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The Viking World: A History in ObjectsMain MenuGallery viewA galleryTag Cloudtag cloud pageThemesA path of thematic categoriesAuthor IndexExplore the collection by authorWorks CitedReferencesAdam Bigelow3afa9c7ecebf516bba6609664b1b12f79c54bf77Caitlin Donahue61b7e986e7c71d400e5c803912ed83c0cf65252fCaroline Harvey1783f21a5882b5b4d3d0b6c174d058052a5ff7eaEdward Hershewee701ef220480b51ca728fc9c719bc094cf813655Martin Hoffmana1fd203afd9a84ee8db567e188cf6ed1d269386eTyler Hruby23493f763b312110686cfafc62578fd0ab5f3833Brittany N. Johnsonc1c1763339f8fa953e3c907c6bb8a3bad0c28b2cCarlos Lua Pineda0a28cc23b0aa00b4f24a9e205aeb57fbdb07ff01Moira McConnell710633400590ea38533ea3412c01fc5056288180Clara McCurdy9aec76477d0b55f9c685c47330d6786ec98182e1Elise McIlhaneyef48481634ff342c8b43c9d56f678b2d3562fb69Cameron Meikle669a5682bfbfd603130a26e25628f24eb07e6295Alexander Christopher Newkirk019c2f5b38c043507251d1789e2fdf47e61c3b7fBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6Liam Sullivanaa3a1dccb90c7fe4646b61c4af594abbb0c5574aRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611eadAliza Yazdanicd49f227d88c72331226ddf574bf56c37308cd10Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
12017-05-24T10:09:20-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707deaMap ViewAustin Mason2An interactive map of all the objects in the collectiongoogle_maps2017-05-24T11:39:30-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
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12017-05-22T11:49:13-07:00Axe Head5object pageplain2017-09-21T16:50:44-07:00In the early 11th century, Norse raiders landed on the British Isles, led by their king, Sweyn Forkbeard. Attempting to gain control of the passage that laid between their two lands, Sweyn and his warriors attacked the British monarchy. Upon Sweyn’s death, his son Cnut was named king, and went on to become King of England.[1]This axe head, left behind by Cnut and his men, is important because it shows the further conquest of England by the Norse.
This axe head was found in May of 2011 by a metal detectorist in the Wycombe district in England, outside of London. It was likely constructed around 950. The axe is iron, with a thin cutting face and a curved blade. The axe feature no clear design. The lightweight nature of the axe signifies that it was intended for use as a weapon, as opposed to a tool for cutting wood. Axes like this fall under the classification "Dane Axe,"[2] a type of axe popular in the Viking Era. Norse metalworking prowess was clear in their mastery of tools, such as axes.
One of the best depictions of a Dane Axe comes to us from the Bayeux Tapestry, a woven Norse tapestry dating back to the 1070s. One of the scenes shows a man holding a Dane Axe out in front of him.[3] Taking into account the current average height of a man (5’9”), scholars are able to estimate that the handle of the axe would have been several feet long. With the sharp, thin blade, and the long handle, the axe would have been perfect for carrying into battle.
This artifact falls right in line with the medieval stories featuring the Vikings, especially in England. The Norse were depicted as raiders, who eventually fought their way through most of England. Many of the original colonizers were also warriors. It is logical that warriors would be found with weapons nearby. The axe head is important because it supports the textual descriptions of Norse military techniques in the second wave of Danish invasions.
