Langeid Viking Sword

By: Windlass Steelcrafts

(USD) $494.95

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Product Code: 7203

Price (USD): $494.95

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Circa 1030

When a new road was being constructed in Langeid in southern Norway's Setesdal valley in 2011, workers discovered an ancient Viking burial ground. Along with coins and a broadaxe, an archaeological team exhumed a startling, unique sword that hadn't seen the light of day for over 10 centuries. Thousands of Viking era swords, in various states of completeness, have been discovered in Norway, but not one of them has an elaborately inscribed hilt like the one exhibited by the weapon they found that day.Whether the sword originated in Norway or is possibly an Anglo-Saxon weapon that was acquired elsewhere is a matter of conjecture, but there's no doubt this was an expensive example of deadly artistry that was highly prized by the Viking warrior who owned it. The pommel and downsloping guard are emblazoned with gold and copper, displaying a mixture of Latin characters, Christian and runic symbols whose exact meanings are lost to time, with some characters apparently reversed for the sake of symmetry.The Latin letters are among the hardest to interpret but may be meaningful abbreviations for Christian messages. They could be anything from Bible verses to worship of Christ in Greek or Latin, somewhat equivalent to Christograms. A cross or "X" may represent Xristos (Christ). "R" occurs in several places and may stand for Rex (king). "H" appears once, and its meaning is rather uncertain. The "E" sign is depicted in various orientations, but its meaning is also mysterious. One character that appears to be a rune might be a stylized "S". The top of the pommel in portrays a hand holding a cross, possibly representing the hand of Jesus or God. The cross in the hand combined with the "S" sign may, if interpreted loosely, be read as Xristos Salvator (Christ the Saviour), but would then represent a mixture of Greek and Latin.Interestingly, the grip of this sword is one of the shortest known, only a hair over 3-1/2". Short grips are very common among Viking swords that have severely down-sloped guards like this one. The owner had either to rest his pinky on the pommel or possibly let his index finger and thumb embrace the guard (as an aside, Viking warriors were known for letting the pommel slide into their palms during a swing to extend the effectiveness of a blow).This faithful replica is a fully functioning sword with a carbon steel blade that's battle capable like the original. The pommel and guard are silver-plated steel, and the markings are reproduced in real gold and copper. We've widened the grip for the sake of comfort, but the wire-wrapping is twisted in the same patterns that a prominent Viking hand wielded centuries ago.The original scabbard had long since deteriorated, so we created one of high-quality leather and laser-engraved it with a pattern created from the pommel imagery. The scabbard comes with its own belt.


Specifications

Reliks Product ID 7203
Manufacturer SKU 501821
Blade Length 32"
Blade Material 1055 High Carbon Steel
Blade Thickness 7/32"
Blade Width 2 1/32"
Full Length 39 3/4"
Grip Length 3 1/2"
Scabbard Leather
Weight 3 lb 2 oz


Reliks Customer's Rating

All ratings & reviews are from verified customers read more

4/5 average from 1 reviews


Reliks Customer Reviews

Reviewed by verified owners of this product

G - Verified Buyer


"I saw the prototype of this sword two years ago. Like many replica Viking swords, I found the grip too long. Especially for Langeid's original sword which is exceptionally short. I was still interested until this project seemed to have fallen into oblivion at Windlass. It was radio silence. They took us by surprise by presenting us with the final prototype a few weeks ago and what can we say about the speed with which Reliks received their shipment. I rushed to reserve one. The starting price was causing me a problem. I know everything has increased in the last 3 years but Windlass's swords have almost doubled. I have a lot of experience with Windlass, having 121 items. With them it’s often a hit or a miss. So for $750, I was skeptical. Finally I am happy with my sword. It is not a 100% faithful replica of the original but it comes very close. The craftmanship is getting closer to what I anticipated at this price point. Fortunately everything is to my taste. The scabbard is much more elaborate than what we are used to seeing from Windlass. Probably why it is presented in the Mastercraft Collection. The sword comes sharpened by the manufacturer. There is a place near the guard where they have sharpened too much and the blade is less straight and it is visible to the eye. However, I find the price very high for this sword. $833 including taxes and shipping. On the other hand, I have already seen worse for this price point. Despite everything, I give a nice 4 out of 5 for the Langeid Viking sword from Windlass.,"