[Net Uno]

Hi, I need your help. I'm looking for some pics.

It's possible to have a picture of an historical viking bastard sword or a two-handed viking sword?

I'm not an expert, so I don't know if these kind of swords existed in the past.

Thanks!

[Tim Lison]

Viking swords were exclusively single handed. You will never find a picture of a historical bastard or two handed viking sword. Sorry.

[Ken Speed]

I wouldn't put myself forward as an expert either but I think this question has been asked before and I think the answer is that they don't exist. Bear in mind that the swordsmanship of the time was largely predicated on sword and shield so it kind of rules out two handed swords.

There are some fairly large single handed historical Viking swords and there are some large modern Viking swords, Albion's Ulvbane for example is massive and comes in at around four pounds

[William Swiger]

You can find some longer grip swords that were made after the viking period that utilized a couple variations of the late viking era pommels. These of course were not viking swords.

[Christopher Gregg]

Hi Net, I haven't seen your first image before - don't know if it's an actual Viking excavation or what. The second and third images have been discussed here before - I believe they are both attributed as being Renaissance era bearing swords, made to resemble Viking-age broadswords, but with two-handed grips. Hope this helps.

[Bartek Strojek]

There were obviously quite many discussion about it all over the Net, but in general, despite the traces of unusually long gripped 'Viking' swords found here and there, there's no real evidence that suggest that they might have been used as a "bastard".

Some links for discusions about it, on myArmoury as well.

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewto...half+sword


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

[Jonathan Hopkins]

Here is another good discussion of that sword (scroll down to post #19 for additional photos of the sword):

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...ght=viking

[Johan Gemvik]

Hi Net,
no double edged two hand swords have been found from viking age. But there are some examples of rather large single edged seaxes, larger than any double edged ones found so far. These are thick backed beasts with over a meter in length and could have had long enough handles for a two hand grip as that is common with some types of more normal sized seaxes. What we have in this case is a long heavy blade with some length of tang remaining, but exatly how long the handles were we have no idea. Grips don't need to be full tang on seaxes, as seen from finds, others had really long ones indicating a long handle and we can't know for sure if the entire tang on the few super large seax finds are complete or fragmental.

So a typical sword, no, but a huge seax, at least possibly, though it's a matter of extrapolating from several seax finds and combining them rather than using a single complete sword find.

As William mentions, there are a couple of bastard swords with long handles made in (If I remember correctly) the 15th-16th century that use old norse style for their fittings. These are not actual viking age, but rather Viking Romance swords made later. But they can confuse people at times. However, if you're simply looking to make a later age but still historical sword that is in norse style, these are perfect.

Another idea is to make or get a dane axe instead. 2-handed as much as you want and with a small light head as some axes had you can use similar fighting techniques as with a longsword, and the weapon would be very much Viking...

[Chad Arnow]

Try this thread: Early Great Swords.

Most of these postdate what people typically consider to be the Viking age.

[Rex Metcalf]

Historical? No. However, I loved the concept and commissioned this sword from Micheal Pikula

Type XVIa blade: 36" Long x 2.5" Wide @ the base
Grip: 9.5"

Fittings are type AE based loosely on the Suontaka sword.

I made the scabbard and belt.

I call this sword Skrep and dont let her massive size fool you she handles beautifully.

So while not historical I think Viking and Anglo-Saxon influences coupled with later blade styles can be a great outlet for creativity while still maintaining excellent handling characterisitics and performance in solo drills and cutting practice. Considering the bulk of training material out there deals with the long sword, and so many of us are vikings at heart, I find it an excellent balance of performance and preferred aescetic. So in my opinion the concept is very valid for a modern collector/practicioner.

~RD

[Jóhann Malmquist]

The local museum where I live has a grave on display from the late viking age (tenth or eleventh century) and in it there is a sword that I think could at least be called a hand and a half.

[Gary Teuscher]

[Net Uno]

[Net Uno]

[Jóhann Malmquist]

[Net Uno]

That will be great! Thanks!

[Johan Gemvik]

[Luka Borscak]

[Net Uno]

[Net Uno]