2/24/2023 0 Comments Battle axe warriors![]() The English army caught the Norwegians by surprise and the Norsemen on the west side were either killed or forced to flee across the bridge.Īn Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells that a giant Norse axe warrior blocked the narrow crossing and single-handedly held up the entire English army. Historians believe the Norwegian army was divided in two, with some troops on the west side of the River Derwent, and the majority of the army on the east side. The battle was fought between an English army led by King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Sigurdsson “Hardrada” (Old Norse: harðráði, “hard ruler”) and Earl Tostig Godwinson, the English king’s brother. On 25 September 1066, the battle symbolizing the end of the Viking Age took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, in England. ( Public Domain ) The Ultimate Viking Warrior ‘The Battle of Stamford Bridge’ (1870) by Peter Nicolas Arbo. ![]() The Langeid axe has been dated back to the second quarter of the 11th century, which coincides in time with the Battle of Stamford Bridge and perhaps history’s most famous axe warrior. The Norwegian archaeologist Jan Petersen categorized broad axes as type M in his typology of weapons, appearing from the second half of the 10th century until the Middle Ages. The Museum of Cultural History at the University in Oslo only holds six axes of this type – broad axes with brass haft banding. ( Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo ) The haft measured about 110 centimeters (43.31 inches), based upon a few archaeological findings and contemporary illustrations.Īccording to the archaeologists, the original haft measured about 110 centimeters. The Langeid axe head has a cutting edge of about 25 centimeters (9.84 inches), an original weight of about 800 grams (28.22 ounces) and is clearly two-handed. X-ray fluorescence analysis confirmed that the band was made of brass, something that made the axe “shine like gold” in the sunlight. A band of brass, a metal alloy made of copper and zinc, encircling the stump had preserved the handle due to the antimicrobial properties. Remarkably, a 15-centimeter (5.91-inch) long wooden stump of the haft was preserved. ![]() The blade was relatively intact, including the toe and heel of the cutting edge. Archaeologists in Search of Beer End Up Discovering Valuable Viking Trove.Was It Just a Boss Spying on His Workers? First Viking Age Tower Found in Denmark.Researchers Wonder if Rich Viking Boat Burial Found in Scotland was Made for a Warrior Woman. ![]() However, on the outside they discovered an ornate sword and a battle axe. The archaeologists found a wooden coffin, but it turned out to be almost empty. (Mark Hooper/ CC BY NC SA 2.0 ) The Remarkable Grave 8ĭuring archaeological excavations in 2011, several dozen flat graves dating back to the last part of the Viking Age were discovered at Langeid in the Setesdal valley, Southern Norway. Now, the unique weapon found at Langeid in 2011 is recreated, and it confirms that a thousand-year-old rumor is true: Facing a well-trained Norseman with a broad axe was like looking death straight in the eyes. The Viking warrior was well-equipped and trained to use a variety of weapons, but it was undoubtedly the battle axes that created most “shock and awe” among the enemy. At the same time, they were powerful lethal weapons, something the recently reconstructed broad axe from Langeid in Southern Norway confirms. the 11th century, had evolved to become light, streamlined, and well-balanced. Contrary to what many believe, battle axes from the last part of the Viking age, i.e. ![]()
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