Viking Warrior The Vikings were some of the greatest warriors in history. But even though the Viking name is very well known, most people know little about the real Viking warriors. Many people still think of horned helmets and barbaric brutes. Reality of course is that they did not wear horned helmets and were a very civilized society. The Vikings lived in a very difficult time period. It is important to realize that the stories of raping and pillaging were common for the time. It was not just the Vikings doing these acts. These things were done by all the Viking Age warriors. Also please note that much of the history was written by their enemies, which gives much of it a great bias. Some people are also under the belief that the Vikings just attacked easy targets and were not involved in great battles. This is not correct at all as they were in many great large scale battles. Sven Forkbeard conquered England in 1013. His son Cnut the Great later conquered England in 1016. The Rus (Swedish Vikings) attacked Constantinople in 860. In 974, Emperor Otto II of Germany attacked Denmark, but failed to conquer them. Vikings also conquered Ulster and founded Dublin. These are just a few examples. What would a Viking Warrior look like? Viking figure available at Viking Shield Viking Weapons The Viking Spear Viking spearhead available at Viking Shield The spear would have been the most used weapon by the Vikings. It was very effective and cheap to make. The best weapon to be used in a shield wall. The Viking Axe Viking axe available at Viking Shield The Viking axe was a very dangerous weapon. Typically used as a one handed weapon with a shield. Even if the axe didn't cut through armor it would still give blunt damage. The Viking Sword Viking sword available at Viking Shield The greatest of warriors would have had a sword. All Viking swords were single handed and would have been used with a shield. Contrary to what many believe, Viking swords were very light, often around 2lbs. The blade had a fuller which lightened the blade. Most swords would be so well balanced they would feel like they want to swing themselves. The Seax Viking Seax available at Viking Shield All Vikings would carry a seax. This was a large knife that could be used in battle or for utility. Sources Harrison, Mark. Viking Hersir 793-1066AD. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, 1993. Heath, Ian. The Vikings. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, 1985. Peirce, Ian and Ewart Oakeshott. Swords Of The Viking Age. Boydell Press: Suffolk, 2004. Griffith, Paddy. The Viking Art Of War. Greenhill Books: London, 1995. Viking Warrior | Viking Life | Norse Beliefs | Viking Longships | Viking Timeline | Viking News | Runes | Reading | Viking Movies & Music | Viking Discussion Forum | Home