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
12017-05-21T13:43:05-07:00Sword15Object Pageplain2017-09-19T19:35:32-07:00For the monks who were attacked in monasteries, nothing was more terrifying than witnessing viking raiders charge your gates with their gleaming swords and shields. Swords have belonged to all manners of warriors, but for a Viking, his sword represented the wrath of God towards his enemies.[1] For the defenders of Wessex, Mericia, and Northumbria, your sword was the wall between life and death.
This particular sword was found in Colchester County, England with a metal detector. The weapon was found in mud and clay and was retrieved from a river. Due to the amount of time it is has remained buried, it’s incomplete thanks to natural effects. The sword’s pommel and rivets are missing and its grip is completely rotted away and its grip used to be a bone or alternative organic material. The sword weighs a total of 442 grams (.9 pounds). The iron blade is heavily damaged and the point is completely gone. There is also a tear in the middle of the blade that is 33 mm in length. The blade has a slight 10 degree bend 75 mm from its lower guard. While this instrument of war might’ve looked magnificent in its prime, it is now brown and dark orange with heavy corrosion. X-rays were conducted on sword to find inscriptions on its guards but no such inscriptions were found. The weapon is dated to be from the 9th century and is believed to have been manufactured by Rhenish Smiths as they were known to produce fine blades.
One possible origin of this weapon is explained through the campaign of King Edward the Elder when he attacked Colchester and recaptured the Danelaw territory, ignoring the Treaty of Wedmore that had already been signed. The recapture of Colchester was in 917 and although it post-dates this particular sword, there has been evidence that Vikings gave their swords to their sons as Norse legends give the name “Ancient Heirloom” to swords.[2] It’s intriguing to think that this sword could’ve been part of the Colchester battle. However, the reason as to why the sword ended up in a river remains a mystery. Perhaps the owner fell and his sword ended up in the river or the sword was deliberately thrown in as a sacrifice to the Norse Gods for assured victory.
