Backtracking halfway through the Anglo Saxon era, The Vikings were first recorded to raid England in 793 AD. These raids continued, and by the 9th century, the Vikings had overrun most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. After suffering defeat to Wessex, a treaty struck gave the Vikings control of the North and East of England. In 1066, Harold Hardrada makes attempt to gain more after the death of the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor, but is defeated by Harold Godwinson of Wessex in 1066
Sword:
A Vikins sword was for single-handed use in combination with a shield. The blade was double edged and roughly 36 inches (3 feet) in length. It was very much like the Roman style of sword, with a tight grip, deep fuller, and no distinctive crossguard. Early blades were made with pattern-welding, a technique in which strips of wrought iron and mild steel were twisted and forged together, with the addition of a hardened edge. The sword grip was usually made of an organic material such as wood, horn, or antler Swords were costly to make, and owning one was a matter of high honour.
Spear:
The Spear was the most common weapon used by the peasant class of Scandinavian Vikings. They were typically 6ft to 9ft long and tipped with a Spear head that could differ from 7 inches to almost 2ft in length.
Axe:
As can be expected, the most common hand weapon among the Vikings was the axe which was cheaper to make than a sword, and served as a common tool as well as a weapon. Larger axes evolved for combat with larger axe heads and longer shafts, with larger forms being as tall as a man and requiring two hands to wield. Some axe heads in the later Viking era measured up to 17 inches. The axe head was mostly wrought iron with a steel cutting edge, while the shaft was yew, as, or oak wood.
Knife:
The Vikings used knives in combat, and two distinct types existed in Viking Scandinavia. The normal constructioin was called a knifr, and was a plain single edged knife. The other type which was made popular by the Vikings was the seax, which was a bit heavier than a regular knife and would serve as a machete or falchion type weapon. Wealthier Vikings would own a larger seax, some effectively replacing swords in length. Single edged and heavy bladed, this crude weapon was simple to produce as opposed to a sword.
Shield:
The shield was the most common means of defence. Linden wood is specifically mentioned for shield construction, although finds from graves shows mostly other timbers, such as fir, alder and poplar. These timbers are not very dense and are light in the hand. They are also not inclined to split, unlike oak. Also, the fibres of the timber bind around blades preventing the blade from cutting any deeper unless a lot more pressure is applied. In conjunction with stronger wood, Vikings often reinforced their shields with leather or, occasionally, iron around the rim. Round shields seem to have varied in size from around 18 inches to 48 inches in diameter but the smaller and more manageable 30 inch to 36 inch shields were by far the most common.
Bow:
Used by the Vikings (and most of Europe) for both hunting and combat, Bows were made from yew, ash, or elm trees. The draw force of these bows was an impressive 90lbs of force with an effective range of close to 650ft. Arrowheads were typically made of iron with c\various shapes and dimensions, depending on the place of their origin.
see more at:
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/arms.htm
Sword:
A Vikins sword was for single-handed use in combination with a shield. The blade was double edged and roughly 36 inches (3 feet) in length. It was very much like the Roman style of sword, with a tight grip, deep fuller, and no distinctive crossguard. Early blades were made with pattern-welding, a technique in which strips of wrought iron and mild steel were twisted and forged together, with the addition of a hardened edge. The sword grip was usually made of an organic material such as wood, horn, or antler Swords were costly to make, and owning one was a matter of high honour.
Spear:
The Spear was the most common weapon used by the peasant class of Scandinavian Vikings. They were typically 6ft to 9ft long and tipped with a Spear head that could differ from 7 inches to almost 2ft in length.
Axe:
As can be expected, the most common hand weapon among the Vikings was the axe which was cheaper to make than a sword, and served as a common tool as well as a weapon. Larger axes evolved for combat with larger axe heads and longer shafts, with larger forms being as tall as a man and requiring two hands to wield. Some axe heads in the later Viking era measured up to 17 inches. The axe head was mostly wrought iron with a steel cutting edge, while the shaft was yew, as, or oak wood.
Knife:
The Vikings used knives in combat, and two distinct types existed in Viking Scandinavia. The normal constructioin was called a knifr, and was a plain single edged knife. The other type which was made popular by the Vikings was the seax, which was a bit heavier than a regular knife and would serve as a machete or falchion type weapon. Wealthier Vikings would own a larger seax, some effectively replacing swords in length. Single edged and heavy bladed, this crude weapon was simple to produce as opposed to a sword.
Shield:
The shield was the most common means of defence. Linden wood is specifically mentioned for shield construction, although finds from graves shows mostly other timbers, such as fir, alder and poplar. These timbers are not very dense and are light in the hand. They are also not inclined to split, unlike oak. Also, the fibres of the timber bind around blades preventing the blade from cutting any deeper unless a lot more pressure is applied. In conjunction with stronger wood, Vikings often reinforced their shields with leather or, occasionally, iron around the rim. Round shields seem to have varied in size from around 18 inches to 48 inches in diameter but the smaller and more manageable 30 inch to 36 inch shields were by far the most common.
Bow:
Used by the Vikings (and most of Europe) for both hunting and combat, Bows were made from yew, ash, or elm trees. The draw force of these bows was an impressive 90lbs of force with an effective range of close to 650ft. Arrowheads were typically made of iron with c\various shapes and dimensions, depending on the place of their origin.
see more at:
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/arms.htm