[Kai Lawson]

I've found information for the British Isles and some information for Norway, but I was wondering if anyone had information on the distribution of hilt types for the Viking age in places like Sweden, Gotland and Western Russia/Kiev Rus settlements. I'm specifically interested in type Y, T, Q/P and I hilt types as classified by Petersen. Does anyone have links to good literature or diagrams? I don't have much access to books at this time, so referencing a book is helpful, but not as helpful as electronic material. Photos of extant swords with those hilt types are also appreciated. I have a Geibig type 4 blade I'm looking to hilt up, so any hilts found with type 4 blades (~950-1050) other than type R and S would be great too!

[Mark Lewis]

Hi Kai, the most comprehensive source for swords from Rus' is probably a Russian book by Anatolij Kirpichnikov. It's from 1966, so hardly up to date, but still the longest classification in print as far as I know. You used to be able to find it online...

In his list of finds from Russia and Ukraine, types M, P, and Q are completely absent. Type H is common, type I is not separately distinguished from it (What is the difference in these two anyway?). Type Y is marginal - 3 examples among 87 Viking age swords.

Types E, V, S, and T occur most frequently. You can see four examples of type S and T in this paper, all found together, with a theorized Gotland connection.

link here

[Niels Just Rasmussen]

For the Danish area this work is central:
Pedersen, Anne (2014)
Dead Warriors in Living Memory - A Study of Weapon and Equestrian Burials in Viking-Age Denmark, AD 800-1000.
PNM vol. 20:1+2 [Text + Catalogue]

Its an extensive work over the inhumation viking burials in Denmark. As cremation seemed most common through the viking age, Denmark have far less preserved swords than Norway. So Danish swords are either from these graves (and also some found deposited in water), with a peak around ~950 AD.

The majority of Danish viking swords are Pedersen types S, V and X.