Possible Mention Of Viking Scale Armour -- myArmoury.com

Len Parker

I'm going to need help with this. In the Icelandic Skaldskaparmal there's the name Einar Skalaglamm (Einarr Tinkling Scales). At first glance this seems to refer to his armour making noise. Could someone help break down Skalaglamm for me. Does the lamm part of his name refer to the plates and would this be derived from lamellar?

Tomas B · Posted: Wed 20 Jul, 2011 6:05 am Post subject:

Could it not refer to merchant scales or the like.

Len Parker · Posted: Wed 20 Jul, 2011 7:48 am Post subject:

Good point Tomas. Einarr is a skald and most of his stanzas are about war, but there are a couple of poems about gold. This is why I'd like a more precise translation his name.

Dan Howard · Posted: Thu 21 Jul, 2011 6:09 am Post subject:

Wiktionary reckons that skála means "weighing scale".

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sk%C3%A1l

What is the word for fish or reptile scales? Is this mentioned in any sagas?

Sean Manning · Posted: Thu 21 Jul, 2011 7:08 am Post subject:

If it does refer to armour I would expect scale not lamellar. Metal scale armour sounds like lots of bells; lamellar is quieter because the scales are held down at both ends.

Len Parker · Posted: Thu 21 Jul, 2011 8:51 am Post subject:

Thanks for the replies, after reading einarr's poems again I think Tomas and Dan might be right.
Einarr
'The sender of gold permitteth
The silent earth to hearken
To song; his gifts I gather:
The prince his young men gladdens'

Johan Gemvik · Posted: Thu 21 Jul, 2011 4:58 pm Post subject:

Several weighing scales from viking age have been found in graves all over scandinavia, at least one at Birka I've seen sketches of by Hjalmar Stolpe from his early excavations at the turn of the century. I haven't seen the original find of it IRL, just some photos, but I've seen museum reconstructions of several variants.

These would have as much impact on the culture as swords, armour or warmaking. They were traders also after all.

E. Storesund · Posted: Fri 22 Jul, 2011 5:22 am Post subject:

I think his name is explicitly mentioned to be connected to weighing scales he got as a gift, not to armor. At any rate "skál" is the same as Norwegian "skål", i.e. bowl. The Norwegian term for viking age scales used for trade is "skålvekter", literally "bowl weights".
The word "skál" is usually used for weights of this kind, rather one of the two bowls of it, and also as bowls on a more general level though with drinking bowls in particular.

Glamm, however, means noise or sound.

So no armor.