The warriors of the Viking age were known for their very distinctive weapons, vicious-looking axes and long swords that inspired fear. We are fortunate that so many of the weapons survived to give us extant examples of what the ancestors would have used in battle. I have seen it written that a well-equipped raider would have had a spear, sword, axe, shield, and his seax. Based on this, I am going to go into details on each of these weapons, both what they were historically and what I'll be doing to try and bring them to life in the confines of the rules of the SCA. I will be talking about two different spear types and two different shield types. This is because of the differences in SCA combat. The traditional Viking-age spear would have been a boar spear, also known as a hewing spear. Our war combat also utilizes 9ft long thrusting spears with fiberglass shafts. Shields are another aspect of my gear that needs tweaking depending on whether it's one-on-one or war. (look to future posts for discussions on tactics).
Spear
Boar Spear: This weapon is a specific style of hewing spear. The name is derived from its original use as a weapon for hunting boar, and the term comes from the ability to make slashing as well as thrusting attacks. What makes it distinctive from other hewing spears are the wings found at the base of the blade. These wings were supposed to make it so that after a thrust was true into a charging boar, it could not just continue along the shaft and maul you anyway. They were found to be just as good in battle for hooking enemy weapons and shields. The blades themselves were between 10-20in long and were mounted on staff between 6-8ft long giving the weapon a total length of 7-10ft.
For my boar spear, I'm going to go with a 12in blade and a 5.5ft staff, which will give me a total length of 6.5ft. It will have a thrusting tip on the top and the bottom, which will help me if I ever get too tangled up. The tricky part for me will be figuring out how to build up the blade so it looks right, and what to make the wings out of, so they are strong enough to be used as shield hooks.
Thrusting Spear: The second type of spear had a long narrow head that was meant entirely for piercing mail and is nearly a pike in length, if not in shape. The spearheads were in the 18in range and mounted on 7-9ft staff, making 8.5 to 11ft long spears.
For SCA use, fiberglass spear staff are typically utilized for the 9-foot long spears. As of yet, I'm unable to purchase one, so I will be borrowing a rattan spear from a friend to use at war. These are pretty much just a large thrusting tip on the end of a long staff.
Shield
Round Shield: Historically, shields were found in two basic categories: large and small. The large shields were in the neighborhood of 36-40in in diameter. The Gokstad shields fall into this size range. The smaller shields were 28-32in in diameter. Archeological evidence does not match up with literary evidence as far as shield construction is concerned. All the surviving examples of shields we have are made out of butted boards joined to form the shield. The sagas seem to talk about laminated wood sheets. The wood choices are also different when comparing the sagas to the extant. In the sagas they discuss linden wood, while all surviving shields are made of woods suchs as pine or spruce.
A distinctive trait of the Viking-age round shield is the center boss. This is a dome-shaped metal addition to the shield, used to help deflect blows and provide a place to put your hand for center-gripped shields. Bosses had an internal diameter that was big enough to comfortably fit the hand of the warrior using it throughout the movements of battle, and the external dome varied greatly from region to region. The external flange was sometimes used as a decorative piece with scallops or zig zags.
There are two distinct types of combat in the SCA: melee/war, and tourney fighting. They have very different requirements, and so need different shields. My goal, then, is to have one between 28-30in for tourney fighting, and one 38-40in for shield walls. Both shields will be constructed more or less the same, and will be rounds so as to fit best with the time period I'm trying to portray. The shields that have been found are about ¼ in thick, so I'll be using two sheets of lauan door skin glued to each other to make the shields, which should give me a thickness very close to the finds. These will be laminated shields, as they hold up better to the bashing damage of SCA fighting.
We are required to have a shield edging, and my goal is to use rawhide over roof edging, which is pretty standard in the SCA, and keeps a nice period look on the shield. In period, if shields were edged at all, it likely would have a metal edging. The rawhide is also substantially lighter than the heater hose I have on my current shield. The bosses will be plain round bosses made out of mild steel. The final big choice as far as shields is how they will be strapped. The small one will be a straight center-gripped shield. This is the type we have the most evidence for, and it fits what we have read about in the sagas. It's quick and requires a very active defense, making it very important that the shield stays light. For the larger shield, there are different concerns: it will be heavy because of its size, and it needs to withstand charges. To address these needs, I'll be going with a center grip that also has a strap for my forearm; this will distribute the weight and allow me to throw my shoulder into it more easily. There isn’t a ton of proof for this set up: I've read in a couple of sources that it was used by the Varangian guard, but I've been unable to find further evidence.
Axe
Petersen Type D axe head with a 30in haft: The type D axe has been found in gravesites associated approximately with the time period I am looking to portray. Its shape is ideal for the type of combat I'm trying for. It has a level top which makes it good for post blocks, and a deep beard for hooking and controlling the opponent. These axe heads were single-edged and made of iron. In the earlier part of the period, the blades were about 6-7in long, but this length grew as the period advanced, and forging techniques changed.
For the recreation of this blade, I will be using stacked leather for the head and a thick piece of rattan with the sides shaved down for the handle. Because of the construction method, the head itself is much thicker than what would have been in period and the weapon as a whole is heavier. The goal is to do wood burning on the haft, and then use a sharpie to do designs on the head. I want to make it look overall like an ornate weapon.
Sword
Oakeshott type X-Xa: These swords are known for their wide blades and wide fullers. They averaged between 36in total length with the blade being around the 31in mark. The swords were in the neighborhood of 2in wide. Pommels have been found in brazil nut, lobed and disc styles. They were typically attached via a full tang. The famous Ulfberht swords fall within this type of blade.
Conveniently, I'm approximately the same height as a Norseman would have been in period, 5’9”, so I get to base my weapons directly on the extant ones. I will be using a blade about the 30in mark starting with a thick piece of rattan, ideally very close to that 2in mark and then shaving down the sides to bring it down to just about the 1.25in minimum thickness our rules require. This will leave me with a blade that has a 1.25in x 2in profile, giving it a little bit more of a blade look instead of just the stick of rattan. The handles ill be made a little bit larger to accommodate the gauntlets that are required for our combat style, so the total length should be around 36-37in. For sword fittings, I purchased the aluminum set from Windrose Armoury. It came with a plain hilt and a three-lobed pommel which should finish out the look really nicely.
Dagger
Seax: Called a short sword by some, the seax was the most popular secondary weapon in the Viking age. It was usually too large to have been a tool, measuring between 12-24in long in extant finds. It features a brokeback design, and the cutting edge is straight, which produces a very strong chopping weapon. Evidence points that it was worn horizontally at the back, making it very easy to draw and conceal underneath a cloak.
For my combat seax, I am using a thick piece of rattan (~2in) and then shaving down the sides to give it a clear blade. The difference between the seax and the sword is going to be the additional shaving down of the top ¼ of the blade to give it some semblance of the broken back. Now because of SCA rules, even the tip needs to stay more than 1.25in wide, which leaves only ¾ of an inch to make the illusion of the normal seax shape. To give it a finished look, I'll use a water-hardened piece of leather for the crossguard to help give the appearance of one.
Now, you may be asking yourself: why would a person bring so many weapons? Well, the basics of it are pretty simple: you need the right tools for the job. The Ulfheðinn are most often depicted with swords, shields, and spears. This gave them a range of options on the field of battle. We know that the Huskarls were even better armed and armoured. Being able to adapt to a changing battle is what makes someone a successful warrior, and in a time when you got the chance to lose only once, it made sense to give yourself every chance to win.
In the SCA, having a full kit in this manner allows me to offer myself to my commander in any role they might need me. I'm even considering getting authorized in combat archery, in case I'm ever needed in that position. What's most important to me, my goal at war, is to be as much use to my side as possible. Whether it be fighting in the shield wall, as an assault trooper, or an archer, I’ll be happiest where I'm needed.
Image Sources:
www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/55.46.1
Osprey Publishing Warrior Series #3 Viking Hersir- Mark Harrisson Gerry Embleton
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/viking_spear.htm
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