Building one was much cheaper than forging a sword, certain materials were very scarce or very expensive. The axe was the weapon of choice for the common Viking warrior who could not afford a sword. This, along with the frequency of collisions, largely explains the abundance of axes in archaeological finds. Since horses were very expensive to maintain and difficult to transport, Viking warriors were virtually all infantry. As a result, its use extended to the battlefield as well. Wood was used to build virtually anything such as boats, houses, wagons, and a host of other objects. The Danish axe had a crescent-shaped cutting surface that measured 22 to 45 centimeters.Īt a time when almost everything was made of wood, the variety of axe models is not surprising. In the early Viking Age, the cutting edge measured 7 to 15 centimeters Sometimes the blade had a thin steel stripe along the edge. the materials used in the construction were always the same: wood for the handle (mostly ash) and iron for the blade. There were different types of Viking axes, depending on their handling and design. Hunting and felling trees were primary activities and wood was used both as fuel for heating and to build ships as for the famous Drakkar, considered by many a marvel of naval engineering, which allowed the Vikings to navigate in shallow waters and to hit unaware targets quickly and silently.
Most of the Nordic people, contrary to what one may think, did not participate in raids, but devoted themselves to agriculture and domestic work. The Viking axe was not only used in battle, but also in everyday life, for other equally important tasks. Obviously, the war axes were different from this type of instrument.Įvery Viking male, with the exception of slaves, owned an axe, as it was one of the most functional and versatile tools around. The Viking axe was often the weapon of choice for the poorest men, every farm had wood axes that could become weapons for combat.
The Viking axe was light, fast and well balanced, allowing for quick and sudden attacks and a wide variety of nasty and clever movements In addition to being iconic, the Viking axe was a surprisingly versatile asset. Viking warriors used a wide range of weapons, but without a doubt, the axe is the most distinctive weapon of these Nordic people. When we think of Viking Age weapons, the Viking axe first comes to mind.
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