to me that only the associated circumstantial evidence (axe, coin, runestone) really support this hypothesis, and I don't see anything intrinsic to the sword itself that would suggest an Anglo-Saxon origin...

The case for Wheeler's type V, corresponding to Petersen's type L, being of uniquely Anglo-Saxon origin is very strong. Examples originate primarily in England naturally, and the Norwegian examples first classified by Petersen frequently bear ornamental details in the characteristically Anglo-Saxon Trewhiddle style. These swords are generally very uniform in appearance; the two examples below illustrate the typical characteristics.



Note that the metalwork is altogether different in character from the Langeid sword. The guard is small and thin, curving closely towards the blade, instead of wide and fan-shaped. The grip also displays the distinctive Anglo-Saxon style of wide ornamental metal bands, not wire wrapping. The pommel is of two-piece construction, as can be clearly seen in the many examples that have lost the upper part of the pommel.


The pommel of the Langeid sword is of one piece only; the construction can be seen in the following x-ray.


The Langeid sword falls into a small group of swords which are generally viewed as a variant of Petersen's type AE due to the very distinctive crossguard. The best known example of this subtype was found in grave in Finland (thought to belong to a woman) and has an identically shaped guard and pommel as the Langeid sword, though the decorative elements are entirely different in character (Urnes style).



http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/...g-valkyrja.htm

The closest analogue to the Langeid sword comes from another site in Norway however... here the ornamental metalwork is of precisely the same style. Notice in particular the identically placed spiral designs. This sword is held in the museum in Oslo, under inventory no. C36640.


The handheld-cross motif on the Langeid sword is apparently unique and very interesting. It may be worth noting that the other type AE swords above are dated to the 11th century, by which time Christianity is taking hold in the North. As Christian and pagan symbols and traditions become intermingled, a cross on a Viking hilt may not seem so out of place...

[Reventlov]

The sword from the Thames (now in the British Museum) mentioned above may have been found in England, but I think it is unlikely to be of Anglo-Saxon manufacture. This sword falls under Petersen's type S. Examples have been found across Europe, from Iceland to Russia, but are most common in Denmark (as a percentage of finds per country).
[Androshchuk, "Vikings and farmers", 2009]



At a minimum, this type is known to have been produced in Gotland, as shown by the discovery of a hoard of incomplete hilts and local-style jewelry.
[Gustafsson, "Viking period metalworking hoard...", 2011]

The surface of the hilt is covered with decorative designs of distinctly Nordic type, perhaps classifiable as being of the late 10th-century Jellinge or Mammen styles. Other type S swords with similar decorations have been found in Norway (C237, shown in Swords of the Viking Age) and near the Danish emporium of Haithabu/Hedeby.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_art#Jellinge_Style

The latter example shares the wire-wrapped grip as the Thames sword. This feature seems to be most common on swords of type S, with other examples coming from Iceland, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia...

Canute himself is depicted bearing a type S sword in an Anglo-Saxon manuscript illustration. Ultimately it may be the Thames sword that has a better claim to a direct link with Canute, but as a Danish import brought to England by one of his high-ranking followers, instead of an acquired local product.