User talk:Mattcgs

Viking Warfare
Shields: Vikings used massive wooden shields. They were usually about 1 meter in diameter with an iron band on the outside. They had an iron pommel in the center that they used to bash people with. Often they were brightly colored and sometimes they had a special design on them.

Helmets: Despite what most people think, most Vikings wouldn’t have used horned helmets. They would most likely have been simple iron helmets with leather and animal skin on the inside. These wouldn’t stop a full swing of battle axe, but would be enough to stop and arrow or sword blow.

Armour: Most Vikings wore simple armour. Either just chain mail made of iron or steel. Or leather strips covering the body. This would provide enough defense against swords arrows and spears. Under their chain mail and or leather armour they would wear a gambeson, which was basically a cloth shirt worn under armour.

Vikings used many weapons in war including Bows, knives, swords, spears and battle Axes.

The primary weapon of the Vikings was the sword, these swords were made for single handed use, and they had a wide double sided blade and were often seventy to ninety centimeters long. Viking though of their swords so highly that they often named them.

Another weapon used by the Vikings was the battle Axe. It was a very deadly weapon that could break through armour but leave a fatal wound on the enemy. They were made by shaping a block of iron into an Axe head and sharpening it and wedging it onto a wooden shaft. They could be a very affordable affective weapon for fighting and working.

The knife was another important Viking weapon, there were two types the first is a usual size and was used for combat and everyday use. The second type of knife was very heavy and about as long as a machete, it could also be a small sword. It was very useful for attacking in dense forest as it could cut down small shrubs and trees.--Mattcgs (talk) 00:59, 21 February 2014 (UTC)

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/weapons_01.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Age_arms_and_armour http://europeanhistory.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=europeanhistory&cdn=education&tm=6&gps=203_1_1680_881&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.vikingsonline.org.uk/resources/articles/combat.htm http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/VALWarfare.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_warfare http://www.vikings-history.com/viking-weapons/ http://www.topicpod.com/vikings/what_viking_weapons.html http://www.vikings-history.com/viking-weapons/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/weapons_01.shtml https://sites.google.com/site/chasingwilma/home/vikings http://svartland.webs.com/battle-of-tettenhall http://sealvikings.wikispaces.com/The+Viking+Berserker