Experience the Viking Way of Battle
The Vikings were rightly known as fierce warriors and struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. As raiders they were able to move swiftly and fight one on one. The Viking armies also fought in a formation known as the Shield Wall in mass battles against the Anglo Saxons.
Our warriors practice the martial arts of Viking combat and provide demonstrations of this kind of fighting with full contact reenactement combats.
Out of the combat they can provide you with a close up look at the weapons and armour of the period, and explain how these would be made and used.
How a Viking Should be Armed
A warrior of status and wealth, earned through plunder and reputation in battle, might be fully clad in mail, with a helmet with a faceguard of mail or armoured mask.
Such a warrior is more likely to be able to afford a sword of quality pattern welded steel, or swing the dreaded two handed Dane Axe.
A typical warrior of the period is wears little armour other than a helmet and shield.
The Spear is his primary weapon in battle, a simple weapon to make and use. It lets the warrior keep his enemy at a distance and lighter spears can be thrown as effective missile weapons.
The Axe is the weapon perhaps most associated with the Vikings in common culture. Like the spear it is relatively cheap to produce, but versatile in combat, delivering powerful blows and has the ability to hook the shield or limb of an opponent to pull them off balance.
Every Viking will also carry a Seax, a kind of large knife, ideal for stabbing and thrusting in the close press of a shield wall.
