Viking Weapons Essay

The vikings were fierce warriors who raided villages and took the lives of many people. Their impact on history has given people inspiration for shows, their battles with stories and reenactments. These could not have been possible without their weapons. The vikings had weapons for a variety of differents situations, including long range, close combat, and when they were in water.

The vikings had weapons for long range. There were not many weapons for long range combat and so, there is little research about the different kinds of weapons but not the weapons that were for long range. The bow was the only weapon that credible resources could provide. Viking bows were made from the wood of yews, ash, or elm and ranged from 60 to 80
The viking’s most well known weapons are their close combat weapons. Shields, spears, swords, and axes were common weapons among warriors. “Typical Viking shields were 80-90cm (32-36 inches) in diameter.”(William R. Short, Viking Shields). Shields were larger and from the surviving ones from the Gokstad ship, were as big as 94 cm, or 37 in., across.( William R. Short, Viking Shields).There were also smaller shields that were only 28 inches in diameter. “ Most surviving shields are in the range between 6mm (1/4in) and 12mm (1/2in) thick, although shields thicker than 30mm (1-1/8in) have been found. “(William R. Short, Viking Shields). When most shields were created, they were made to specific measurements to fit the body of the Viking and the fighting style. At the center of the shields, there was a dome shaped piece that was called a boss. The boss was made to protect the hand and is inferred that the elongated knob at the end of some bosses were to disarm a sword or snap it in two. The handgrip was usually a leather piece that ran the diameter of the shield and had leather straps so that the viking could take the shield and carry it on his back to use both his hands to wield heavy weapons.