Sword Scabbards

Sword Scabbards
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This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.

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:

Wargear

Swords Overview

Swords found in Britain

Sword Scabbards

Sword Scabbard Chapes

Sword Peace Bands

Viking Age Compendium articles on Swords:

Wargear

Swords Overview

Swords found in Britain

Sword Scabbards

Sword Scabbard Chapes

Sword Peace Bands

The Evidence

Art

---

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

Anglo-Saxon

• 

  AD 971-984
  BL Add. 49598 f.95v

• 

  AD 1025-1050
  BL Cott. Tib. B V f.39r

• 

  AD 980-1000
  BL Harl. 2506 f.41r

• 

  AD 1025-1050
  BL Cott. Tib. B V f.85r

• 

  AD 1050
  BL Cott. Tib. C. VI f.8v

• 

  AD 1050
  BL Cott. Tib. C. VI f.9r

• 

  AD 1050
  BL Cott. Tib. C. VI f.10v

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

• 

  AD 800-899
  BL. Harl. 647 f08r

• 

  AD 849-851
  BNF Lat. 266

• 

  AD 800-899
  BNF Lat. 8085 f059r

• 

  AD 800-899
  BNF Lat. 8318 f060v

• 

  AD 800-899
  BNF Lat. 8318 f062r

• 

  AD 869-870
  Rome, San paolo

• 

  AD 869-870
  Rome, San paolo f118v

• 

  AD 869-870
  Rome, San paolo

• 

  AD 883-900
  St. Gallen Cod.22 039

• 

  AD 883-900
  St. Gallen Cod.22 075

• 

  AD 883-900
  St. Gallen Cod.22 141

Literature

---

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

Archaeology

---

Scabbards seem to be predominately made up of 4 layer:

• Lining -
• Core -
• Wrapping -
• Cover -

This is probably an over simplification and more information can be found in the Construction section.

England

Location	Date	Lining	Core	Wrapping	Covering	Type	Associated Sword	Notes	Reference
York AY17/3 (638)					fragment of leather (32cm)		-
York AY17/3 (641)					fragment of leather (17cm)		-
York AY17/16 (15544)					fragment of leather (19cm)	York Type 1	-
York AY17/16 (15545)					fragment of leather (42cm)	York Type 1	-
York AY17/16 (15546)					fragment of leather (66cm)	York Type 1	-
York AY17/16 (15547)					fragment of leather (25cm)	York Type 1	-
York AY17/16 (15548)					fragment of leather (25cm)	York Type 2	-
York AY17/16 (15549)					fragment of leather (40cm)	York Type 3	-
York AY17/16 (15550)					fragment of leather (38cm)	York Type 3	-
York AY17/16 (15837)					fragment of leather (25cm)		-	4 fragments from possibly more than one scabbard
York AY17/16 (15856)					fragment of leather (55cm)		-
York AY17/16 (15894)					almost complete (70cm)		-
York AY17/16 (15895)					fragment of leather (48cm)		-
York AY17/16 (15896)					fragment of leather (18cm)		-
Sommerset, Bath, Upper Borough Wall	C10th	animal hair	fragments of wood	remains of textile	fragment of leather		curved guard, probably C10th
Oxfordshire, Crowmarsh	C10th / C11th	mineralised skin and hair					curved guard, probably C10th / C11th
Gloucester, 1 Westgate Street	C9th				almost complete (78cm)		-	Opening curved (80mm wide). Seam edge/flesh stitch along the edge. Impression of a stiffener visible on the inside, the top of which is 85mm from the top. A 15mm slit is on either side of the impression.
London, Palace of Westminster			traces of oak				dated to AD 800
Lincoln, Fiskerton			traces of wood						[WILSON 1965:p.33-35]
Durham, Saddler Street					fragments of leather			butted seam on the back face
Derbyshire, Repton		animal hair	traces of wood		fragments of leather
Cumwhitton Grave 3 (901)								16mm leather strap. Assumed to be from a baldric.
Cumwhitton Grave 4 (900)		animal hair	traces of wood		textile spiral binding over the leather cover			The textile spiral binding started at the mouth and extended 11cm down the scabbard. Trace of fine cord immediately below. Possibly English design?
Cumwhitton Grave 5 (880)		animal hair	traces of poplar		leather
Cumwhitton Grave 6			traces of willow		textile spiral binding over the leather cover			The textile spiral binding started at the mouth and extended 8cm down the scabbard. Possibly English design?

Isle of Man

Location	Date	Lining	Core	Wrapping	Covering	Type	Associated Sword	Notes	Reference
Ballateare	AD 880-920	textile	wood	closely woven textile	leather		Petersen Type V
Cronk Moar	AD 880-920	textile	wood	closely woven textile	leather decorated with a raised moulding		Petersen Type S

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.
• 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.

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).
  • DLS 269 32cm remains of embossed leather scabbard cover (AD 1050-1100).
  • DLS 270 27cm remains of leather scabbard cover (AD 1050-1075).
  • DLS 271 fragments of leather cover, pelt hair and wood. Pelt hair found between two laths of wood (1.2mm thick) (AD ?).
  • DLS 272 42cm remains of embossed leather scabbard cover (AD 1000-1100).
  • DLS 273 44cm remains of embossed leather (calf) scabbard cover (AD 1035-1055).
  • DLs 274 28cm remains of embossed leather scabbard cover (AD 1025-1075).

Denmark

• Hedeby (from the Harbour)
  12 swords were recovered from the Harbour at Hedeby. 10 of these had partial remains of scabbards still attached.
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Covered in stamped gold (late C10-11th). .
• Cleverns
• Schortens

Sweden

• Birka
  35 swords have been found in graves in Birka. 30 have been a Petersen Typology and 13 have associated remains of a scabbard.
  • Bj.514 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.520 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type Y.
  • Bj.324a Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type V.
  • Bj.542 Traces of a wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.644 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.736 Traces of a wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.750 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.832 Traces of a wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type Y.
  • Bj.834 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type X.
  • Bj.842 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.942 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type St ?.
  • Bj.944 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.
  • Bj.957 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H.

France

• Saint-Denis
  • (c.869)

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

• 

Literature

• A ‘rich baldric’ is mentioned in a Latin will dated to 867AD
• 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)’
• Fetill – baldric

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” .

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 .
• 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 . 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 .
• 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

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, Holger (1940) Birka 1 Die Graber: Tafeln. [The Graves: Plates] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien *

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 *

Batey, C. & Paterson, C. (2012) 'A Viking burial at Balnakeil, Sutherland'. In Reynolds, A. and Webster, L. (eds.) Early Medieval Art and Archaeology in the Northern World: Studies in Honour of James Graham-Campbell. Series: Northern World (58). (available online) *

Bersu, Gerhard and Wilson, David M. (1966) Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man. The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Servies: No 1 *

Biddle, Martin, and Birthe Kjolbye-Biddle (1992) 'Repton and the Vikings'. pp.38-51. Antiquity: Vol.66 *

Cameron, Esther A. (2000) Sheaths and Scabbards in England AD400-1100. British Archaeological Reports: BAR 301 *

Cameron, Esther A. (2007) Scabbards and Sheaths from Viking and Medieval Dublin.. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.08 *

Campbell, James (1982) The Anglo-Saxons. *

Davidson, Hilda, Ellis (1962) The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England. *

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 *

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 *

Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte (2006) 'Rus´, Varangians and Birka Warriors'. The Martial Society. (Available Online) ^{[HEDENSTIERNA-JONSON 2006B]} *

MacGregor, Arthur (1982) Anglo-Scandinavian Finds from Lloyds Bank, Pavement and other sites. York Archaeological Trust: 17/03 *

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. *

Mould, Quita; Carlisle, Ian and Cameron, Esther (2003) Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York. York Archaeological Trust: 17/16 *

Oakshott, Ewart (1991) Records of the Medieval Sword. Boydell. *

Owen, Olwyn, and Dalland, Magnar (1999) SCAR, A Viking Boat Burial on Sanday, Orkney. Tuckwell Press. *

Paterson, Caroline; Parsons, Adam J.; Newman, Rachel M.; Johnson, Nick and Howard Davis, Christine (2014) Shadows in the Sand. Excavation of a Viking-Age Cemetery at Cumwhitton, Cumbria. *