DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

42

In the workshop

TȩȦȷȪȬȪȯȨȴȰȸȦȵȩȦȪȳȴȶȤȤȦȴȴ in part to the skilled craftsmen

who made their strong weapons and fast ships. The weapon smith

who forged sharp swords, spears, and axes (pp. 14–15) was the most

respected. But smiths also made all the iron tools for working

metal and wood. They knew how to work different metals and

how to decorate them with elaborate techniques. Smiths also

produced everyday objects like locks and keys, cauldrons for cooking,

and iron rivets for ships. Viking carpenters were also highly skilled.

They made a wide range of objects, including ships. They knew

exactly what wood to use for what

purpose and how to cut timber to

give maximum strength and

flexibility. They carved

decorations on many objects,

and sometimes painted

them with bright colors.

Most of the colors have

faded now, but enough

survive to give an idea

of the original effect.

Molding iron for making grooves

or patterns on planks

PRESSED GOLD

This gold brooch from Hornelund in

Denmark was made from a lead die.

The jeweler pressed the die into a

sheet of gold to create a pattern.

Then he decorated the surface with

gold wire and blobs or granules of

gold. Only the richest chieftains

or kings could afford such a

beautiful brooch.

Lead die from Viborg, Denmark,

used for making precious metal

brooches like the Hornelund brooch

Granules

of gold

Plant decoration shows influences

from western Europe, but t he

technique is purely Scandinavian

One of t hree heart-shaped loops

made of strands of twisted gold wire

Twisted gold wire forms

heart-shaped patterns

Plate shears for

cutting sheet metal

Smith’s tongs for

holding hot iron

on an anvil

MAKING DRAGONS

Bronze was heated in a

crucible over a fire until it

melted. Then the smith poured

it into the stone mold (far right).

When the metal cooled, he lifted

out a fine casting like this dragon head,

which may have decorated a fancy box.

A stone mold like the one shown here

could be used over and over again. Many

brooches and dress pins (pp. 48–49)

were cast in similar molds.

Modern

casting

Stone mold

for making

bronze dragon

heads from

Birka, Sweden