Viking Sword from Langeid (Norway), 11th c., Incl. Scabbard
This beautiful late Viking Age sword is a reconstruction of a unique find which was unearthed from grave no.8 during the archaeological excavation of a Viking burial site in Langeid (Setesdal Valley, Bygland, Norway) in 2011. The remarkably well-preserved find made of iron, gold and silver can now be admired in the Kulturhistorisches Museum (Kulturhistorik Museum) in Oslo.
Due to the combination of spirals, runes, Latin letters and crosses that lavishly decorate the handguard and the pommel, the original, dated approx. 1030, is truly unique. Although their exact meaning is still a mystery, some of these motifs clearly carry a Christian message and suggest that this Nordic weapon was deliberately provided with Christian symbolism. The dating of the sword (early 11th century, which marked the end of Nordic paganism and the beginning of the Christian Middle Ages in Scandinavia) confirms this assumption.
In addition, the one-hander was found together with a broad ax, which had similarities with other axes discovered on the Thames in London from the same period. Therefore, some experts assume that the sword was brought to Norway from England and could have been the prestige or showpiece of a wealthy warrior (possibly one of the fighters of King Canute the Great).
Our reproduction of this extraordinary Viking one-handed sword has a double-edged blade made of spring steel EN45 with a wide, long fuller. The cutting edges are not sharpened and the continuous blade tang is screwed and riveted to the pommel. In the case of the guard and the pommel made of cast (and partially tinned) brass, the highly detailed motifs and patterns that adorned the handle of the original artifact were reproduced as faithfully as possible. The grip area with a wooden core is tightly wrapped with brass wire.
The Langeid sword is delivered with a brown wooden / leather sheath with a very distinctive wooden belt passage (max. Belt width 5 cm) and brass fittings.
Please note that this sword is not a battle ready weapon. It is designed as a collector's or decoration / display piece and is not suited for combat reenactment. Besides its quality as a collectible, it is also perfectly suited as a prop, e.g. to complete your costume.
Details:
- Material: EN45 spring steel blade (high carbon steel, not stainless), brass guard and pommel (partially tinned), brass wire bound wooden handle
- Overall length: approx. 96 cm
Blade length: approx. 78 cm
Blade thickness: approx. 4 mm (cutting edges approx. 1 mm)
- Hilt length: approx. 18 cm (grip approx. 10 cm)
- Max. Blade width: approx. 4.7 cm
- Point of balance: approx. 17 cm from the guard
- Incl. wooden scabbard with genuine leather cover and brass fittings
- Weight without scabbard: approx. 1.3 kg
- Weight with scabbard: approx. 1.75 kg
Specs may vary slightly from piece to piece.
The steel used here is not rust-proof and might show slight surface tarnishing in places. We recommend you to maintain the blade and the scabbard on a regular basis, for example using Ballistol Universal Oil, which is ideally suited for steel care.