Viking Weapons and Armour

Weapons were part of every day life in the Viking age.Every free man owned and carried a weapon.

Men slept with their weapons next to their bed.

Weapons were made of iron. Iron was expensive so most men had only one weapon and a shield.

Richer men might have a sword and a shield.

The wealthier a man was, the more weapons he owned. His weapons would have lots of decoration.

Slaves were not allowed to carry weapons.Women generally did not use weapons.

Not many actual Viking weapons survived.People have created reproductions of what they think weapons looked like.

Viking Shields were large, round and made of wood. They were gripped in the centre behind an iron boss.

boss.

Shields were about 80 to 90cm in diameter. It was held from the inside.

Viking Swords

Viking Axes

Viking helmets were very simple, like a bowl with a nose guard. Viking helmets never had horns.

Task: Make your own Viking shield