Difference between revisions of "Sword Scabbards"

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* England, York <br> 64 finds of scabbard leathers have been found.
 
* England, York <br> 64 finds of scabbard leathers have been found.
 
**
 
**
−
* England, North of Danelaw - Other than York
+
* England (Other than York)
−
** Repton  [MOULD 2003:p.3365] [BIDDLE 1992]
+
−
* England, South of Danlaw
+
 
** Sommerset, Bath, Upper Borough Wall. Wooden scabbard lined with animal hair. Wrapped in textile and covered in leather. Associated sword has a curved guard and is probably C10th. [OWEN & DALLAND 1999: p.112] [CAMERON 2000:cat.326]
 
** Sommerset, Bath, Upper Borough Wall. Wooden scabbard lined with animal hair. Wrapped in textile and covered in leather. Associated sword has a curved guard and is probably C10th. [OWEN & DALLAND 1999: p.112] [CAMERON 2000:cat.326]
 
** Oxfordshire, Crowmarsh. Remains of mineralised skin and hair lining. Associated sword has a curved guard and is probably C10th / C11th. [CAMERON 2000:cat.327]
 
** Oxfordshire, Crowmarsh. Remains of mineralised skin and hair lining. Associated sword has a curved guard and is probably C10th / C11th. [CAMERON 2000:cat.327]
Line 72: Line 70:
 
** London, Palace of Westminster. Traces of wood (oak). Associated sword dated to AD 800. [CAMERON 2000:cat.329]
 
** London, Palace of Westminster. Traces of wood (oak). Associated sword dated to AD 800. [CAMERON 2000:cat.329]
 
** Lincoln, Fiskerton. Traces of wood. [WILSON 1965:p.33-35] [CAMERON 2000:cat.330]
 
** Lincoln, Fiskerton. Traces of wood. [WILSON 1965:p.33-35] [CAMERON 2000:cat.330]
−
* Isle of Man
+
** Durham, Saddler Street. Scabbard leather with a butted seam on the back face. [CAMERON 2000:cat.333]
 +
** Derbyshire, Repton. Wooden scabbard. Lined with animal hair. Covered with leather. [MOULD 2003:p.3365] [BIDDLE & KJOLBYE-BIDDLE 1992] [CAMERON 2000:cat.334]
 +
 
 +
====Isle of Man====
 
** Ballateare:[BERSU & WILSON 1966]
 
** Ballateare:[BERSU & WILSON 1966]
 
** Cronk Moar: Wooden scabbard with a leather outer decorated with a raised moulding [BERSU & WILSON 1966: p.72].
 
** Cronk Moar: Wooden scabbard with a leather outer decorated with a raised moulding [BERSU & WILSON 1966: p.72].

Revision as of 18:40, 29 July 2016

Sword Scabbards

Weapons

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  Sword Scabbards
  Swords
  Swords found in Britain



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Completion Rating
This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.
Completion Rating
This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.
Viking Age Compendium articles on Swords:
VA Sword Scabbards.jpg
Sword Scabbards
Viking Age Compendium articles on Swords:
VA Sword Scabbards.jpg
Sword Scabbards

The Evidence

Art

The following images show help to show how scabbards of the period may have worked.

Anglo-Saxon

Summary of Swords from Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts

Manuscript Date Total No.
of Swords 		of which
are held
at waist 		Total No.
of Scabbards 		of which
look like
baldrics 		of which
look like
sword belts
BL Add. 49598 971-984 3 0 3 0 1
BL Harl. 2506 980-1000 1 0 0 1 0
BL Cott. Cleo. C VIII 980-1000 3 0 2 0 0
BL Arund. 155 1012-1023 1 0 0 0 0
BL Cott. Tib. B V 1025-1050 3 0 3 1 1
BL Cott. Clau. B. IV 1025-1050 155 31 4 1 2
BL Stow. 944 1031 1 1 0 0 0
BL Cott. Tib. C. VI 1050 3 0 3 2 0

Carolingian and Ottonian

Norman



Literature

  • Words for Scabbards
    • Umgerð or umgjorð – used for a complete scabbard [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.187
    • Skálpr – a less frequent term to describe a bag or cover and probably refers to the leather sheath [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.187
    • Skeiðir, slidrar or spænir – refer to the two wooden sides of the scabbard [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.187
  • Quotes from primary evidence


Archaeology

England

  • England, York
    64 finds of scabbard leathers have been found.
  • England (Other than York)
    • Sommerset, Bath, Upper Borough Wall. Wooden scabbard lined with animal hair. Wrapped in textile and covered in leather. Associated sword has a curved guard and is probably C10th. [OWEN & DALLAND 1999]:p.112 [CAMERON 2000]:cat.326
    • Oxfordshire, Crowmarsh. Remains of mineralised skin and hair lining. Associated sword has a curved guard and is probably C10th / C11th. [CAMERON 2000]:cat.327
    • Gloucester, 1 Westgate Street (C9th): Leather outer, 780mm long, but damaged at the chape end, so original length unknown. Opening curved and 80mm wide with a edge/flesh stitch along the edge. Made of one piece of leather and sewn down one side. Impression of a stiffener visible on the inside, the top of which is 85mm from the top of the scabbard. No rivet holes. A 15mm slit is on either side of the impression. Scabbard was probably lined with soft leather or fur. [GOUDGE 1979]:p.196 [CAMERON 2000]:cat.328
    • London, Palace of Westminster. Traces of wood (oak). Associated sword dated to AD 800. [CAMERON 2000]:cat.329
    • Lincoln, Fiskerton. Traces of wood. [WILSON 1965:p.33-35] [CAMERON 2000]:cat.330
    • Durham, Saddler Street. Scabbard leather with a butted seam on the back face. [CAMERON 2000]:cat.333
    • Derbyshire, Repton. Wooden scabbard. Lined with animal hair. Covered with leather. [MOULD 2003:p.3365] [BIDDLE & KJOLBYE-BIDDLE 1992] [CAMERON 2000]:cat.334

Isle of Man

Scotland

  • Sutherland, Balnakiel. Wooden scabbard wrapped with textile. The associated sword was probably an undercoated Petersen type H with a grip bound with horizontal binding of S-plied yarn. [BATEY & PATERSON 2012:p.637-641]
  • Scar, Orkney. 2 thin laths of wood, either side of the blade and lined with sheepskin or similar. All wrapped in textile. There were no metal fittings associated with the scabbard or any evidence of a leather cover. The associated sword was probably a Petersen type H.[OWEN & DALLAND 1999]:p.109-112

Ireland

  • Dublin
    There are 53 fragmentary scabbards from Dublin. Two of which are nearly complete.
    • DLS 268 18cm remains of leather scabbard cover (AD 1050-1100). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127
    • DLS 269 32cm remains of embossed leather scabbard cover (AD 1050-1100). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127
    • DLS 270 27cm remains of leather scabbard cover (AD 1050-1075). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127
    • DLS 271 fragments of leather cover, pelt hair and wood. Pelt hair found between two laths of wood (1.2mm thick) (AD ?). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127
    • DLS 272 42cm remains of embossed leather scabbard cover (AD 1000-1100). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127
    • DLS 273 44cm remains of embossed leather (calf) scabbard cover (AD 1035-1055). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127
    • DLs 274 28cm remains of embossed leather scabbard cover (AD 1025-1075). [CAMERON 2007]:p.127

Denmark

  • Hedeby (from the Harbour)
    12 swords were recovered from the Harbour at Hedeby. 10 of these had partial remains of scabbards still attached. [HAGG 1991]:p.248-268
    • Sword 1 - Wooden scabbard of oak. Plied construction. Lined in animal fur. Covered in two layers of leather.
      The outer horizontal top layer of wood may be of very thin wood or bast (possibly used to bind instead of textile?). The outer layer of leather has 3 diamond cut outs down its front. Two rows, 3cm apart, of decorative metal rivets was located in the area of the top mount. [HAGG 1991]:p.248-257, p.265
    • Sword 2 - Wooden scabbard of beech. Possible leather covering.
    • Sword 3 - Wooden scabbard of alder. Plied construction.
    • Sword 4 - Wooden scabbard of beech. Lined in animal fur. Bound in cloth. Covered in leather.
    • Sword 5 - Wooden scabbard of beech. Lined in animal fur. Covered in two layers of leather.
    • Sword 6 - Wooden scabbard of alder. Possible leather covering.
    • Sword 7 - Wooden scabbard of maple. Bound in cloth.
    • Sword 9 - Not enough remains.
    • Sword 11 - Wooden scabbard of alder. Lined in animal fur. Covered in leather.
    • Sword 12 - Wooden scabbard. Plied construction. Lined in animal fur. Bound in cloth. Covered in leather.
  • Hedeby (from the Graves)

Germany

  • Essen Minster
  • Cleverns [BATEY & PATERSON 2012:p.639]
  • Schortens [BATEY & PATERSON 2012:p.639]

Sweden

France

Scabbard hanging styles

Swords on baldrics

Worn high on the side in a not dissimilar fashion to the Romans.

Art

  • T98 BL, Cott. Tib. C vi f.8v, 9r c.1050AD
  • London, British Library, MS Cotton Tiberius C VI, fol.9r.jpg

Literature

  • A ‘rich baldric’ is mentioned in a Latin will dated to 867AD [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.119
  • Thidriks Saga, clxxv ‘the whole scabbard (umgerð) is covered in red gold and all of the straps (fetlar) are overlaid with gold and ornamented with fine buckles (goðum sylgjum búnir)’ [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.188
  • Fetill – baldric [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.188

Archaeology

Riveted straps style Scabbards are most probably hung from baldrics. The Strap slide style scabbard is also likely to be designed to hang from a baldric.

Discussion

Swords on sword belts

--

Art
--
Literature
--
Archaeology
--
Discussion
Sword scabbards suspended from or integral to waist belts can be seen in early manuscripts but only become the dominant style in the C11th.

Scabbard Construction

Composite wooden / leather plain scabbard

A scabbard made in layers using different materials. The wooden core is usually lined on the inside with sheep shin, hair on. Over the wood is a layer of textile and then a further layer of leather, or more rarely linen, overall.

... covered in leather

--

... covered in textile

Art

  • Italian wall painting – Regia site?

Literature

  • Charlemagne scabbard was described by a monk of St. Gall thus “This sword was enclosed first by a scabbard, secondly by a leather of some kind, thirdly by pure white linen rendered stronger by clearest wax and strengthened towards the centre by little raised crosses for the destruction of the heathern” [DAVIDSON 1962]:p.113.

Archaeology

  • Sutton Hoo
  • Balnakiel, Scotland

Discussion
--

All leather scabbard

Discussion
We have no evidence for scabbards without wooden cores. 'All leather' scabbards are often used by reenactors as they are deemed to be safer to fall upon.

Scabbard decoration

Gold plated

Archaeology

  • A sword from Essen Minster dated to the late 10th or 11th centuries is covered in stamped gold [CAMPBELL 1982]:p.171.
  • The Sword of St Maurice in the Weltliches Schatzkammer, Vienna has an olive wood scabbard overlaid with panels of gold decorated with repousse figures of Kings [OAKESHOTT 1991]:p.56. Dated to the second half of the 11th century Oakshott believes this to be purely a scabbard used for ceremonial occasions.


Embossed

Archaeology

  • The Hiberno-Norse burial at Cronk Moar, Isle of Man had a scabbard with a leather outer decorated with a raised moulding [BERSU & WILSON 1966]:p.72.
  • Dublin C11th scabbards with moulding.


Incised Designs

Archaeology

  • Dublin 4 scabbards with incised designs.


Decorative Seams

Archaeology

  • A leather scabbard from Hedeby has 3 diamonds down its front created by two layers of leather [HAGG 1991]:265


See Also

Swords
Sword Scabbard Chapes

References

Arbman, Holger (1940) Birka 1 Die Graber: Tafeln. [The Graves: Text] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien [ARBMAN 1940A] ^ 1 2 3 *
Arbman, Holger (1940) Birka 1 Die Graber: Tafeln. [The Graves: Plates] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien [ARBMAN 1940] ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 *
Arwidsson, Greta (ed.) (1986) Birka II:2 Systematische Analysen der Graberfunde. [Systematic Analysis of the Graves Findings] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien: II:2 [ARWIDSSON 1986] ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 *
Bersu, Gerhard and Wilson, David M. (1966) Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man. The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Servies: No 1 [BERSU & WILSON 1966] ^ 1 2 3 *
Biddle, Martin, and Birthe Kjolbye-Biddle (1992) 'Repton and the Vikings'. pp.38-51. Antiquity: Vol.66 [BIDDLE & KJOLBYE-BIDDLE 1992] ^ *
Cameron, Esther A. (2000) Sheaths and Scabbards in England AD400-1100. British Archaeological Reports: BAR 301 [CAMERON 2000] ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 *
Cameron, Esther A. (2007) Scabbards and Sheaths from Viking and Medieval Dublin.. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.08 [CAMERON 2007] ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 *
Campbell, James (1982) The Anglo-Saxons. [CAMPBELL 1982] ^ 1 2 *
Davidson, Hilda, Ellis (1962) The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England. [DAVIDSON 1962] ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 *
Goudge, C.E. (1979) 'Appendix 7, The Leather'. pp.193-196. In Heighway, Carolyn; Garrod, A.P. & Vince, A.G. 'Excavations at 1 Westgate Street, Gloucester, 1975'. pp.159-213. (Available Online) Medieval Archaeology: Vol.23 [GOUDGE 1979] ^ *
Hagg, Inga (1991) Textilfunde aus der Siedlung und aus den Grabern von Haithabu. [Textile Finds from the Settlement and from the Graves of Hedeby]. Hedeby-Ausgrabungen in Haithabu [HAGG 1991] ^ 1 2 3 *
Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte (2006) 'Rus´, Varangians and Birka Warriors'. The Martial Society. (Available Online) [HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON 2006B] *
Montembault, Veronique (1998) The Leather Finds from Rouen and Saint-Denis, France In Cameron, Esther A. (ed.) (1998) Leather and fur: aspects of early medieval trade and technology. [MONTEMBAULT 1998] ^ *
Mould, Quita; Carlisle, Ian and Cameron, Esther (2003) Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York. York Archaeological Trust: 17/16 [MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003] *
Oakshott, Ewart (1991) Records of the Medieval Sword. Boydell. [OAKESHOTT 1991] ^ *
Owen, Olwyn, and Dalland, Magnar (1999) SCAR, A Viking Boat Burial on Sanday, Orkney. Tuckwell Press. [OWEN & DALLAND 1999] ^ 1 2 *
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