![]() In short, the war pickax of the viking era exists primarily as speculation only, and is likely either a fiction or improvised weapon.This article is about the species. An adze used for forming ships planks could have been used as an impromptu weapon, but in all but the most dire cases the user would have have a more suitable impliment (axe or seax) close at hand. Additionally, it could be used to hide ones intentions in a combat, allowing an unexpected strike to be landed.Ī viking warrior was very unlikely to give up the protection a shield offered, though he may have held an additional hand weapon in his shield hand for back up.Ī Scandinavian warrior armed with the famed two handed “dane axe” WOULD stow his shield on his back, but only once close quarters fighting commenced.Īs to the “war pickax” there is little evidence to suggest that it was a common weapon. The shield itself could formidable weapon, a blow struck with the iron boss would leave a lasting impression. In the case of Kormáks saga, each participant is allotted 3 shields, testifying to their disposable nature- likely only the boss would retrieved and used again. We have strong sources to indicate this is the case, even to the point of the shield being included in a roster of weapons for a Holmgang, (ritual combat or trial by combat). The use of shields by Scandinavian warriors during the Viking age seems to have been quite ubiquitous. I believe you are wrong about the shields and weapon both. The wall had to be strong enough to prevent the enemies from penetrating through it. One of the widespread warfare techniques was forming a ‘shield wall,’ when warriors formed a line so that each shield was overlapped from both sides by the other warriors’ shields. At least, the thin and light construction of the Viking shield may point to such use. In general, combat techniques of the Vikings seem to suggest shield movements that deflected blows rather than blocked them. The fibers bind around the sword blades, which stuck in the shield. The thin planks had to absorb the energy of sword blows. Unlike oak, timbers that were used to build Viking shields were not likely to split. How to Make a Viking Shield Warfare Techniques Images on runestones often represent round Viking shields with ‘pinwheel’ patterns. The handle was nailed to the board.ĭecoration: shields from the Gokstad ship were painted black and yellow and placed along the longship’s railing alternately. Trelleborg shield has a shorter grip with incised interlaced design and an oval central hole. ![]() The handle or grip crossed the central hole and went across the whole of the shield, almost from edge to edge. The points of nails, by which the boss was attached to the shield, were bent over or flattened on the inside. Usually, the shield boss had a thin flange and was about 6″ diameter. ![]() It was hemispherical and protected the hand. In the center of a Viking shield there was a circular hole covered with a hollow iron boss. Gokstad shields did not have leather facing, but they might have been made for the burial, not for battle. The other possibility is that the planks were glued together. Most probably they were held together by other shield parts that were attached to them: leather cover, handle, boss and rim. It is not clear whether the planks were joined directly to each other. For strength and flexibility, Vikings didn’t saw logs into planks, but split them, always along the grain. Sagas specifically mention linden, which, however, is not so common in archaeological evidence. These timbers are light and not very dense. The planks were usually made from fir, alder or poplar wood. It consisted of seven to eight planks, which were 8 to 10mm thick in the center and 5 to 6mm thick towards the edges. Viking shields were used as the means of defense in battle, but for ship crews they also functioned as protection from waves and the wind, being fastened to gunwales (the upper edge or planking of the side of a Viking longboat). With the end of the Viking Age the traditional circular shape was replaced by Continental kite shields with elongated bottom edge that ensured more protection for legs. No less renowned are shields from Gokstad Viking ship burial (Norway). The shield excavated at a Viking fortress Trelleborg (Denmark) in 2008 was 33,5″ broad. Usually, the size of the Viking shields varied between 30″ and 36″ (75 – 90 cm). For defense, Vikings used large circular shields.
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