Viking Swordfighting Demonstration (Part 1)

[legend9337]

Hail, Norsemen!



[secutorclaudius]

a demo of what? their beards better be hiding another arm holding a sword.

[1lockhurstk1]

its William HAIL BROTHER

[auburnwings]

damned airplain



[abracrow1000]

If I wanted to watch two guys gawking and circling each other, I would have clicked on the video called Two Guys Gawking and Circling Each other, not Viking Swordfighting Demonstration!

[ShantirelGalaerivel]

@abracrow1000 It's a demonstration, not a duel. Means it can contain some explanation. Besides, it's just part 1...

[elgostine]

heres the one question i have regarding dark age sword design..

i know that as the middle ages went on, and plate armour appeared, the swords become very tapered to exploit gaps and penetrate weakspots.

seeing as how those swords could still cut fairly damn well, why didnt the swords of the viking era try and become that tapered as well. since from what ive sen of thrand, maille is fairly damn hard to puncture, so aneedle sword would STILL be just as useful, thats from my reckoning anyway.

[rammr9393]

@elgostine

The sword type you're talking of would be very hard to taper. Look at videos where it describes how they were forged and you'll see what I mean.

[elgostine]

@rammr9393 i suspected it might be due to the metallurgy available, but i figured id hear it from another prson first as well.

[elgostine]

@rammr9393 th reason i dont qute buy that is that many langseax are very pointy. not quite rapier pointy bt suitable enough ive had another reason putto me, that being that in viking times not enogh people wore mail to need to employ such thrsting whih mail can take pretty well anyways.

[Gilmaris]

@elgostine Maille is fairly damn hard to puncture even with a thrust from a tapered sword. Remember that most enemies would not be wearing maille, though (indeed, most vikings would not be wearing maille), and even if they did, you can still hurt someone pretty good with a viking sword through the maille, even if the armour itself is undamaged. You can deliver some very mean blows with the viking sword, and there's a reason why that is the design longest in use of all Oakeshotte types.

[ThegnThrand]

This is Thrand!!!!!

Awesome Sword and Shield Demonstration!!!!!! Watched it to the end.

Be sure check out my dispute with Deadliest Warrior and The Viking Vs. Samurai Episode Videos on here on Youtube. Ja!!!!!!!

[TheAlexander356]

Skip to 2:16 for the fight, that does not occur.

[HUN450HUN]

gáz

[Sasmiko]

Swedish danish and norweigans are vikings! Not germans! Understand this people, im swedish i know.

[BenceRAP]

Looking a bit skinny for a viking. :)

[Mortenhendriksen]

Its fun to read back and see how little people do know about the vikings. The vikings werent just beserkers killing to their left and right. That is what monks have made up. Yes they pillaged and plundered but that was to survive and for fun.

The viking society was way more diffrent that any movie have made it to be and by the way everybody they didnt have horns in their helmets just so you know it.

[gswiaczny]

@Mortenhendriksen

Oh really? Damn... Thanks! ... -.-

[Mortenhendriksen]

viking sword fightning stances? what the f... swords were extremely rare among the vikings and those who had swords more or less used them for decoration and not fightning. Most vikings were farmers, hunters, lumberjacks, fishers and traders. It was often only the chieftain who were some kind of a warrior.

the vikings main weapons were spears, bows and axes, the sword was extremely rare it was way to expensive. Plus vikings did have heavy armors they had often just a mail armor and helmet.

[Gilmaris]

@Mortenhendriksen A suite of maille, regardless of quality, would be WAY more expensive than most swords. Swords were far more common than maille - after all, we have thousands of viking swords but only ONE suit of maille which can be reliably dated to the viking age. Swords were fairly common, but the really good swords were rare. Many swords were of poor quality and some swords were so bad they would be unsuited for any sort of combat. These would be status objects for the viking on a budget.

[imsencat]

get a tripod or take a valium

[ftahleson]

Its intresting so many people think Vikings were barbarians. Fearless and Courageous are two different things as are barbaric and Rutheless. Vikings were Inteligent enough to Navigate by stars and Generate trade routs to Sell the items they obtained through Ruthless sacking of other teritories. As for american Vikings? They setled Scandinavia, Greenland, France, Scotland, Ireland and even Canada and Aribic areas. Good thing there are none of those cultures in the USA huh?

[Heathensword65]

In martial arts you learn basic moves at first, every movement has a name, As with a building you are only as strong as your base, or stance. You learn how to stand, balance, and work your way up. Some fools on this post make it sound like Vikings were mindless fools swinging swords around with no skill. Without skill you die. that simple. Hail Asatru, Hail Vikings.

[roryn3rdc]

@Heathensword65

i went into re enactment without learning any basic moves stances much like many men would go into battle at this time not knowing it, but the more they do it and survive the more experiance they gain which is alot more important than skill! a experianced warrior can outfox a man of 2x his skill

[Heathensword65]

@roryn3rdc Skill is how well you do something. Granted experiance is a must. But it must go hand in hand with training. self tought or formal school. I have faught guys with more experiance then me, And beat them bad. because I trained hard, And was taught by a man that had 40 years experiance. You do the moves tell they become second nature to you, tell your muscles remember the moves without your mind having to give the order. combat is the true test.

[kreeperrock]

what the fuck is this guy on about dancing around each other and shit no it fuckin wasnt - viking tactics put simply smash shit smash it hard smash it fast and keep on smashing until its properly fucked. Aside from that why are americans doing viking reenactments whats that got to do with there history?they just want sword n shield combat but dont have any proper history to reenact?

[EcoFascist]

Viking martial arts were simple. 1: The weapons, shields and armor were heavy. Grow strong. 2: Learn to aim with a throwing axe. 3: Trust in Odin and don't fear death.

Try doing your Jackie Shan moves when you're split in half by a dull 20 pound axe.

They actually had their own tradition of martial arts moves, with weapons and also if they lose their weapons. It was very unlikely that a living viking lost his weapon though if he still had hands to grasp it.

[kippenkaars]

too much talkin,

more blood

[grandpianomaster1998]

i dont think the cars in the backround fit the mood

[blerofict]

The guard is not called "ox", that's a 2-handed guard. On a one handed weapon it's called "stier" wich in essence means the same but it's still different. The 2-handed "vom Tag" guard would be called "luginslandt" 1-handed and so on.

[MieseMiSa]

Depends on the master. Theyallgot their special namesfor the slashes.

[DragonForceRider]

@MieseMiSa wouldnt it make more sense to just learn a fight instead of move names. granted learning the move in the first place would make sense (if you cant understand or dont want to waste time thinking things through like the original masters did) but naming all the moves does seem kinda worthless fight is a fight isnt it?

[LarS1963]

I've seen FAR better attempts at recreating Viking-period fighting than this. This is typical re-enactement fighting.

Don't get me wrong, re-enactment is fun, but that style of swordplay puts the emphasis on simplicity and safety, not authenticity.

As to those here, who keeps claiming Old Norse culture was not Germanic. First, Germanic is not German. It is Germanic. Second, Finland is not Scandinavia and not Germanic, except for the Swedish minoirity. It is Finno-Ugric. Please, read a book.

[ilikewasabe]

well viking santa was out of breath before the fight started

[ltd8585]

lolz

[GamerSpectator]

lmao

[camonyouirons]

companyman,hate to tell your friends and family this, but the Norse are in fact of primarily Germanic ancestry, who then mixed in with a native people of that region of Europe. The Germanic culture remained dominant though. Language, dress, custom, military.

[advythoh]

lol...

[crazyweirdo125]

shut hell up and fight

[Nickkraw]

@crazyweirdo125 they are teaching not fighting idiot

[Xirque666]

The Viking blade is *not* ballansed as other fighting swords...but as an axe...therefore the fightingtechnic was altso as the axe...

It was not so mutch tecnic (since the sword is not balanced for it) but mere instingt.

It was a "Hach'n slash weapon...

because it is balanced as an axe (all weight in front(in the tip)) it is just to follow the swing of your arm, the weight of the sword does the rest.

[Parker0915]

ur mom was balanced on my dick

[Xirque666]

...and yet another preteen that is funny...your dick is to small for anyone to balance on Mwoahahahaha.

I'm a Norse, and we find sexual insults childich so if you realy want to insult my mom...be my guest...but before you do that...be shure you have doug your own grave first.

We do not insult...we invented cursing.

[halfassedfart]

You, sir, are an ignorant twat. If you 've handled viking sword reproductions you'll know they're very different from an axe. Hell, the moment you said 'sword=axe' I knew you for a retard.

[lofny]

I think it's outstanding. Having been in Historical fencing for over 10 years this is an impressive undertaking and involves a lot of research. When Vikings swords are being discovered in ponds in France should tell you something as well.

[00JakeR00]

EVeryone knows Vikings settled in N France. Ever heard of the Normans?

[Mortenhendriksen]

@00JakeR00 Thats why its called Normandy

[dhcompanyman]

This is pretty gay...... You can't mix German and Viking.... And if you do....Make it historically accurate! I wouldn't let these guys teach me to tie my shoes.

[Oddthetall]

The thing is - Talhoffer and the other surviving fight manuals just taking stuff form the already present knowledge base - we can't KNOW how the Vikings fought but by looking at how people fought with similar weapons (eg longsword and duelling shield in the case of Talhoffer) it is possible to make quite a good guess.

[malibu35072]

You sir loose any credibly to your argument by using a slur against a group of people to denounce. Not to mention Vikings = Germanic people, so if anything is close to the skills of a lost and illiterate society, it would be the German techniques.

[dhcompanyman]

WOW, I lost credibility..... Well, it's a good thing I have enough of my own. I could go into a huge Spiel about who I am, and how wrong you are, But the simple fact is that Vikings were NOT Germanic. There was a short period of Post - Viking culture that they imitated Germans. But maybe you should find a Norwegian, or a Swede.

[dhcompanyman]

(Not an American who's great grand parents were from the old country) and talk culture. The Post Viking Scandinavia was as varied as the rest of Europe, But the Viking culture was NOT Germanic! If you want to learn Viking fighting, you should read some Sagas. Or if you want to get a little closer, .... Study MS1.33 and add a bigger shield. But I'll pay real money if you find Ox and Plough in a Viking saga referring to fighting positions, and not agriculture!

Jason ~

[LarS1963]

The Viking culture.. viking was a job-description, not a culture. But that aside, the Old Norse culture was most assuredly Germanic. What else? It wasn't Slavonic, though there was interchange, and certainly not Celtic, nor Finno-Ugric.

As to use the sagas to learn fighting from.. The sagas are all written down between the 13th and the 15th century, long after the events they describe went into obscurity.

And to clarify: I am Danish, and have studied the history of Scandinavia all my life.

[Thunar55]

Very correct and don't forget to add Old Norse is part of the Germanic language family. I guess dhcompanyman doesn't have enough cred to come back comment on what you said.

[Thunar55]

Still waiting on the big spiel, anyway I am interested in what you have to say because I would like to see proof of what you say considering it would go against I have been studying Norse/Germanic culture for about 25 years now.

[Parker0915]

Oh yeah? well i won a nobel prize on my germanic norse studies. suck on that bitch.

[Thunar55]

First off I wasn't responding to you. I was responding to dhcompanyman. 2nd your response I highly doubt that you did Nobel prize except maybe being a ASS WIPE. Suck my ball sack.

[Xirque666]

I'm shure Thunar55 Won't do that...but I offer myself for decapitating of your only functional head...and yes...I'm a Norse from Norway...a decendent of Harald Hårfagre the first Norwegian king.

and as the dane here said it vås a jobtitle...or more exactly somthing they did not somthing they were...."To go viking" or "to travel viking"

[dhcompanyman]

First...this is not really worth my time to argue on the Internet, I have a school to run. Yes, I teach Western Martial arts for a living. Longsword, Rapier, Dussack, pole arms, etc. And I constantly get students that have a piss poor idea of what "Real" sword fighting is, because of crap videos......they saw on "you-tube"

[dhcompanyman]

Second....I know MANY masters, on several different continents, and we all agree...... The only way to estimate "Viking" fighting, is by regressing the MS 1.33 system.... Though German in origin, that does not mean that the Vikings were Germanic. It's just because MS 1.33 is only a few hundred years older that the Viking age. This also doesn't mean that the Vikings ACTUALLY fought like that....it's just an educated guess. And frankly...it's probably wrong!

[dhcompanyman]

Third....My wife is from Sweden, and I have Friends in Finland, and Norway, who are ALL equally offended by your statement that they are Germanic in origin. They would like me to express to you that ......"we aren't fucking GERMANS" but of course.... they can't speak for their whole country....

[dhcompanyman]

maybe your ancestors thought they were Germanic......but you'd be the first Scandinavian I have ever met that would NOT be offended by that statement....Maybe I just need more Scandinavian friends.... I'll work on that!

[Thunar55]

I think its more of hurt and hatred of what Hitler and Germany did to the Scandinavians than actually that the Scandinavians being part of the Germanic family Ethnically and Linguistically in their ancient history.

[Thunar55]

Oh that sums it up, well my parents are from Germany but I don't use that as a basis, you need to do more research that they have been a few migrations to the scandinavian way before the viking age that intwined with the native population and mainly became dominant hence became part of the germanic family again Old Norse is part of the germanic language family and look at religion Odin/Woden Thor/Thunar just like the romans were a greek tribe hence Teutonic/Norse Gods?

[Locker344]

Germanic does not mean german. it is two different things

[robotkop3000]

@Locker344 Actuly it is connected. In the mid-ages wich this represents the germans were called the Germanic people who also had lands in the former poland and deenmark. So if they say Germanic they mean the old german folk of the mid-ages

[MDefsquad9]

@Locker344 I always wnated to know what they mean?..what do they mean?

[MrKain280]

@Locker344 the Term Germanic refers to the peoples and cultures that arose and spread from middle europe and scandinavia.

[Thunar55]

Again what proof that you have that Vikings were not Germanic? and yes it is a educated guest in fact the guy with the beard in this video wrote a book about and he says it is a guess and speculate. Basically it is taking what we know from grave finds and and using manuals in which fighting is mostly based on what comes before and we make a guess about it.

[Mortenhendriksen]

@Thunar55 you are not a proffesor because you can write a book and tons and tons of books have prooven wrong. Im from Denmark we learn about the vikings as one of the main subjects along with the Napolic wars and WW2.

But yes Scandinavia is germanic but not german. Germanic is language group including: Swedish, Danish, German, Norwegian and if i remember right English (not sure).

And if you read into the stuff you should know that swords were rare. Those found in graves are from chieftains.

[Thunar55]

@Mortenhendriksen neither are you being a professor. I also didn't say there were German did I? I said Germanic in which they have a ethnic and linguistic and cultural similarity and part of the same ethnic family. Yes English is part of the Germanic language group. Yes swords were were but longsaxes were not and also not all swords found were chieftains some were rich and buried with them or some good ones but mostly cheap ones were buried in rivers beds

[Mortenhendriksen]

@Thunar55 Never said I was proffesor im a standard student with great knowledge of countries history. Do you know how useless a sword is except for battle? its extremely useless for most of anything else. They used the axes more because they were cheaper and they could use them when they werent in war. This couldnt be said for the sword as its only made for killing and nothing else. Why do you think there were so many armies that up through the middle ages used spears as main weapon?

[Thunar55]

@Mortenhendriksen funny I also have a great knowledge too and you are saying stuff I already know for the past 15 years. 

[valhalla83]

@Mortenhendriksen - The sword had, and still 'has', many more uses than just 'killing'; and it is otherwise far from 'useless'. It is a symbol of power, strength and wealth. It is a weapon that demands respect, and shows the status of the wielder. Any peasant can own an axe or spear, but only the rich, powerful and/or the influential own a sword.

Even today, many military forces around world still use the sword to differentiate between soldiers and officers.

[Thunar55]

@Thunar55 also the guy in the video is a professor and routinely goes to Iceland to do speeches and he along a handful of other Proff. Look at the ORIGINAL copies of the Iceland Saga's and he also works here as a curator for the Higgins museum. So I do think he has the cred behind him to make some logical assumptions for this stuff.

[Thunar55]

Then maybe you can put some video of yourself and your school, and I also have taken eastern/Western MA myself for most of my life. Plus these guys work for the Higgins museum and also study western MA.

[Mortenhendriksen]

@dhcompanyman ahm or Dane, we were the main group along with sweden

[Mortenhendriksen]

@malibu35072 Now is it whos dumb. Germany were never vikings they used more time praying to god and fightning each other than doing anything else

[XHansernX]

sorry but am norwegian and know a lot of viking history, and this video sucked, read a book and find out the clothes and fightning tec, and by the way a viking never has a conversation before fightning he goes for the goal! killing

[bushidoandsamuraido]

they tried dont be offended.

~Warriors Unite!~

[KostekButter]

have you ever seen real battle? o.0 Like Wolin?

watch?v=g74TLKXdANs

[mayhem1112]

Hell yeah, on youtube :-)

[obbyjr]

u 2 suck ur a couple or starwasrs fantasy nerd snap into relity u need to get a life or a gf ok.. u dumb nerds. i kno real swordfighting techniques those r sad a real swordman could kill u both faster than u can blink.

[Geekmann]

Before you go killing people, maybe you should learn how to spell.

[justwondering155]

well it's viking swordfighting, I bet it would be a lot faster if it was a real viking(not that they are around anymore) and if you knew any history at all...vikings didnt really have that good of techniques, they worked themselves into a frenzy and went berserk in a battle.

[BrokeStarAlpha]

Irony! "If you knew any history"  followed by an implication that Vikings only Zerked.

[halfassedfart]

Idiot.

[Repperil]

They didn't even do anything!

[robinofleiceste]

no way should a mother and pram be able to cross the area of combat, having a roped off arena is book one...

[ltfragmeister]

must be fun doing^^ :D

[sicblades]

keep the set together, it would work better