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J Anstey
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 Posted: Thu 20 Sep, 2007 9:00 am Post subject: Swords from Norway |
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Hi there,
I am currebtly working on a design for a corporate logo for an Iron ore mining company situated in Norway. I had the thought of using an image of a sword from the Viking era.
Can someone help me with finding an image of a sword from the region and era.
Any historical references would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Jason
PS. Its not every day I get to mix work with a genuine interest
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J Anstey
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| Posted: Thu 20 Sep, 2007 9:06 am Post subject: |
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... a shield image might also be useful
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Nils Anderssen
Location: Drammen, Norway Joined: 08 Dec 2005
Posts: 61
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J Anstey
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| Posted: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 11:42 pm Post subject: snippits of trivia |
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Hi again,
I am hopeing that some of the knowledgeable people on this forum might be able to assist me in this research.
I am looking for steel related snippits of information or quotes that I can adapt to use for a brochure that I am creating for an Iron mining company in the north of Norway.
I have quickly written an example, but please please, remember that I am very new to the history of Viking and western swords in general. In fact I have only just started 
So this is the bit, that will need a lot of correcting but here it is anyway.
"After the Iron age came the period commonly referred to as the 'Age of the Vikings" AD 780 -1100. Iron was considered more valuable than gold and silver. Carbon added to ore from the iron rich areas such as Kirkines, was smelted to create steel of varying properties. Some very hard and brittle whilst others were softer and more malleable. The Norsemen excelled in the forging of steel and produced some of the first pattern welded steels (often, but incorrectly referred to as damascus steel) and created swords that rival the blades from the famous smiths of Japan, albeit at some 400 years earlier. Examples of these blades still exist in Museums in Norway and throughout Europe."
Please feel free to edit, add, throw it in the trash,, whatever.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Jason
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Bruno Giordan
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Elling Polden
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| Posted: Tue 25 Sep, 2007 4:40 am Post subject: Re: snippits of trivia |
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| J Anstey wrote: | Hi again,
"After the Iron age came the period commonly referred to as the 'Age of the Vikings" AD 780 -1100. Iron was considered more valuable than gold and silver. Carbon added to ore from the iron rich areas such as Kirkines, was smelted to create steel of varying properties. Some very hard and brittle whilst others were softer and more malleable. The Norsemen excelled in the forging of steel and produced some of the first pattern welded steels (often, but incorrectly referred to as damascus steel) and created swords that rival the blades from the famous smiths of Japan, albeit at some 400 years earlier. Examples of these blades still exist in Museums in Norway and throughout Europe."
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For one, the town is called "Kirkenes", with a e.
Most larger farms would have a forge, for producing nails and the like. Some dedicated smiths would become very skilled indeed. However, many of the blades where imported from the continent, and hilted locally. This might have been a simple case of demand outstripping local production, or that foreign smiths where belived to be more skilled.
Pattern welding had been known since roman times, so saying that the norsemen where among the first would be something of an overstatement.
"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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J Anstey
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| Posted: Tue 25 Sep, 2007 4:50 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Elling
That info is exactly what I need, thank you. Woops the spelling was also my typo.
How much earlier was pattern welded steel being produced?
Can you think of any other achievements, iron wise
that might be attributed to Norway?
Thanks again
Cheers
Jason
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Jared Smith
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| Posted: Tue 25 Sep, 2007 5:27 am Post subject: |
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The practice of piling and pattern welding is known as far back as 3rd and 7th century B.C. Etruscan swords. Due to corrosion in the surviving examples, we don't really know how attractive those swords were cosmetically.
Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence!
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This is a standard topic