A vast variety of axes must have been in use during the period when practically everything was made of wood, thus this fact should not come as much of a surprise. Because they were largely employed as tools for both the building of ships, homes, and carts, among other things, it was necessary to have many many sizes and varieties of axes. On the battlefield, the axe was used in a way that was both effective and advantageous. It might be difficult to determine if an axe was employed as a tool or a weapon in each situation. It is possible that when the need arose, the Vikings would resort to using their regular axes for cutting wood as weapons instead.
The Danish Axe
However, there are specific circumstances in which the purpose of an axe cannot be questioned. For example, the heads of axes of a sort that are consistent with their employment as weapons have been discovered in a few different locales. Because of their very thin profiles, axes of this kind are surprisingly easy to use despite their massive dimensions.
It seems from pictures created during that time that they have had a shaft that was longer than one meter and that they were presumably held with both hands. It is because of the prevalence of this sort of axe among Danish Vikings that it is often referred to as the “Dane axe” or simply “the Danish axe.”
Many Vikings were armed with axes, in contrast to the relatively small number of swords that survived from the Viking Age. They have been discovered in both elaborately decorated warrior tombs from the Viking Age and in plain burials, in which the departed had very few possessions to take with them on their trip to the afterlife.
What Were the Viking Axes Constructed Of?
These discoveries have been made in both types of cemeteries. Although they are all real Viking axes constructed of iron, some of the axes have more intricate decoration than others. For instance, the axe that was found in the burial of the magnate at Mammen in Jutland was embellished with silver inlays all over its surface.
The long-bladed axe that was discovered in Over Hornbaek, which is located close to Randers, is yet another instance of an axe that must have belonged to a magnate. This is embellished with copper and silver inlay in designs that may be interpreted as forming the shape of an animal.
Christian Influences in Viking Axe Designs
In later Viking times, other axes were shaped like crosses. These enigmatic axes each had a head that was only half solid and adorned with a cross design. According to the findings of the research, such axes were sturdy enough to be used in practice. On the other hand, it is much more probable that they were set aside for use in documented Viking rituals (https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark).
Although the proprietors of such cross axes were not really necessarily Christian, the axes themselves are reflective of the strong Christian fluxes that prevailed throughout this portion of the Viking era.
Were There Other Weapons in Use by The Vikings?
The axe was the most prevalent kind of hand weapon used by Vikings. Swords were more costly to produce, thus only the most affluent warriors could afford to own them. The fact that axes are so widespread in archaeological sites very certainly stems from the fact that people used them not just as weapons but also as everyday tools. This is corroborated by the sizable number of cemetery sites found in Scandinavian countries that include axes in the graves of female inhabitants.
Combat Axes Prove They Were Used in Battle
There emerged a variety of axes with bigger heads as well as longer shafts that were specifically designed for use in combat. These include numerous kinds of intricate axes, developed through time. The largest varieties were known, of course, as Dane Axes and could be as large as a man. They were designed to be wielded with both hands.
Certain axe heads had silver patterns inlaid onto them. During the latter part of the Viking era, there had been axe heads known as breiox that had edges shaped like a crescent and measured up to 45 centimeters (18 in) in length (broadaxe). If they did exist at all, the double-bitted axes that are represented in contemporary “Viking” art would have been extremely uncommon because they required more material and were regarded as a waste when resources were limited.
There is no evidence of double-bitted axes used among Vikings that has been found in any surviving examples, authentic artwork, or clear descriptions from historical records. The Norse did not create any axes with two cutting edges at the same time. They made almost exclusively single-headed axes throughout that period.
The most frequent weapon carried by Vikings was a strong axe that could be swung or hurled with enough power to break a head in two. There are many records of these axes being used in battle throughout the time of the Vikings.
Mammen Axes and Their Use in Battle
The Mammen Axe was an incredibly good example of this kind of battle-axe, which is equally effective in far and close quarters fighting. For more information on the Mammen age, click here. Most of the Viking axe heads were made of wrought iron, while the cutting edge was made of steel. This made this weapon more affordable than a blade, and it was a regular item that blacksmiths manufactured throughout history.
The blades of battle axes were far wider than those of normal axes, and they had protruding spurs to differentiate them from standard axes. Battle axes were developed expressly for use in combat situations. However, the axes that were used throughout that period came in a wide variety of forms and dimensions, including those that were tiny, huge, broad, thin, light, heavy, with enormous spurs, with little spurs, or without any spurs at all, amongst other variations.