Armor and weapons of the Vikings: description, photo

Vikings ... This word several centuries ago became a household name. It symbolizes strength, courage, courage, but few pay attention to detail. Yes, the Vikings won victories and became famous for them for ages, but here it was not only due to their own qualities, but primarily due to the use of the most modern and effective weapons.

A bit of history

A period of several centuries from the VIII to XI century in history is called the Viking Age. These Scandinavian peoples were distinguished by militancy, courage and incredible fearlessness. Courage and inherent physical health were cultivated by all possible methods at that time. In the period of their unconditional superiority, the Vikings achieved great success in martial art, and it was not at all important where the battle took place: on land or at sea. They fought both in coastal areas and deep in the continent. Not only Europe has become for them an arena of battles. Their presence was noted by the peoples of North Africa.

Superiority manifested in detail

Scandinavians fought against neighboring nations not only for the sake of extraction and enrichment - they based their settlements on the conquered lands. Vikings weapons and armor decorated with a kind of decoration. This is where artisans and artisans demonstrated their art. To date, it can be argued that it was in this area that they most fully revealed their skills. Belonging to the lower social strata, the Viking weapons, whose photo amazes even modern craftsmen, displayed whole stories. What can we say about the weapons of warriors belonging to the higher castes and having a noble lineage.

What were the weapons of the Vikings?

The weapons of the soldiers differed depending on the social status of their owners. Soldiers of noble origin had swords and all sorts and shapes of axes. Viking weapons of the lower classes consisted mainly of bows and pointed spears of different sizes.

Features of protection

Even the most perfect weapon at that time could sometimes not fulfill its basic functions, because during the battle the Vikings were with their enemy in close enough contact. The main defense of the Viking in the battle was a shield, as other armor was not affordable for every warrior. Protected it mainly from throwing weapons. Most of them were large round shields. Their diameter was about a meter. He protected the warrior from his knees to his chin. Often the enemy deliberately smashed the shield in order to deprive the Viking of protection.

How did the shield for the Vikings?

The shield was made of boards 12-15 cm thick, sometimes even several layers. They were fastened together with a specially created glue, and a regular shingle often served as a layer. For greater strength from above, the shield was covered with the skin of dead animals. The edges of the shields were reinforced with bronze or iron plates. The center was the umbon, a semicircle of iron. He defended the hand of the Viking. Note that to retain such a shield in his hands, and even during the battle, it was not every man's strength. This again demonstrates the incredible physical data of the warriors of those times.

The Viking shield is not just a defense, but a work of art

To the warrior during the battle could not lose the shield, used a narrow belt, the length of which could be adjusted. It was attached from the inside on the opposite edges of the shield. If it is necessary to use other weapons, the shield could easily be thrown behind the back. It was also practiced during the transitions.

In most cases, the painted shields were red, but they also met with different bright paintings, the complexity of which depended on the skill of the artisan.

But like everything that came from ancient times, the shape of the shield underwent a change. And by the beginning of the eleventh century. The soldiers had so-called almond-shaped shields, which favorably differed from their predecessors in form, protecting the warrior almost completely to the middle of the shin. They also featured significantly less weight compared to their predecessors. However, they were inconvenient for battles on ships, and they happened more and more often, and therefore did not receive special distribution from the Vikings.

Helmet

The head of the warrior was usually defended by a helmet. A peculiar frame of it formed three main bands: 1 - head, 2 - from the forehead to the nape, 3 rd - from the ear to the ear. Four segments were attached to this basis. On the vertex (in the place where there was a crossing of the bands) was a very sharp spike. The warrior's face partially protected the mask. Behind the helmet was attached a chain mail, called a barmitse. Special rivets were used to connect the helmet parts. Of small metal plates formed a hemisphere - a cup of a helmet.

Helmet and social status

At the beginning of the 10th century the Vikings had helmets of conical shape, and a straight nose plate served to protect the face. Over time, in their place came tselnokovanye helmets with a chinstrap. There is a suggestion that a cloth or leather lining was fastened inside the rivets. Cloth helmets reduced the force of the blow to the head.

Simple warriors did not have helmets. Their heads were protected by caps made of fur or thick skin.

The helmets of wealthy owners were decorated with ornaments and colored marks, they were recognized by soldiers in battle. Headgear with horns, which are replete with historical films, were extremely rare. In the era of the Vikings, they personified the higher forces.

Mail

Vikings spent most of their lives in battles and therefore knew that the wounds often became inflamed, and the treatment was not always qualified, which attracted tetanus and blood poisoning, and often death. That's why armor helped survive in harsh conditions, but to afford to wear them in the VIII-X centuries. Could only wealthy warriors.

The chain-mail with short sleeves and length to the thigh was worn by the Vikings in the VIII century.

Clothes and weapons of different classes differed significantly. Simple warriors for protection used leather jackets and sewed bone, and later metal plates. These jackets were able to perfectly reflect the impact.

Particularly valuable component

Subsequently, the length of the chain mail increased. In the XI century. Cuts appeared on the floors, which was very welcomed by the riders. In the chain armor, more complex details appeared-this was a face valve and a balaclava, which helped protect the lower jaw and throat of the warrior. Its weight was 12-18 kg.

The Vikings were very careful about mail, because they often depended on the life of a warrior. Protective robes were of great value, so they were not left on the battlefield and did not lose. Often the chain armor was inherited.

Lamellar Armor

It is also worth mentioning lamellar armor. They entered the arsenal of the Vikings after raids in the Middle East. Such a shell is made of iron plates lamellas. They were laid in layers, covering each other a little, and connected by a cord.

Also to the armor of the Vikings include banded bracers and leggings. They were made of metal strips, the width of which is about 16 mm. They were fastened with leather straps.

Sword

The sword occupies a dominant position in the Viking arsenal. This is an indisputable fact. For the warriors, he was not just a weapon carrying an imminent death to the enemy, but also a good friend providing magic protection. The Vikings regarded all other elements as required for combat, but the sword is a separate story. He was associated with the history of the family, he was passed on from generation to generation. The warrior perceived the sword as an integral part of himself.

In the graves of soldiers often find weapons of the Vikings. Reconstruction allows us to get acquainted with its original appearance.

At the beginning of the Viking Age, patterned forging was widespread, but over time, thanks to the use of higher quality ore and the modernization of furnaces, it became possible to make blades that were more durable and lightweight. The shape of the blade was also different. The center of gravity has moved to the handle, and the blades are sharply tapering toward the end. This weapon made it possible to deliver quick and accurate strikes.

Double-edged swords with rich arms acted as a ceremonial weapon of wealthy Scandinavians, and in combat they were not practical.

In the VIII-IX century. In the arsenal of the Vikings, the Frankish swords appear. They are sharpened from two sides, and the length of a straight blade tapering to a rounded point was slightly less than a meter. This gives grounds to believe that such weapons were also suitable for cutting.

Handles on swords were of different types, they differed in hilt and head shape. To decorate the arms, silver and bronze were used in the early period, as well as coinage.

In the IX and X centuries, the arms are decorated with ornamentation made of copper strips and tin. Later in the drawings on the handle it was possible to find geometric figures on a tin plate that were encrusted with brass. The contours were emphasized by copper wire.

Thanks to the reconstruction on the middle part of the handle, we can see a handle made of horn, bone or wood.

The scabbard was also wooden, sometimes covered with leather. Inside, the sheath was treated with a soft material, which was still protected from the oxidation products of the blade. Often it was oiled leather, waxed cloth or fur.

The surviving drawings of the Viking Age give us an idea of how the scabbard was worn. At first they were on the shoulder strap across the shoulder on the left. Later, the scabbard was suspended from the waist belt.

Saxon

Cold weapons of the Vikings can be represented by Saxon. It was used not only on the battlefield, but also on the farm.

Sachs is a knife with a wide shoe, whose blade is sharpened on one side. All the Saxons, judging by the results of the excavations, can be divided into two groups: long ones, the length of which is 50-75 cm, and short ones, up to 35 cm long. It can be argued that the latter are a prototype of daggers, most of which modern masters also bring to status Works of art.

Ax

The weapons of the ancient Vikings are an ax. After all, most of the soldiers were not rich, and such an object was available in any household. It is worth noting that the kings also used them in battles. The handle of the ax was 60-90 cm, and the cutting edge - 7-15 cm. At the same time, it was not heavy and allowed to maneuver during the battle.

Viking weapons, axes "with a beard," were mostly used in sea battles, since they had a square ledge at the bottom of the blade and perfectly suited for boarding.

A special place should be given to an ax with a long handle - ax. The blade of the ax could be up to 30 cm, the handle - 120-180 cm. It was not for nothing that it was the favorite weapon of the Vikings, because in the hands of a strong warrior it became a very formidable weapon, and its impressive look immediately undermined the morale of the enemy.

Viking weapons: photos, differences, values

Vikings believed that weapons have magic power. It was stored for a long time and was inherited. Warriors who have wealth and position, decorated axes and axes with ornamentation, noble and non-ferrous metals.

Sometimes they ask: what is the main weapon of the Vikings - a sword or an ax? Warriors perfectly mastered these weapons, but the choice was always reserved for the Viking.

A spear

Viking weapons can not be imagined without a spear. According to the legends and sagas, the northern warriors very much respected this type of weapon. The acquisition of the spear did not require special expenses, since the shaft was made by itself, and the tips were easy to manufacture, although they differed in appearance and purpose and did not require much metal.

Any warrior could be armed with a spear. Small sizes allowed him to hold both with two hands and with one hand. Used spears mainly for melee, but sometimes as a throwing weapon.

Especially it is necessary to stop on the tips of the spear. Initially, the Vikings had spears with lance-shaped tips, the working part of which is flat, with a gradual transition to a small tulle. Its length is from 20 to 60 cm. Later, spears with tips of various shapes from leaf-shaped to triangular in section were encountered.

Vikings fought on different continents, and their gunsmiths skillfully used elements of the enemy's weapons in their work. The Viking weapon was changed 10 centuries ago. Spears were no exception. They became more durable because of the strengthening in the place of transition to the turret and were quite suitable for ramming strikes.

Perfection of possession of a spear, in fact, there was no limit. It became a kind of art. The most experienced warriors in this case not only spear at the same time with both hands, but they could catch it on the fly and send it back to the enemy.

Dart

To conduct combat operations at a distance of about 30 meters, you needed a special weapon of the Vikings. The name is a dart. He was quite capable of replacing many more massive weapons with skillful use by a warrior. These are light 1.5-meter spears. Their tips could be like ordinary spears or similar harpoons, but sometimes petioles with a two-part part and a socketed one were encountered.

Bow

This weapon, common in the Viking Age, was usually made from a single piece of elm, ash or yew. It served to fight at a great distance. Arrows for an arrow up to 80 centimeters long made of birch or coniferous trees, but necessarily old ones. Wide tips of metal and special plumage featured arrows of Scandinavians.

The length of the wooden part of the bow reached two meters, and the string was most often woven hair. It required a tremendous amount of power to work with such weapons, but it was the Viking warriors who were famous for it. The arrow hit the enemy at a distance of 200 meters. Vikings used bows not only in the military business, so the arrowheads were very different, given their purpose.

Sling

This is also a throwing weapon for the Vikings. It was not difficult to make it with your own hands, since only a rope or a strap and a leather cradle were needed, where a rounded stone was placed. A sufficient number of stones were collected during the landing on the coast. Once in the hands of a skillful warrior, the sling is able to send a stone to hit the enemy a hundred yards from the Viking. The principle of operation of this weapon is simple. One end of the rope was attached to the wrist's wrist, and the other was held in the fist. The sling was rotated, increasing the number of revolutions, and at the maximum the fist was unclamped. The stone flew in the specified direction and battled the enemy.

Vikings weapons and armor always kept in order, as they perceived them as part of themselves and understood that it was on it that the outcome of the battle depended.

Undoubtedly, all these types of weapons helped the Vikings to win the glory of invincible warriors, and if the enemies were very afraid of the Scandinavian weapons, the owners themselves treated him with respect and reverence, often giving names. Many types of weapons that participated in bloody battles were inherited and served as a guarantee that the young soldier would be brave and resolute in battle.