Just wondering if anyone had pictures of any surviving type Z Viking swords. I've admired this style in reproduction form including my very own Albion Gotland but can't recall seeing an original.

Here are a few pics of the Dyback Sword...

ks

Hi Gary

This plate was posted awhile back, from Pierce's book, that shows a Type Z .
This was the inspiration for Steve Han's viking that Vince Evans made!

[ Linked Image ]

[ Linked Image ]
Best Sword, Las Vegas, 2004 http://lvcks.com/pix137.htm

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=791

Mac

Thanks guys! :D


Now I remember some of these but couldn't recall where I saw them.

I found this thread after searching for examples of swords of this type, and decided to bring it back up. It appears that there were a number of photos which are no longer viewable, I was hoping for some more pictures if anyone has any, thanks!

Hey Justin...

Here are pictures of a fantasic find from Bengtsarvet Haradsarvet Sweden with silver inlay.

ks

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Sword preserved by Historical Museum Stockholm Sweden

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Sword preserved by Historical Museum Stockholm Sweden

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Sword preserved by Historical Museum Stockholm Sweden. Photo by Peter Johnsson

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Sword preserved by Historical Museum Stockholm Sweden. Photo by Peter Johnsson

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Sword preserved by Historical Museum Stockholm Sweden

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Sword preserved by Historical Museum Stockholm Sweden

Thank you, Kirk, that is a very nice example and the photos are excellent-very revealing of the true 3-dimensional form of the hilt components, which have much more contour than is sometimes apparent in straight-on photos. The grip on this piece also seems to be remarkably short, unless I am mistaking the proportions of the rest of the hilt. The remaining decoration is wonderful to see, this sword would have been absolutely breathtaking when it was newly made...wow.

The reason for my interest is that I recently managed to aquire an Albion Gotland. The hilt pieces on it are very flat-faced, with little rounding, which is a striking contrast to your example.

While we are talking about type Z hilts, does anyone know what the little bronze (?) tabs on the pommel are for, or how they are attached?

As always your photos are beautiful.
The details are very clear.
Thank you, Kirk :)
:)

Whoa! Somebody aged a Valkyrja and put it in a museum! :p Just kidding, but wow. Uncanny resemblance. Maybe a museum line Valkyrja is in order?
It's really cool to see such beautiful examples of swords that were not just functional, but not just art. Craftsmen really were amazing people to make such morbid tools look so graceful and elegant... It always fascinates me.

What fascinates me is if you look at the decoration on the sword Kirk posted, the one with the little bronze bridges on the pommel, it seems to be from the same workshop as the sword C257 on pg. 96 of Peirce`s Swords of the Viking Age, which is also the one on which the Albion Vinland was based. You have the same kind of spiral and dot motif, but also those little bronze bridges, which as far as I know are unique to C257 and its identical twin in the Museum of Bergens (at the top of plate 3 in Pierce). If anyone knows about other swords with this feature I`d love to know. If I`m right it would also confirm that the types R and Z were being made at the same place and time.

Hi Jeff, you are very right, the C257 from SoVA looks like it could have been made by similar hands or the same workshop as the example Kirk posted above. The bronze bridges are really something I'd love to know more about since I haven't seen any cases where decoration was held in place aside from the start and stop point at the base. Maybe the wire decoration had to be terminated early to help keep the line or for some other utilitarian purpose?

Who knows? I`m thinking the bronze bits are just more decoration with the additional purpose of securing the wires.
If you look at the top of the pommel shot it seems like the groves for the wire continue over the top of the pommel, past the bridges, so I don`t think the wires ended under them.
I just think its cool to see the same hands at work on hilts of different types.

Regarding the yellow metal parts this has already been discussed here:
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=9249&highlight=