Langeid Viking Sword, Windlass

Delight yourself with Langeid Viking Sword, Windlass

Viking langeid sword, pinwheel



In 2011, when a new road was being built in Langeid in the Setesdal valley in southern Norway, workers stumbled upon an ancient Viking grave. In addition to coins and an axe, a team of archaeologists unearthed an astonishing and unique sword that had not seen the light of day for more than 10 centuries. Thousands of Viking Age swords have been discovered in Norway in varying conditions, but none have a handle with inscriptions as ornate as the weapon found that day.



Whether the sword is originally from Norway or is possibly an Anglo-Saxon weapon acquired elsewhere is a matter of interpretation, but there is no doubt that it is a costly example of deadly art made by the Viking warrior who wielded it. The pommel and slanted cross are decorated with gold and copper and display a mixture of Latin characters, Christian and runic symbols, the exact meaning of which has been lost over time, with some characters apparently swapped for symmetry.
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Latin letters are among the most difficult to interpret, but they can be meaningful abbreviations for Christian messages. They can be anything from Bible verses to the worship of Christ in Greek or Latin, which are roughly equivalent to Christograms. A cross or an X may represent Xristos (Christ). The R appears in several places and could represent Rex (King). The H appears once and its meaning is unclear. The E symbol is depicted in several orientations, but its meaning is also mysterious. A character that appears to be a rune could be a stylized S. The top of the pommel shows a hand holding a cross, possibly representing the hand of Jesus or God. The cross in the hand together with the S sign could, if loosely interpreted, be read as Xristos Salvator (Christ the Savior), but would then represent a mixture of Greek and Latin.



Interestingly, the hilt on this sword is one of the shortest found to date, just a hair over 3-1/2 in. Short hilts are very common on Viking swords which, like this sword, have a sharply angled guard. The owner was required to place his pinky finger on the pommel or possibly wrap his index finger and thumb around the crossguard (as a side note, Viking warriors were known to slide the pommel in their palms while swinging it to increase the effectiveness of a blow).



This faithful replica has a sharp carbon steel blade. The pommel and crossguard are made of iron and silver-plated like the original, the markings are decorated in gold and copper. The handle is slightly widened for comfort, but the wire wrap is twisted in the same patterns that a prominent Viking hand waved centuries ago.



The original sheath had long since fallen into disrepair, so Windlass made a high-quality leather sheath and laser-engraved it with a pattern taken from the pommel image. The sheath comes with its own belt loop.



Manufactured by windlass steelcrafts.



This sword is designed as a collector's item or decorative object and is also ideal as an accessory, for example to complete your costume.




Details:

- Blade material: carbon steel

- Total length: approx. 97.6cm

- Blade length: approx. 79.9 cm

- Blade thickness: approx. 4 mm

- Handle length: approx. 8 cm / full handle approx. 17.7 cm

- Maximum blade width: approx. 5.3 cm.
- Center of gravity: approx. 11.5 cm (in front of the guard)

- Includes leather case

- Weight without cover: approx. 1240g

- Weight with case: approx. 2020 g



Please note:

This item is only sold to persons over 18 years of age. Please enter your date of birth on our order form. We also require a copy of your ID, driving licence or similar by email, scan, fax or post.


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