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{{Stars2|Category=Weapons}}{{Swords}}{{MajorRef|Peirce 2002}}

A large number of swords from the Viking Age have been found including at least 2,500 double-edged swords just from Norway [STALSBERG NDHJARDAR & VIKE 2016:p.8168]. Viking Age swords vary from the plain to the most lusciously ornate. Swords are influenced from a number of countries, including Norway, Germany, Denmark, France and England. With each country contributing their own aesthetic to the decoration of their swords. Swords travelled widely across Europe with examples of many types appearing all over western Europe.  ==Previous Published Research==These swords have been well studied over the last century although surprisingly very few changes have been made to Petersen’s original work based on sword hilt styles found in Norway and published in 1919 [PETERSEN 1919]. <br>

*1919 Petersen: Devised the original hilt typology of 26 types that is still widely used across Europe for classifying and dating Viking swords.Based on about 1,700 finds of Viking swords in Norway [PEDERSEN 2008:p.205] this typology remains the most commonly used.:*{{ListRef|Petersen 1919}}*1927 Wheeler: Created a simplified typology of sword hilts based on finds from Britain.:*{{ListRef|Wheeler 1927}}*1960 Oakeshott: Added two more types to Wheelers typologybridging the gap between the Viking Age and the later mediaeval sword. [OAKESHOTT 1960:p.137]:*{{ListRef|Oakeshott 1960}}

Ian Peirce has produced the most recent and accessible book on the subject of :'''Wales (3)'''::*''Viking Age Compendium 2019'':::We have catalogued 3 swords [PEIRCE 2002]from Wales. Much of this article is based upon his workThis includes grave finds and non-burial finds.<br>:::Petersen Types: Lx2; Zx1 [Viking Age Compendium]

This article is divided into three parts. The first gives an overview :'''Isle of blade types, the second covers hilt fittings and finally the third section combines the two and covers Man (14)'''::*{{ListRef|Steinforth 2015}}:::Steinforth has catalogued 10 swords by century in from Viking graves on the Isle of Man.:::Petersen Types: Lx6; Mx1; Ox1; Sx1; Vx1 [Steinforth 2015]::*''Viking Age Compendium 2019'':::In addition we have catalogued an attempt to show how sword technology and fashion changed over timeadditional 4 swords from non-burial finds.:::Petersen Types: Mx1; Unclassified. <br>x3 [Viking Age Compendium]

== Sword Blades ==Most studies on :'''Scotland (36)'''::*{{ListRef|Żabiński 2007}}:::Żabiński has catalogued 36 swords concentrate on hilt styles and little attention is usually given to the actual bladesfrom Scotland. Sword blades just like everything else evolved in form This includes grave finds and manufacture over the Viking Agenon-burial finds.:::Petersen Types: Bx1; Cx2; Dx1; H/Ix11; Lx3; Ox1; Qx1; U/Vx1; Wx1; Xx2; Yx1; Unclassified.<br>x11 [Żabiński 2007]

{{Evidence|Art|Literature ===Ireland (90)=== :* The C9th Emperor Louis is described by a monk of St Gall testing a batch of swords sent to him by ‘the king of the northmen’''Walsh A. This test involved bending the sword tip back to the hilt. Interestingly the first sword so tested broke but one (1998) A summary classification of the envoys Viking age swords passed the testin Ireland in Clarke H. This ability for swords to bend is again mentioned B. 'Ireland and Scandinavia in the C11th Persian Geography, Hudud al-Alem. This states that the Early Viking Age' from Żabiński 2007''::Walsh has catalogued 90 swords of from the Rus may be ‘bent double’. [DAVIDSON 1962Republic of Ireland: p:Petersen Types: Cx8; Dx5; Ex4; Fx3; H/Ix30; Kx9; Lx10; Mx1; Ox1; Rx2; Xx8; Unclassified.113-114x9 [Żabiński 2007]:* Laxdaela Saga, Kjartan bent his sword in fight with {{ListRef|Harrison & Ó Floinn 2014}}::Harrison & Ó Floinn have reclassified the sons of Osvifr and had to straighten it beneath his foot 70 swords from Viking graves already listed by Walsh. ::Petersen Types: Cx7; Dx3; Ex4; Fx2; H/Ix27; Kx12; Nx1; Xx4; Unclassified.x10 [WHEELER 1927HARRISON & Ó FLOINN 2014: p.2976]|Archaeology|Discussion}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align=Denmark (100 Approximately) 'including Scania & Schleswig'===:center;"*{{ListRef|+ Length Pedersen 2014a}}::93 listed finds from secure Danish graves. Denmark for the purposes of sword bladesthis study includes Scania and Schleswig.! width=::Pederson uses the term "120pxMainham" | Blade length !! width=for Petersen's "120pxSpecial Type 2" | Norway <br> [PETERSEN 1919:p.8] !! width="120px" | Britain|-! Under 70cm <br> (27½"Sp2) | 9 (4%) || ?|-! 71cm to 75cm <br> (27½and " to 29½Mainham/Speyer") | 37 (17%) || ?|-! 75cm to 81cm <br> (29½for Petersen's " to 32Special Type 1") | 136 (62%Sp1) || ?.|::Petersen Types: Ax2; Mainham.x2; H/Ix9; Mainham/Speyer.x1; Kx3; Lx1; Mx3; Nx2; Ox1; Qx1; Sx8; Vx11; Xx10; Yx1 Zx1 Seax.x4 Unknown.x33 [PEDERSEN 2014B:pp.128-130]! 81cm ::In addition to 90cm <br> (32" to 35½") the burial finds Pedersen mentions a number of other non burial finds.| 36 ::Mainham.x3 (17%2 from Hedeby) || ?|}; Hx2; [PEDERSEN 2014A:pp.73-82]

=== Double-edged Sword Blades Norway (2,500+)===The most comprehensive study done to date regarding sword blades from the Viking Age has been carried out by Geibig :*{{ListRef|Petersen 1919}}::Petersen catalogued 1440 swords and created a typology that is discussed in English by Jones in Ian Peirce’s Swords of still the Viking Age. Geibig has broken the sword types down into 5 typesprimary typology today.::Ax8; ''Sp1x2;'' Bx22; Cx110; Dx11; Ex31; Fx18; Gx4; ''Sp2x1; Sp3x1; Sp4x2; Sp5x1; Sp6x1; Sp7x1;'' Hx213; Ix16; Kx13; ''Sp8x1; Sp9x1; Sp10x1; Sp11x1; Sp12x1;'' Lx14; Mx198; ''Sp13x2; Sp14x1; Sp15x1; Sp16x1;'' Nx7; Ox32; Px7; Qx122; Rx8; Sx22; Tx6; Ux8; Vx6; Wx8; Xx49; Yx19; '' Sp17x2; Sp18x2; Sp19x1; Sp20x2;'' Zx6; Æx16; [PETERSEN 1919]==== Type 1: parallel edged to minimally tapering blade with short tip ====600-800ADType 1 blades date to the period before the Viking Age commonly referred to as the Migration period. These usually pattern welded blades have a length of between 70 to 80cm and a blade width at the cross guard of between 4.4 to 5.8cm. These blades are often found without fullers or alternatively with shallow fullers*''Jakobsson (1992) Krigarideologi och vikingatida svärdstypologi.'' ==== Type 2: gently tapering blade with fuller of near uniform width ====750-950ADA length of between 74 to 83cm and width at the cross guard of between 4.8 to :Jakobsson has categorised 1773 swords from Norway into 6type.2cmThere may be some more that he classed as ''Unclassifiable'' but we don't know how many. ==== Type 3: gently tapering blade with tapering fuller ====780-980AD ==== Type 4: moderately tapering short blade with elongated tip ====950-1050AD ==== Jakobsson Type 5: moderately tapering long blade with elongated tip ====1x529; 2x188; 3x44; 4x631; 5x312; 6x69; [Jakobsson (1992)]950-1080AD<br>

===Blades with inscriptionsIceland (22)===A number of blades have inscription forged into them. The two most common are Ulfberht and Ingelrii. <br>:*''Eldjárn (1956) Kuml og haugfé : úr heiðnum sið á Íslandi '' in Androshchuk 2014 [ANDROSHCHUK 2014:pp189-190]:*''Friðriksson (2000) Viking Burial Practices in Iceland'' in Androshchuk 2014 [ANDROSHCHUK 2014:pp189-190]

====Ingelrii=Germany () 'excluding Schleswig'===Oakeshott has dated the Ingelri swords from 925AD [OAKESHOTT 2002:p.8]. Some of the Ingelri swords contain the additional words ‘Me Fecit’ which translates as ‘Made me’<br>

=== Typologies===Two main typologies are primarily used, Petersen’s for The most common method to date a Viking swords and the Wheeler / Oakeshott typology for late Anglo-Saxon onessword is by it's hilt style.<br><br>====Petersen’s typology Summary of Viking swords=Typologies ===Based on finds of Viking swords in Norway this The following table attempts to marry Rygh's types to Petersen's typology and to Wheelers more simplified typology remains the most commonly used. Although Pierce matched some of them as did Oakeshott, we have been unable to find a reference that attempts to match them all. The following typology table here is based primarily on our best guess at correlating all the typology chart published by Peirce [PEIRCE 2002:pdifferent systems.18-19].<br><br>Jakobsson has recently published It is worth noting that a number of maps detailing the distribution patterns of Petersen’s sword hilts across Europe [PEIRCE 2002:p.16]. Unfortunately the authors forms do not have access to this documentsit well within Wheelers types and so we may rearrange some of them at a later date as more research is done and opinions are changed.<br><br>====Wheeler / Oakeshott typology of late Anglo-Saxon swords====A summary of sword typologies. The typology used by Viking-Age Compendium is included on the far right. We have continued Pierce's practice of colouring the hilts to show those that have non-ferrous coatings. [PEIRCE 2002:p.16]<br>

{| class="sortablewikitable" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: center; background-color:#FFFFFF;"! Rygh <br> 1885 !! Petersen <br> 1919 !! Wheeler <br> 1927 !! Oakeshott <br> 1960 !! Jakobsson <br> 1992 !! Jones <br> 2002 !! Hjardar &<br>Vike 2016 !! Compendium <br> Type!! Characteristics|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type I''' For more about Type I swords see '[[Swords of Type I found in Britain]]'

|<!--1919--> '''Type F'''<br>AD 800-850<br>Majority single edged |<!--1927--> rowspan="26"| [[File:Sword Wheeler I.jpg|none|50px|Type I]] Type I<br>Iron Age <br> to C10th|<!--1960--> rowspan="6"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott I.jpg|none|50px|Type I]] Type I<br>Norwegian|<!--1992--> rowspan="2"| ''Unclassifiable''

|<!--2016--> 800-850|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_f.jpg|none|50px100px|Type F]] Type F|<!--Char--> style="text-align:left;" |

|<!--1919--> '''Type G'''<br>Mainly single edged

|<!--2016--> 800-850|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_g.jpg|none|50px100px|Type G]] Type G |<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type M'''<br>198 finds<br>15% single edged|<!--19271992--> rowspan="3"| [[File:Sword Wheeler I.jpg|none|50px|Type I]] Type I<br>Iron Age <br> to C10th|<!--1960--> rowspan="34"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott I.jpg|none|50px|Type I4]] Type IDesign principle 4 <br>Norwegian''absenting pommel''

|<!--2016--> 850-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_m.jpg|none|50px100px|Type M]] Type M|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type P'''<br>198 finds<br>15% single edged

|<!--2016--> 900-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_p.jpg|none|50px100px|Type P]] Type P|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type Q'''<br>122 finds

|<!--2016--> 925-1025|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_q.jpg|none|50px100px|Type Q]] Type Q|<!--Char-->|-|<!--1885--> |<!--1919--> '''Type AE''' |<!--2002--> 1000-1100|<!--2016--> 1000-1100|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_ae.jpg|none|100px|Type AE]] Type AE|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type II''' For more about Type II swords see '[[Swords of Type II found in Britain]]'

|<!--1919--> '''Type A ''' <br> 8 Norwegian finds|<!--1927--> rowspan="45"| [[File:Sword Wheeler II.jpg|none|50px|Type II]] '''Type II'''<br>'Cocked-hat'<br>Norwegian<br>C8th to 900|<!--1960--> rowspan="45"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott II.jpg|none|50px|Type II]] '''Type II'''<br>Norwegian<br>AD 775-900|<!--1992--> rowspan="5"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott II.jpg|none|50px|Type 1]] Design principle 1 <br>''triangular pommel''

|<!--2016--> 700-810|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_a.jpg|none|50px100px|Type A]] '''Type A'''|<!--Char--> style="text-align:left;" |Blade: 25% single-edged. None are pattern-welded or have inscriptions.[PETERSEN 1919]<br>Hilt: Plain iron fittings. Tang goes through the upper guard & pommel. Guards are low. 

|<!--1919--> '''Type B ''' <br> 22 Norwegian finds <br> 37% single edged

|<!--2016--> 730-825|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_b.jpg|none|50px100px|Type B]] '''Type B'''|<!--Char--> style="text-align:left;" |Blade: 37% single-edged. 9% pattern-welded. No inscriptions. [PETERSEN 1919]<br>Hilt: Plain iron fittings. Tang goes through the upper guard & pommel. Guards are short, high, ridged and slightly bulge in the middle.<br>Origin: Petersen and Androshchuk suggest that this type is Frankish.

|<!--1919--> '''Type C ''' <br> 110 Norwegian finds <br> 61% single edged

|<!--2016--> 800-870|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_c.jpg|none|50px100px|Type C]] '''Type C'''|<!--Char-->style="text-align:left;" |Blade: 61% single-edged. None are pattern-welded. A few with inscriptions in Norwegian runes. [PETERSEN 1919]<br>Hilt: No separate upper guard. Plain iron fittings. Tang goes through the pommel. Lower guards and pommel are short, high, ridged and of uniform width.<br>Origin: Petersen and Androshchuk suggest that this is local Scandinavian copy of the Carolingian Type B.<br>Amongst the heaviest of Viking Age swords.  

|<!--1919--> '''Type H ''' <br> 213 finds <br> 22% single edged

|<!--2016--> 775-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_h.jpg|none|50px100px|Type H]] Type H|<!--Char-->|- |<!--1885--> |<!--1919--> '''Type I''' <br> |<!--2002--> |<!--2016--> 850-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_i.jpg|none|100px|Type I]] Type I|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type III''' For more about Type III swords see '[[Swords of Type III found in Britain]]'

|<!--1919--> '''Type D ''' <br> 11 finds <br> No single edged

|<!--2016--> 800-850|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_d.jpg|none|50px100px|Type D]] Type D|<!--Char-->style="text-align:left;" |Blade: <br>Hilt: <br>Origin: Origin: Petersen and Androshchuk suggest that this type is Frankish.

|<!--1919--> '''Type E ''' <br> 19% single edged

|<!--2016--> 800-900|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_e.jpg|none|50px100px|Type E]] Type E|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type R '''

|<!--2016--> 925-1000|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_r.jpg|none|50px100px|Type R]] Type R|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type S ''' <br> 22 or 25 finds?

|<!--2016--> 930-1010|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_s.jpg|none|50px100px|Type S]] Type S|<!--Char-->

|<!--2016--> 950-1025|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_t.jpg|none|50px100px|Type T]] Type T|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type IV''' For more about Type IV swords see '[[Swords of Type IV found in Britain]]'

|<!--1919--> '''Type K '''

|<!--2016--> 790-900|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_k.jpg|none|50px100px|Type K]] Type K|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type O '''

|<!--2016--> 875-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_o.jpg|none|50px100px|Type O]] Type O|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type V''' For more about Type V swords see '[[Swords of Type V found in Britain]]'

|<!--1919--> '''Type L '''

|<!--2016--> 850-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_l.jpg|none|50px100px|Type L]] Type L|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type VI''' For more about Type VI swords see '[[Swords of Type VI found in Britain]]'

|<!--1927--> rowspan="2"|[[File:Sword Wheeler VI.jpg|none|50px|Type VI]] Type VI<br>Danish<br>C10th-C11th|<!--1960--> rowspan="2"|[[File:Sword Oakeshott VI.jpg|none|50px|Type VI]] Type VI<br>Danish<br>AD 900-1025|<!--1992--> rowspan="2"|[[File:Sword Oakeshott VI.jpg|none|50px|Type 5]] Design principle 5 <br>''curved guard''

|<!--2016-->|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_lv.jpg|none|50px100px|Type Lv]] Type Lv|<!--Char-->|-

|<!--1919--> '''Type Z''' |<!--2002--> 1000|<!--2016--> 975-1050|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_z.jpg|none|100px|Type Z]] Type Z|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type VII''' For more about Type VII swords see '[[Swords of Type VII found in Britain]]'|- |<!--1885--> [[File:R495.jpg|none|50px|Rygh 495]] Rygh 495 ? |<!--1919--> '''Type N '''

|<!--2016--> 850-900|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_n.jpg|none|50px100px|Type N]] Type N|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type U ''' |<!--1992--> rowspan="2"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott III.jpg|none|50px|Type 2]] Design principle 2 <br>''three-lobed pommel''

|<!--2016--> 925-990|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_u.jpg|none|50px100px|Type U]] Type U|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type V '''

|<!--2016--> 900-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_v.jpg|none|50px100px|Type V]] Type V|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type W '''|<!--1992--> rowspan="3"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott V.jpg|none|50px|Type 6]] Design principle 6 <br>''single-pieced pommel''

|<!--2016--> 900-950|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_w.jpg|none|50px100px|Type W]] Type W|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type X early ''' <br> ‘Tea Cosy’ <br> 9 found

|<!--2016--> 925->|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_xe.jpg|none|50px100px|Type Xe]] Type Xe|<!--Char-->

|<!--1919--> '''Type X late ''' <br> 40 found <br> AD 950-1050

|<!--2016--> ? ->|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_xl.jpg|none|50px100px|Type Xl]] Type Xl|- |<!--1885Char--> |<!--1919--> Type Y <br> 18 finds <br> 5% single edged|<!--1927--> rowspan="3"| |<!--1960--> rowspan="3"| |<!--2002--> 900-1100|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_y.jpg|none|50px|Type Y]] Type Y

|<!--1885--> scope="row" colspan="9"|<!--1919--> '''Type Z |<!--2002--> 1000|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_z.jpg|none|50px|Type Z]] Type Z|-|<!--1885--> VIII''' |<!--1919--> For more about Type AE |<!--2002--> 1000-1100|<!--Comp--> VIII swords see '[[File:Sword_type_ae.jpg|none|50pxSwords of Type VIII and IX found in Britain|Swords of Type AEVIII found in Britain]] Type AE'

|<!--2016-->|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_viii.jpg|none|50px100px|Type VIII]] Type VIII|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type IX''' For more about Type IX swords see '[[Swords of Type VIII and IX found in Britain|Swords of Type IX found in Britain]]'

|<!--1919--> '''Type Y''' <br> 18 finds <br> 5% single edged|<!--1927--> |<!--1960--> [[File:Sword Oakeshott IX.jpg|none|50px|Type IX]] Type IX<br>AD 1000-1300| |<!--1992--> rowspan="1"| [[File:Sword Oakeshott IX.jpg|none|50px|Type 4]] Design principle 4 <br>''absenting pommel''|<!--2002--> 900-1100|<!--2016--> 925-1100|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_ixSword_type_y.jpg|none|50px100px|Type IXY]] Type IXY|<!--Char-->|-| scope="row" colspan="9"|'''Type Disc''' For more about Type Disc swords see '[[Swords of Type Disc found in Britain]]'

|<!--2016-->|<!--Comp--> [[File:Sword_type_XSword_type_Disc.jpg|none|50px100px|Type XDisc]] Type XDisc|<!--Char-->

===Methods of attachmentattaching the Pommel===Two main Geibig has categorised three methods of attaching the hilt fittings to construction as described by Androshchuk [ANDROSHCHUK 2014:p.187-188].<br> ====Tang goes through the blade seem to have been deployedupper guard and pommel====''Sword types: B, Sp2''<br>This hilt of these swords in constructed in two parts with a separate pommel sitting atop an upper guard. <br>The tang passes straight through the grip, upper guard and pommel and is then simply peened over. ====to Tang goes through the upper guard. Pommel riveted to upper guard====''Sword types: Sp1, H, K, N.''<br>The hilt of these swords in constructed in two parts with a separate pommel sitting atop an upper guard.<br>The tang passes through the upper guard and is then peened over. The separate pommel is then attached by two more rivets that are peened over under the upper guard.  ====to Tang goes through the pommel capor upper guard====''Sword types: C, M, X, Y.''<br>The hilt of these swords has either a pommel or an upper guard.<br>The tang passes straight through the grip and pommel , or grip and upper guard, and is then simply peened over.

 <br> ===Hilt Materials=======Hilt fittings of plain iron====The vast majority ''Sword types: A, B, C, F, G, M, N, Q, X, Y, AE.''<br>Many types of sword have fittings that are simply made of plain iron.<br> ====Hilt fittings of inlaid iron====''Sword types: D, E, H, I, K, L, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, Z.''<br><br> 

{{EvidenceMacGregor argues that the ability of bone and antler to withstand even quite savage blows should not be underestimated. [MACGREGOR 1985: p.165]<br>|Art|Literature|'''Finds from Archaeology ='''<br>* Dublin, . 2 possible guards of antler. [HALPIN 2008: p.161-162]

* Sweden, Sigtuna, 1 elk . Elk antler guard [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL and & KIDD 1980: p.168-169] [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2013:p.108]|Discussion = MacGregor argues that the ability of bone * Check Republic, Prague Cathedral. Type T sword with ivory guard and antler to withstand even quite savage blows should not be underestimatedpommel decorated in Mammen decoration. Photo & discussion [MACGREGOR 1985, Roesdhal 2010:p.165155]. Drawing & discussion [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2013:p.109]. <gallery>Sword york clifford.jpg|York CrossguardSword york coppergate.jpg|York Pommel</gallery>

== See Also Sword Blades ==Most studies on swords concentrate on hilt styles and little attention is usually given to the actual blades. Sword blades just like everything else evolved in form and manufacture over the Viking Age.<br><br>{{Evidence|Art|Literature = * The C9th Emperor Louis is described by a monk of St Gall testing a batch of swords sent to him by ‘the king of the northmen’. This test involved bending the sword tip back to the hilt. Interestingly the first sword so tested broke but one of the envoys swords passed the test. This ability for swords to bend is again mentioned in the C11th Persian Geography, Hudud al-Alem. This states that the swords of the Rus may be ‘bent double’. [DAVIDSON 1962: p.113-114]* Laxdaela Saga, Kjartan bent his sword in fight with the sons of Osvifr and had to straighten it beneath his foot [WHEELER 1927: p.29]|Archaeology|Discussion}}<br>=== Dimensions of Sword Blades === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"|+ Length of sword blades! width="120px" | Blade length !! width="120px" | Norway <br> [PETERSEN 1919:p.8] !! width="120px" | Britain|-! Under 70cm <br> (27½") | 9 (4%) || ?|-! 71cm to 75cm <br> (27½" to 29½") | 37 (17%) || ?|-! 75cm to 81cm <br> (29½" to 32") | 136 (62%) || ?|-! 81cm to 90cm <br> (32" to 35½") | 36 (17%) || ?|}<br>{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"|+ Width of sword blades! width="120px" | Blade width at hilt !! width="120px" | Norway <br> [PETERSEN 1919:p.10] !! width="120px" | Britain|- ! Under 5cm <br> (2") | 70 (16%) || ?|-! 5cm to 6cm <br> (2" to 2⅓") | 300 (70%) || ?|-! Over 6cm <br> (2⅓") | 61 (14%) || ?|} === Double-edged Sword Blades ===The most comprehensive study done to date regarding sword blades from the Viking Age has been carried out by Geibig and is discussed in English by Jones in Ian Peirce’s Swords of the Viking Age. Geibig has broken the sword types down into 5 types. ==== Type 1: parallel edged to minimally tapering blade with short tip ====600-800ADType 1 blades date to the period before the Viking Age commonly referred to as the Migration period. These usually pattern welded blades have a length of between 70 to 80cm and a blade width at the cross guard of between 4.4 to 5.8cm. These blades are often found in without fullers or alternatively with shallow fullers. ==== Type 2: gently tapering blade with fuller of near uniform width ====750-950ADA length of between 74 to 83cm and width at the cross guard of between 4.8 to 6.2cm. ==== Type 3: gently tapering blade with tapering fuller ====780-980AD ==== Type 4: moderately tapering short blade with elongated tip ====950-1050AD ==== Type 5: moderately tapering long blade with elongated tip ====950-1080AD <br>=== Single-edged Sword Blades ===Single edged swords seem to be a particularly Norwegian item [OAKESHOTT 1960: p.135].<br><br>{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"|+ Single Edged Sword Blades! width="50px" | Type !! width="100px" | Date Range !! width="160px" | Norway <br> [PETERSEN 1919:p.10] !! width="160px" | Britain|- ! B | 750 - 825 || 36% of 22 finds || ?|-! C | 800 - 900 || 63% of 110 finds || ?|-! H | 775 - 960 || 27% of 213 finds || ?|} ===Blades with inscriptions===A number of blades have inscription forged into them. The two most common are Ulfberht and Ingelrii. <br><br>====Ulfberht====Anne Stalsberg has recently published an article on 166 finds of swords marked with Ulfberht signatures [STALSBERG ND]. It would appear that Ulfberht blades were made in the Carolingian Empire and can be found on swords dated from 800AD to 1000AD [STALSBERG ND: p.8] ====Ingelrii====Oakeshott has dated the Ingelri swords from 925AD [OAKESHOTT 2002:p.8]. Some of the Ingelri swords contain the additional words ‘Me Fecit’ which translates as ‘Made me’ ====Other makes====Oakeshott lists a few other makers names that have been found on Viking Age sword blades [OAKESHOTT 2002:p.8-9]<br> 

{{Ref|Book=Androshchuk 2014}}{{Ref|Davidson 1962}}{{Ref|Book=Graham-Campbell & Kidd 1980}}{{Ref|Book=Graham-Campbell 2013}}{{Ref|Halpin 2008}}{{Ref|Book=Harris, Cobb, Gray & Richardson 2011}}{{Ref|Book=Harrison & Ó Floinn 2014}}{{Ref|Hjardar & Vike 2016}}{{Ref|Jones 2002}}{{Ref|Laking 1920}}{{Ref|Book=Macgregor 1985}}{{Ref|Book=Oakeshott 1960}}{{Ref|Book=Oakeshott 2002}}{{Ref|Book=Peirce 2002}}{{Ref|Book=Pedersen 2008}}{{Ref|Pedersen 2014a}}{{Ref|Pedersen 2014b}}{{Ref|Petersen 1919}}{{Ref|Book=Roesdahl 1981}}{{Ref|Book= Stalsberg ndRoesdahl 2010}}{{Ref|Book=Thompson 2004}}{{Ref|Book=Wheeler 1927}}<HarvardReferences />