Blacksmiths and Viking Swords

According to custom during the Viking age, it isas a hammer, anvil and/or chisel.
known that all free Norsemen were required toThe wealthiest Vikings would have worn a sword
own and carry weapons. The mandate to ownin addition to carrying their spear and shield.
and carry weapons was not only for defensiveOwning a sword during the Viking period was a
purposes but also to verify a Vikings social statusmatter of high prestige. In historical records, a
within their clan. A typical wealthy Viking wouldsword has been mentioned to be valued at half a
have a complete ensemble made for them,crown, or being worth the same as sixteen milk
consisting of a helmet, sword, shield and a chaincows.
mail shirt as well as various other armaments.Today people try to recreate the life of the
While a man of lesser stature might only own aVikings by participating in medieval fairs. While at
spear and a shield. With the spear, sword andthese fairs the participants dress up in costumes
shield being the basic armaments of a typicalas Viking warlords. Included in these costumes are
Viking warrior, the art of the blacksmith wasViking swords. Unfortunately wearing a real sword
especially essential.tends to be complicated and this has become
Blacksmiths worked typically with iron. The blackstrictly regulated. A lot of fairs and convention
color that is the end product would come fromlimit the usage of metal weapons for security
fire scale, which is a layer of oxides that formsreasons. A solution does exist however, where
on the surface of the metal during heating.the participant can use a replica sword made of
Blacksmiths made their livelihood by heating piecessafe material like latex or foam. But most of the
of wrought iron or steel until the metal becametime the sword is not realistic.
soft enough to be shaped with hand tools, such