The Sword – Warrior’s pride
We have roughly 3,000 swords from the Viking Age in Norway, and most come from graves that also contain other weapons. The swords vary from simple home-forged blades to ornate swords with intricate patterns and hilts decorated with precious metals. Swords with the inscriptions VLFBERHT or INGELRII probably came from workshops in southern Germany. The inscriptions may be a type of trademark. The Old Norse myths tell of swords made by dwarves and which possessed magical power. The sagas describe how mighty swords were passed down from one generation to the next. From left: C20317 from Steinsvik in Nordland, C24217 from Risvold in Telemark, 800-850; C257 from Hedmark, 900s.; C28352 from Momrak in Telemark, 950-1000, C11014 from Kilde in Hedmark, 800s.