Summary of Viking Age sword data.
Halstein Sjølie
8. juni 2017
This is a summary of dimensional data found in Jan Petersen’s “De norske
vikingesverd”.
It contains swords found in Norway up to the spring of 1917.
Edges.
|
|
| Type | Number |
|
|
| Double edge with hilt | 1202 |
|
|
| Single edge with hilt | 370 |
|
|
| Undetermined with hilt | 211 |
|
|
| Total with hilt | 1783 |
|
|
| Single edge without hilt | 244 |
|
|
| Total | 2027 |
|
|
| |
The single edged swords without hilt, are lacking a proper sword-hilt. According
to Petersen they are mostly found in Western Norway and Trøndelag.
Manly from the early part of the Viking Age, and influenced and developed
from Frankish Scramasaxes. Eastern Norway has mostly double edged
swords.
Blade-length.
|
|
| Length in cm (in) | Number |
|
|
| < 70(< 27.6) | 9 |
|
|
| 70 - 75(27.6 - 29.5) | 37 |
|
|
| 75 - 81(29.5 - 31.9) | 136 |
|
|
| 81 - 86(31.9 - 33.9) | 36 |
|
|
| |
Petersen examined somewhat over 200 blades, the longest at 90 cm (35.4 in). The
single-edge blades had become long in the Viking Age, often over 80 cm (31.5
in).
Blade-width.
|
|
| Width in cm (in) | Number |
|
|
| < 5(< 2.0) | 70 |
|
|
| 5 - 6(2.0 - 2.4) | 300 |
|
|
| > 6(> 2.4) | 61 |
|
|
| |
Somewhat over 400 blades were examined. Of the 70 blades under 5 cm (2.0 in) only 14 were
double edged.
Sword-weight.
Petersen mention several examples of sword-weights, as the hilt-type was important.
Weights varied between 0.7-1.9 kg (1.5-4.2 lb), most falling in the 0.9-1.5 kg (2.0-3.3 lb)
range.
Grip-length.
|
|
| Handle-length in cm (in) | Number |
|
|
| < 8(< 3.1) | 23 |
|
|
| 8 - 8.5(3.1 - 3.3) | 67 |
|
|
| 8.5 - 9(3.3 - 3.5) | 97 |
|
|
| 9 - 9.5(3.5 - 3.7) | 117 |
|
|
| 9.5 - 10(3.7 - 3.9) | 89 |
|
|
| 10 - 10.5(3.9 - 4.1) | 33 |
|
|
| > 10.5(> 4.1) | 8 |
|
|
| |
The grip-lengths are measured between the cross-guard and the pommel. Petersen examined
435 hilts.