DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

7

Silver wires in
t he form of plant
shoots

Silver loop

for chain

Figure of a

great bird

Pommel

GLITTERING SWORD

A strong sword was a

Viking’s most prized

weapon (pp. 14–15).

This sword was made

and decorated in Norway.

Its owner probably died in battle

in Ireland, because it was found in a

man’s grave in Dublin (pp. 54–57).

It is beautifully crafted. The hilt

and guard are made of copper

decorated with layers of gold and

twisted silver and copper wires.

Grip,

once

covered

in

leat her

Guard to

protect hand

Helmet wit h

a bird’s crest

and beak

Loop so t hat t he

hammer could

be worn on a

neck chain

THOR’S HAMMER

Vikings believed in

many different gods

(pp. 52–53). This silver

hammer is the sign of the

great god Thor. He was said

to ride his chariot across

the sky, smashing

giant snakes with his

hammer and making

thunder and lightning.

Mustache

MYSTERIOUS

VIKING FACE

Who is this

mysterious Viking?

A god? A hero from a

legend? A warrior? Real

pictures of Vikings are very

rare. The Vikings didn’t have

books, and most of the people and

animals (pp. 36–37) in their art are

imaginary or hard to identify.

This small silver head from Aska,

Sweden, was worn on a chain as a

pendant. It may have been meant to

scare away enemies or bring good luck.

Iron blade, now rusted

Mout h

HERE COME

THE VIKINGS!

Ivar the Boneless

and his army invaded

England in 865, and again

in 869. This manuscript (made

300 years later) shows ships full

of armed warriors arriving at

the coast. The first raiders are

walking down gangplanks onto

the shore. Ivar and his men

terrorized the country and

killed King Edmund (p. 17).

AX OF A

CHIEFTAIN

This great iron ax

head was found in

Mammen, Denmark. It is

decorated with silver wires.

This side features a glaring human

face and a fantastic bird that twists

around its own wings, which turn into plant

shoots. The Mammen Ax is too beautiful to have

been used in battle and must have been carried by a

chieftain to show his power.