Weapons

Weapons were a very valuable part of the personal belongings of all free Viking men. Each warrior likely owned a spear, an axe or two, a sword and a knife. Of these, the sword and axe were the most important. They were most often used in close fights. A Viking man carried a sword everywhere he went, even to the toilet. The sword was the most valued weapon of the Viking warrior. It was made of iron and often **decorated** with **runes** (characters of the Viking alphabet) and other carvings. Both, its owner believed, brought good luck and protection in battle. The handle or **hilt** of the sword was decorated with gold, silver and copper. The blade was double-edged. This meant it was sharpened on both sides so it could create a deadly wound in whatever direction it was wielded. The tip of the blade was sharpened to a point and was used for **thrusting** an enemy. While the sword was the Vikings warrior's prized possession, the weapon identified most closely with him was the **battle-axe**. The Vikings were the only fighters across Europe to use an axe. There were two types; one that could be thrown and one that was wielded by the warrior. The latter was quite heavy and had a handle up to 1.5 metres long. Both axes were feared by their enemies. One blow was usually deadly because of the power behind its swing or throw. A well-placed hit with the battle axe meant instant death. The battle axe and the sword were used in hand-to-hand **combat** with an enemy. The spear was often thrown from some distance away or used for thrusting an **opponent** standing or charging nearby. The smallest Viking weapon was the knife. It was held in a **sheath** and hung on the right side of the warrior's belt where he could quickly grab it for battle. The only long-range weapon available to the Vikings was the bow and arrow. It was not used as often as the other types of weapons. The Vikings liked to fight up close, hand-to-hand. When the bow was used, specially trained warriors did the work. A skilled **archer** could hit a target 250 metres away. Vikings **sagas** record that the bow string was actually made of women's hair spun into a string. The spear was yet another weapon in the Viking arsenal. It was thrown from a distance or thrust at an enemy close-by. Like all Viking weapons, the spear was decorated with runes. The metal tip was leaf shaped and very sharp. With a well aimed powerful thrust, it could pierce almost anything. The last of the Vikings ranged weaponry was the throwing axe. It was often double sided to increase the chance of hitting someone or something. They were short handled so that if it spun too much it would still hit the enemy. The Viking warrior's shield was round, made of wood and trimmed with leather. It had a round metal bump in the middle of the outer side to protect the hand that held it from behind. Most Viking shields were round, however **triangular** shaped ones were found in some parts of England.