The Use of Viking Axes: Fact vs. Fiction When one thinks of Vikings and Viking combat, what likely comes to mind (at least in the public consciousness) is the image of some yelling man holding a double sided axe, ready to charge into battle. However, the public conception of Vikings is sometimes pretty far removed…

Spears, like their sword counterparts, saw common use both in battle and in common, cultural context. They carried strong cultural connotations and, like swords, varied widely across the viking world in terms of typology (Petersen, 1919). Though one may assume that spears were considerably “lower” on the social ladder, due to their cheaper cost of…

The Sword in Beowulf: 3 Representational Examples Swords play a crucial role in the story of Beowulf, not only as weapons of war, but also as symbols of status. Each of the swords named in the poem plays an important narrative function. However, how would these swords actually look? Through looking at ancient sources and…