Praise the sword
Mchi, sword, Sickle
slash, Beach
battles, Brother
razors.
(Program "Skald". A. Kondratov. "Formulas of a miracle")
Typical compound hilt of an Anglo-Saxon sword "with a ring", late 6th century. (British Museum, London)
To begin with, the roots of all European swords "grow" from ancient Rome. Already in the III century A. D. such a sword as the spata began to spread widely among the Germanic tribes who found themselves on the borders of the Roman Empire. Gladius - a short thrusting sword of a legionnaire did not suit them, since the barbarians did not fight in a close formation and the discipline of legionaries, as well as their training did not possess. But the spata, suitable for both equestrian and foot warriors, was just right for them. At first, there were practically no special differences between Roman and Germanic weapons. But starting from the 4th century, samples of the Germanic spatha proper began to appear. They were used until the VIII century, when the weapon gradually appeared, which today we call the "sword of the Vikings".
A weapon from Vimosa dating back to the 2nd century AD In the photo you see shield bongs, a single-edged sax sword with a scabbard, spearheads and arrowheads. (National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen)
Sometimes archaeologists find swords in this form: spata from about 580 AD. from Trossingen, grave no. 58. (Archaeological Museum of Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
The traditional sword of this period had an average length of about 90 centimeters, with the blade itself being about 75 centimeters, with a width of five to six centimeters. A notable feature was a wide and flat fuller or two narrow fullers on the blade. But the most characteristic is the complex handle of the sword, which at that time was done in a completely different way than later. It was also customary to richly decorate handles with precious stones (for example, garnets), as well as gold and silver. At the same time, the quality of the blade was quite high, which indicates the high skill of their creators.
"Barbaric splendor" is a phrase that has become part of our circulation. But, yes, indeed, the swords of the Great Nations Migration cannot be confused with anything, they did not spare either gold or rubies … Here, for example, the details of the sword from the burial in Bluchin. (National Museum in Prague)
It should be emphasized that the swords of the Migration Period, like the swords of the Vikings, are classified only by their hilts. For the first time such a typology of sword hilts of the early Middle Ages was developed in 1939 by Ellis Bemer, and improved in 1962 by Hilda Ellis Davidson. Finally, in 1983, Wilfried Mengin proposed his own principle for their classification. However, Boemer's typology remained the most widespread and recognized. Apparently because it was eventually reduced to only four types, and this is not difficult to remember.
Crosshair of the Anglo-Saxon sword of the era of the Great Nations Migration. (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford)
For some reason, in the early Middle Ages, it was customary to make very complex, composite handles from many different parts, including rivets. For example, until the time of the Vikings, the pommel of the handle was made composite, of two parts: a horizontal bar, which served as the lower guard, and a so-called "crown" riveted on top of it. Moreover, the crown itself often consisted of separate parts, which also needed to be connected to each other. Judging by the decoration of the Sutton Hoo sword, cloisonné enamel was used to decorate the pommel, although on this sword itself the enamel was replaced with grenades!
Four main types of handles found on swords of the era of the Great Nations Migration (T. Laible. Sword. M.: Omena, 2011)
The shank on such swords, unlike swords of a later period, did not pass through the pommel and was not riveted on it, but riveted on its bar under the crown. After that, the crown was put on top of the bar and attached to it from the back with two rivets.
It is believed that the most perfect sword of the Migration Period, in accordance with Bemer's typology, was the sword of the third type. Such swords had a bronze handle in the form of two cones directed towards each other. A typical sword of this type is the "Kragehul Swamp Sword", found in this very swamp in Denmark and dating back to the 5th century AD. Moreover, for all the seemingly pretentiousness of its handle, it fits comfortably in the hand and is in no way inferior to all other types in ease of handling.
The most difficult was just the fourth type, which is called "Wendel's" according to the ship burial in Wendel. Its pommel and crosshair are assembled from several plates, that is, its design is similar to the Anglo-Saxon swords. Plates made from organic materials such as horn or bone, or made from cheaper metal alloys were often inserted between gold plates. The crown of the pommel is usually triangular in shape or in the shape of an "inverted boat". Moreover, the hilts of such swords are often decorated with carvings.
Many swords of the "Wendel type" have one interesting detail - the ring on the pommel. It is small in size and is secured to it with a bracket. What it is for is unknown. It is believed that it served as an insignia. Moreover, the rings on the early swords are fixed movably, but on the later ones they are connected with a bracket. That is, this detail has lost all practical purpose. But since all swords with rings are very richly decorated, it can be assumed that they are gifts from princes to noble warriors, and the rings on them are nothing more than a hint of an oath of allegiance.
"Sword from Sactton Hoo." Close-up of the pommel. (British Museum, London)
The most famous sword of the fourth type is the sword from the Sutton Hoo burial, found in 1939 in Suffolk on the Sutton Hoo hill inside a ship burial. It was found that this tomb belongs to the Anglo-Saxon king Redwold, who died in 625. Among the finds was the Redwold sword, which was an excellent example of the weaponry of its era. His blade was welded from several strips of Damascus steel, and the handle was almost entirely made of gold and, in addition, decorated with cloisonné enamel. Moreover, instead of enamel, the Sutton Hoo sword used polished grenades. That is, it was a real royal sword and … a clear evidence of the skill of the gunsmiths of the era of the Great Nations Migration. A replica of this sword has a blade length equal to 76 centimeters, with a total length of 89 centimeters, and weighs a little over a kilogram.
The Sutton Hoo Sword. General form. British Museum, London
Thus, the "Viking sword" is a direct descendant of the Roman spatha and is also the direct ancestor of the European knightly sword. Although, of course, it would be more correct to call it "the sword of the Viking times", since such swords were worn not only by the Vikings themselves, but also by all the warriors of this period. And since the "era of the Vikings", and again conditionally, is considered to be 793, when they made their first attack on the monastery in Lindesfarne, and the end of 1066, it is clear on what vast territory they spread and how many people besides themselves used this weapon! But it just so happened that the expression "sword of the Vikings" took root. And it took root also because swords of this type were mass weapons among the Vikings. While the ax may have been just as important, the sword was valued significantly higher by the Vikings. Proof of this is not only burials with swords, but also the sagas of the Vikings, which are simply full of stories about some extraordinary swords. Often there are reports of famous family swords that have their own names.
