subject: The Great Viking Weapons [print this page] The ancient era of Viking armors included the typical shape and size of weapons that are very well known today as well. These were fully functional, and were used to attack on the opponent during the war. These were preferred by the great ancient warriors who conquered a lot of battles with the help of these sharp armors.
Viking weapons used by them are a true reflection of their bravery and fighting spirit. They were feared for their strength and skills in the battle. The main weapons used by the Vikings were swords, axes and spears. Bows and daggers were also used by some of them. Their whole costume included the helmets, chain mail shirt or leather tunics and shields. They used to fight on foot.
The most striking and the greatest weapon used was the sword. It was a status symbol and it was highly prized because of its fighting strength. Higher the rank of the warrior, greater is the sword. These have a wide double-edged blade which is long and with a beautifully decorated hilt. The blades are flexible as well as strong. The swords were made up of sharp steel edges.
As far as the Viking battle axe is concerned, it is said to be a very deadly weapon with sharp edges. It could easily slash the armor and leave a mortal wound. These were prepared by welding a sharp cutting edge onto a pointed block of iron. The butt end was slotted over a wooden handle and wedged tight. The axe was an affordable weapon and used as a working axe as well.
The next comes is the Viking spear which was also a popular weapon among the armors. It was not expensive as compared to swords; however, it was a deadly one. These used to have a slender, tapering blade which was long and attached with a wooden shaft by a socket. The thrusting Viking weapons were very dangerous. These could also be thrown to some distance for attacking.
During the war, the fighters used to wear the strong iron helmets for protection. Most of them had a simple cup shape with a metal strip in order to protect the nose. Others had a goggle-shaped mask to protect the eyes and nose and flaps to give protection to neck. These were complex in shape. The helmets did not have any horn on them.
To protect themselves from opponents attack, they used shields. These were round in shape and made up of wood. Some of them were covered in leather with a rim strengthened by an iron band. The approximate diameter of these was 1 meter. It used to give protection from shoulders to thigh. The shields were painted with bright colors.
Some of the Vikings used bows and arrows for hunting and for fighting battles as well. These helped them to attack the enemy from a long distance. The fighters used to fire the arrows into the enemy in order to attack on him.
When it comes to the armor, then, the Viking weapons were usually light in weight but eventually they were very strong as well.
