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Stuart Thompson
Location: Walton-on-the-Naze Joined: 15 Feb 2010
Posts: 118
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 Posted: Sun 05 Sep, 2010 5:46 am Post subject: Bearded axe |
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How accurate are these to a historical impression of a viking between the 900's and mid 10-00's were they common ir not what ones were?
I am not clued in on axes very well. Thanks.
sverð er manni vargr, af bardaga er dýrð, í dauða er dýrð.
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Carl W.
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Elling Polden
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| Posted: Sun 05 Sep, 2010 10:26 am Post subject: |
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The bearded axe is more typical of the early Viking period. In the late viking age, they where largely replaced by broadaxes as the "main battle axe".
They where still around for more specialized uses, such as naval combat.
"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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Stuart Thompson
Location: Walton-on-the-Naze Joined: 15 Feb 2010
Posts: 118
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| Posted: Sun 05 Sep, 2010 11:46 am Post subject: |
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Well, i've used two axes one was what i'd call a war axe as it's huge. comes up to my height and i'm 6ft 1 and the head of the axe is almost perfectly balanced when fighting in either attack or defence. My other axe is a bearded axe but with a sharp blade as I use it for cutting wood and it usually goes camping with me 
However i've found this to wobble while swinging and wonder if it's the shape of the head compared to the war axe. My friend in sweden taught me how to throw normal viking hand axes and contrary to the link it's really effective!! (I'm rubbish but the results from a trained professional are really something!)
So if anyone know's anything else about these axes and why that design, I mean, someone had to think the bearded axe was a good design but why? what was its purpose other than fighting or was it solely a weapon? slimming the gap between farm tools and weapons.
sverð er manni vargr, af bardaga er dýrð, í dauða er dýrð.
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This is a standard topic