Difference between revisions of "An Overview of Viking Age Wargear"

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Revision as of 19:29, 8 August 2012

Introduction

The Viking Age is defined as lasting from 800 to 1100AD. Many of the the weapons and armour from this period have their origins in the late Roman period.

800-899AD
900-980AD

Although helms and armour were worn during this period it is a matter of some debate regarding how much armour was available and who would have worn it. A number of convincing arguments have been put forward in recent times that suggest that armour was not common in this period <ref>THOMPSON A. (2010) </ref>. The first British manuscript to depict a helmet or mail shirt is Boulogne, MS11 fol. 104v dated to the late C10th. Armour is however occasionally depicted in late Carolingian Manuscripts produced in Western European at this time.
Weapons have a varied appearance and must have been made in small workshops. Decoration is common and pattern welding is used for decoration. Many small axe head shapes are in use. Spears are wide and are a combination of leaf and angular shapes.

981-1040AD

We have a number of depictions of helms and armour from this period. This is supported by a number of stray finds that have been dated to c1000AD. An argument has been made that the renewed Viking raids may have led to the rapid adoption of the Frankish mounted knight style of warfare. New developments in warfare include the anti-horse Dane Axe, metal stirrups - allowing combat from horse back and the chain mail piecing bodkin head.
The conical helm that has been phasing in over the 10th century now become universal and the more traditional domed helmet disappears. There is clear evidence that the helmets of the rounded, crested, form were being superseded by pointed helmets somewhere around the year 1000AD <ref> TWEDDLE, Domonic (1992) The Anglian Helmet from Coppergate York. p.1129]</ref>.

Other all military equipment becomes more uniform. Swords become plainer and pattern welding is no longer used. Spears also become longer and the use of the smaller hand axe becomes less common

1041-1100AD

With the arrival of King Edward the Confessor and his Norman retinue Britain once again aligns itself to the latest European fashions. Kite shields make their first appearance in manuscripts as does a longer front split mail shirts with integral coif.

Contents

Weapons Armour Archery

Spears and Javelins
Seax
Langseax
Swords
Sword Scabbards
Axes
Maces


Head Protection
Domed Helmets
Conical Helmets
Nasels, Aventails and Neck Protection
Great Polish and Russian style Helmets
Carolingian Helmets
Phrygian Caps or Helmets
Helmets of Leather or Horn

Body Protection
Mail Shirts
Mail Coifs and Chaucers
Splinted Arms or Legs
Gloves
Lamellar Armour
Scale Armour
Leather or Cloth Armour
Plate Armour

Shields
Round Shields
Kite Shields
Oval Shields

Bows
Arrows
Quivers
Crossbows
Slings

References

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