Sword Scabbards

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Viking Age Compendium articles on Swords:

Wargear

Wargear

Swords Overview

Swords Overview

Swords found in Britains

Swords found in Britains

Sword Scabbard Chapes

Sword Scabbard Chapes

Sword Peace Bands

Sword Peace Bands

Viking Age Compendium articles on Swords:

Wargear

Wargear

Swords Overview

Swords Overview

Swords found in Britains

Swords found in Britains

Sword Scabbard Chapes

Sword Scabbard Chapes

Sword Peace Bands

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 ^{(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

---

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)		-		(MACGREGOR 1982 cat.638 pp.142-143,163) (MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3527) (CAMERON 2000 cat.219)]
York AY17/3 (641)					fragment of leather (17cm)		-		(MACGREGOR 1982 cat.641 p.163) (MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3527) (CAMERON 2000 cat.217)
York AY17/16 (15544)					fragment of leather (19cm)	York Type 1	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 : cat.158)
York AY17/16 (15545)					fragment of leather (42cm)	York Type 1	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 cat.186)
York AY17/16 (15546)					fragment of leather (66cm)	York Type 1	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 :p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 cat.143)
York AY17/16 (15547)					fragment of leather (25cm)	York Type 1	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 cat.157)
York AY17/16 (15548)					fragment of leather (25cm)	York Type 2	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 cat.154)
York AY17/16 (15549)					fragment of leather (40cm)	York Type 3	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 cat.152)
York AY17/16 (15550)					fragment of leather (38cm)	York Type 3	-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 :p.3494) (CAMERON 2000 cat.250)
York AY17/16 (15837)					fragment of leather (25cm)		-	4 fragments from possibly more than one scabbard	(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3513)
York AY17/16 (15856)					fragment of leather (55cm)		-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3518) (CAMERON 2000  cat.373)
York AY17/16 (15894)					almost complete (70cm)		-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3528) (CAMERON 2000  cat.213)
York AY17/16 (15895)					fragment of leather (48cm)		-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3528) (CAMERON 2000  cat.212)
York AY17/16 (15896)					fragment of leather (18cm)		-		(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3528) (CAMERON 2000 cat.211)
Sommerset, Bath, Upper Borough Wall	C10th	animal hair	fragments of wood	remains of textile	fragment of leather		curved guard, probably C10th		(OWEN & DALLAND 1999 p.112) (CAMERON 2000 cat.326)
Oxfordshire, Crowmarsh	C10th / C11th	mineralised skin and hair					curved guard, probably C10th / C11th		(CAMERON 2000 cat.327)
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.	(GOUDGE 1979 p.196) (CAMERON 2000 cat.328)
London, Palace of Westminster			traces of oak				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					fragments of leather			butted seam on the back face	(CAMERON 2000 cat.333)
Derbyshire, Repton		animal hair	traces of wood		fragments of leather				(MOULD, CARLISLE & CAMERON 2003 p.3365) (BIDDLE & KJOLBYE-BIDDLE 1992) (CAMERON 2000 cat.334)
Cumwhitton Grave 3 (901)								16mm leather strap. Assumed to be from a baldric.	(PATERSON 2014 p.136, 232)
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?	(PATERSON 2014 p.136, 226, 231)
Cumwhitton Grave 5 (880)		animal hair	traces of poplar		leather				(PATERSON 2014 p.136, 226, 231)
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?	(PATERSON 2014 p.136, 226, 231)

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		(BERSU & WILSON 1966 p.52-54)
Cronk Moar	AD 880-920	textile	wood	closely woven textile	leather decorated with a raised moulding		Petersen Type S		[BERSU & WILSON 1966: p.72]

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
  • Covered in stamped gold (late C10-11th). ^{(CAMPBELL 1982 p.171)}.
• Cleverns ^{(BATEY & PATERSON 2012 p.639)}
• Schortens ^{(BATEY & PATERSON 2012 p.639)}

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. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940A p.153-154, fig.102, 103)}
  • Bj.520 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type Y. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940 Taf. 3:2)}
  • Bj.324a Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type V. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986:P.14) (ARBMAN 1940 Taf. 3:4)}
  • Bj.542 Traces of a wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940 Taf. 2:1)}
  • Bj.644 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14)}
  • Bj.736 Traces of a wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940 Taf. 2:3)}
  • Bj.750 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14)}
  • Bj.832 Traces of a wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type Y. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940 Taf. 3:1)}
  • Bj.834 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type X. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940A fig. 253)}
  • Bj.842 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14)}
  • Bj.942 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type St ?.^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940 Taf. 1:1)}
  • Bj.944 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14) (ARBMAN 1940A fig. 321)}
  • Bj.957 Wooden scabbard for a sword of Petersen type H. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1986 p.14)}

France

• Saint-Denis
  • (c.869) ^{(MONTEMBAULT 1998 p.60)}

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 ^{(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)}

References

Arbman, Holger (1940) Birka 1a Die Graber: Text. [The Graves: Text] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien: Ia

 ^{(ARBMAN 1940A)}

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

 ^{(ARBMAN 1940)}

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)}

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)

 ^{(BATEY & PATERSON 2012)}

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)}

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)}

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

 ^{(CAMERON 2007)}

Campbell, James (1982) The Anglo-Saxons.

 ^{(CAMPBELL 1982)}

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

 ^{(DAVIDSON 1962)}

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 - Bericht 29

 ^{(HAGG 1991)}

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

 ^{(MACGREGOR 1982)}

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)}

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.

 ^{(PATERSON 2014)}