Carolingian sword: Viking sword, features, application

The Viking sword, or, as it is also called, the Carolingian sword, was quite common in Europe during the Early Middle Ages. This name he received in the early twentieth century from collectors who named this type of sword in honor of the Carolingian dynasty, which existed only 127 years.

What is the difference between the Carolingian sword

At the end of the first and the beginning of the second millennium, this sword was the most widespread blade weapon. On the territory of Europe and even on the banks of the Volga River, meeting him was common. This is for us, ordinary people, all swords seem to be the same. But for a specialist to distinguish one type of weapon from another is not difficult.

What is the difference between the Carolingian sword and the Merovingian sword? The second sword is also named after the dynasty, but already the Merovingians. But this convention, the name is not important. Each type of weapon differs primarily in form and design. For example, the hilt of the Carolingian sword is distinguished by its simplicity of assembly and cheap finishing. This type of weapon became available to ordinary soldiers.

Where was applied

The Carolingian type sword was in no way suitable for combat combat. It had a rounded end, and its purpose is not to prick, but to chop. In the densely packed formation during the battle, he was more of a burden. In addition, the peak is much more convenient for stabbing. But after the system disintegrated, the soldier armed with such a sword was not equal. In most cases, the Carolingian sword is a weapon that was used in equestrian combat.

Change in the design of the sword blade

The sword consisted of a straight, wide, rather heavy double-edged sword, the end of which was, as it were, rounded. In the middle of the blade on both sides is a forged hollow (dol), which is taken for a bloody, but this is absolutely not true. Dol is a design feature that makes the Carolingian sword much easier. Its weight and size are well known: weight - 1-2 kg, length - up to 90 cm, width - 6-5 cm. This is necessary so that the arm does not get tired. It's the dolly that allows you to lengthen the strip without increasing the weight and not creating an excess load for the hand. When manufacturing expensive weapons, the dol could be decorative. The handle is rather short.

Changing the sword hilt

The sword hilt has undergone a significant change. Garda, consisting of three parts, was made monolithic, which greatly simplified the design. She stayed short and served, most likely, for the abutment of the hand.

The upper part of the hilt - the pommel - consists of two bars instead of three. The first part is the base. The second is the upper figure part, which ended the hilt. It is she who gives the sword picturesqueness, recognition and uniqueness. And although the Carolingian sword is considered popular, each warrior wanted to give the weapon a special uniqueness. This could be achieved by decorating the top. At first, the notches of the drawing were made, then they were driven by softer and more expensive metals: copper, tin, silver and gold. It turned out to be a kind of ornament. This involved jewelers.

The spread of the Carolingian sword

The swords were widely spread in the 9th-10th centuries on the Scandinavian, Frankish and Celtic territories. Carolingian swords came to Russia from Scandinavia from the Vikings and were widely used. They were both imported, made in Europe, and made by Russian smiths. Before the advent of the Carolingian sword, the Rusichi got acquainted with the eastern Persian and Arabian blades. They learned how to smash bulat and produce high-quality cold steel.

Russian masters made carolingians, which were in no way inferior to Western ones. The manufacturing technique was not easy and consisted of a number of operations: metal preparation, stretching of the blade strip, hardening, polishing, sharpening, manufacturing of the handle, scabbard. A good sword is not a cheap weapon. It often cost a fortune. Weapons specialists can determine where the found specimen was made, what kind of master it made.

Stamp of the master

Often on the sword blade you can see a brand. This is not surprising. Each master, who invested a lot of energy in his offspring, wanted to capture his name on it. This is a kind of trademark. A specialist in weapons stigma will tell about a lot: where he was made, what military route he had to go through.

The most famous firm that created Carolingian swords, Ulfberht. Its brand is on every fifth found blade. Swords with such a stigma were found in Russia, Finland and Norway. A large number of specimens with such a stigma and a wide radius of distribution gives reason to assume that it was a large workshop in which many craftsmen worked.

In total there are about 115 carolings in the world with such a stigma. It is worth noting that their hilt is not the same, you can define as many as 14 types. The specialists managed to establish that the workshops that produced swords with such a mark were in the town on the Rhine River in Germany. This brand can be seen not only on carolingians, but also on other blades.

What is the secret of such popularity? In the high content of carbon, which gives steel blades strength. His presence is 0.75%, while the others have a maximum of 0.5%. Often on the sword, you can read the owner's name.