Sword Scabbard Chapes

This article is about metal fittings that were probably attached to Sword Scabbards. Peter Paulsen comprehensibly covered the subject of Viking sword scabbard chapes in 1953 in his book Schwertortbänder der Wikingerzeit ^{[PAULSEN 1953]}. More recently Androshchuk has published an updated typology and catalogue of finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]}
This article is primarily concerned with Scandinavian and Western European Chape styles. Paulsen discuss a number of Eastern European styles that we have not included here.

• 

  England, Hertfordshire

Archaeology

• England
  • Ashwell, Hertfordshire C9th. Tree of life design. (Letchworth Museum 1978.77) North Hertfordshire Museumdayofarchaeology.com
  • Castor, Peterborough ^{[CAMERON 2000]:p.194 fig.258}
  • Lincolnshire. Anglo-Scandinavian ^{[HAMMOND 2010]:p.80 fig.1.8.4-d}

Paulsen's Type II.3
'Chapes with Germanic quadruped motif - Animal Style of the Baltic Region'
Paulsen lists a total of 10 finds of this group ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.48-53}
In his opinion they are very similar to Oval brooch of type P48A. ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:p.48}

Andrshchuk Type 2
'Beast in Borre style with a mask in the middle'
Androshchuk lists 20 finds of this type and dates them to c.970s-980s ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:pp.15-118}

Odin as shape-shifting sorcerer and shaman. Protection. ^{[HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON 2006B]:p.321}
A small group of sword chapes combining Borre style decoration with a possible Christian motif - the Crucifixion. Possibly originated in Denmark. ^{[HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON 2006B]:p.315}

Borre Style 1a

• 

  Germany, Bautzen

• 

  Germany, Hedeby

Archaeology

• Denmark

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.1; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 1 find ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.1; p.268}

• Norway

Paulsen lists 0 finds ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:p.49}; Androshchuk lists 1 find ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.9; p.268}

• Iceland

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.3; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 1 find ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.5; p.268}

• Lundur ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.3, p.49 [ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:cat.330}

• Germany

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.1; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 2 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.2,3; p.268}

• Bautzen ^{[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:cat.263}
• Hedeby [?]

• Sweden

Paulsen lists 3 finds ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.5,6,7; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 6 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.12,13,14,15,16,17; pp.268-269}

• Gotland. found in 1889 [:AN1909.95]

• Finland

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.8; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 1 find ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.4; p.268}

• Latvia

Paulsen lists 0 finds ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:p.49}; Androshchuk lists 2 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.7,8; p.268}

• Ukraine

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.10; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 3 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.18,19,20; p.269}

• Ukraine. 2 finds. ^{[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:cat.310 [WOV 2003]:cat.4333}

• Russia

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.9; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 2 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.10,11; p.268}

Borre Style 1b

• 

  England, Humberside

Archaeology

• England

• Hull ^{[MILLS 2001]:p101 fig.V281 [ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:p.126}

• Iceland

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.4; p.49}; Androshchuk lists 1 find ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.6; p.268}

• Ljárskógum ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.49-50, No.4, fig.55 [HAYEUR SMITH 2003]:p.354 no.5072 [ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:p.126}

Androshchuk considers the Hull find to be a local product as in his words "The style of its decoration does not belong to the Scandinavian tradition..." ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:p.126}

Andrshchuk Type 3c
'Bird/Beast in Borre/Jelling/Mammen style'
Androshchuk dates this type to the 10th century ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:pp.15-118}

Borre Style 2a

• 

  Norway,Rörvik

Paulsen's Type I.1
'Chapes with Germanic Bird Motif - Scandinavian Group'
Paulsen lists a total of 12 finds of this group ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.17-21}

Archaeology

• Denmark

Paulsen lists 1 find ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.1; p.18}; Androshchuk lists 2 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.1,2; p.272}

• Hareskovby, Sjaelland. Bronze. ^{[WOV 2003]:p.1118}

• Norway

Paulsen lists 2 finds ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:no.2,3; p.18}; Androshchuk lists 2 finds ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:no.5,6; p.272}

• Rörvik. R516. www.unimus.no T1503 ^{[RYGH 1885]:R516 [GREIG 1947]:no.5; p.32 [PAULSEN 1953]:no.3; p.18}
• Kvalnes T2094 ^{[GREIG 1947]:no.4; p.32 [PAULSEN 1953]:no.4; p.18}

• Iceland

• Hafurbjarnarstodum, Iceland. ^{[WOV 2003]:p.7091 [HAYEUR SMITH 2003]:p.168}

• Sweden

• Valleberga, Skane. Bronze. ^{[WOV 2003]:p.1170}

Borre Style 2b

• Wolin Chape.jpg

  Poland, Wolin

Paulsen's Type I.1 - Variant
'Chapes with Germanic Bird Motif - Prussian Group'
Paulsen lists a total of 5 finds of this group ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.17-21}

Archaeology

• Poland
  • Wolin ^{[JANOWSKI 2006]:p.181}

A variation on this type only seemingly found in Poland is Janowski's type Ib2. Dated to 900-1025AD. ^{[JANOWSKI 2006]:p.181 [JANOWSKI 2007]:p.157-159}.

• 

  Norway, Gjermundbu

• 

  England, York

Paulsen's Type II.1
'Chapes with Germanic quadruped motif - Scandinavian group of the 10th century'
Paulsen breaks the total of 19 finds of this group into 2 sub groups: ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.35-44}

Andrshchuk Type 6
'Beast in Jelling style'
Androshchuk dates this type to c.950-1000 and splits it into 3 sub groups ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:pp.15-121}

More usually found around the Baltic area. ^{[GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980]:cat.273.}. 19 examples found in 6 different countries (Denmark, Germany, Iceland, England, Sweden & Russia) ^{[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]}.

Archaeology

• England
  • York ^{[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:cat.274}
  • Chatburn ^{[EDWARDS 1998]:p.28}
• Norway
  • Gjermundbu. Found with a Petersen type S sword ^{[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992] [WOV 2003]:cat.3044}
• Iceland
  • Hafurbjarnastadir. Gilded copper-alloy found with Petersen type S sword. 900AD – 975AD ^{[GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980]:cat.273}
  • Kirkjubolsdal ^{[HAYEUR SMITH 2003]:p.167}
  • Vestfirdir ^{[HAYEUR SMITH 2003]:p.146}
• Finland
  • Saari. Copper-alloy ^{[GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980]:cat.275}
  • Satakunta. ^{[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:217}

The similarity of the decoration with that of Oval Brooch type P57 has been noted by Paulsen ^{[PAULSEN 1953]}, Wilson and Klindt-Jensen [WILSON 1966: 100-1] and Graham-Campbell ^{[GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980]:cat.273}.

• 

  Norway

Paulsen's Type II.2 'Chapes with Germanic quadruped motif - Swedish group of the 10th century'
Paulsen lists a total of 9 finds of this group. ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.35-44}

Andrshchuk Type 5
'Beast in Jelling style'
Androshchuk dates this type to c.950-1000 ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:pp.15-121}

Otherwise known as the 'Birka Bird'. Dated from late C9th to early C11th although at its most popular in the first half of the C10th. Hedenstierna Jonson identifies 67 finds spread mainly in Eastern Europe from Sweden to Byzantium ^{[HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON 2006B]:p.}

Bird (Falcon) Style 1

• 

  Norway

• 

  France, L'lle de Groix

Paulsen's Type I.2a & I.2b
'Chapes with Germanic Bird Motif - Swedish-Varangian Group'
Paulsen groups these into sub groups with a total of 9 finds ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.22-34}

Andrshchuk Type 3a
'bird'
Androshchuk dates this type to the 10th century. ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:pp.15-121}

Archaeology

• France
  • L'Ile de Groix. ^{[CHATELLIER & PONTOIS 1908] [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940] [GREIG 1947]:pl.XXVI.10}
• Sweden
  • Birka.
• Poland
  • Wolin ^{[WOV 2003]:cat.986}
• Ukraine
  • Kiev ^{[WOV 2003]:cat.4269}

Bird (Falcon) Style 2

Paulsen's Type I.2c & I.2d
'Chapes with Germanic Bird Motif - Swedish-Varangian Group'
Paulsen breaks this group into 2 sub groups with a total of 23 finds ^{[PAULSEN 1953]:pp.22-34}

Andrshchuk Type 3b
'bird'
Androshchuk dates this type to the 10th century. ^{[ANDROSHCHUK 2014]:pp.15-121}

Archaeology

• Sweden
  • Astad. Eastern Influence 850AD – 950AD ^{[GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980]:cat.442}
  • Birka.
• Poland
  • Wolin ^{[WOV 2003]:cat.986}
• Ukraine
  • Kiev ^{[WOV 2003]:cat.4269}

The travellingnorth.nl blog has a good article about this kind of chape.

• 

  Germany, Hedeby

Swords Sword Scabbards