Viking fight reenactment pt.2 - the finale

This is a reenactment of a fight between two viking groups, performed at the Swedish national museum of history in Stockholm as witnessed by me in July, 2005.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• viking
• vikings
• history
• reenactment
• sweden
• sverige
• svenska
• swedish
• stockholm
• sword
• axe
• scandinavia

[ArnorJolanson]

"between 65-85 centimeters is the most common sizes"

Unfortunately, You're Wrong.

Most common size of round shield is between 80-90 cm. We know only ONE shield 63 cm and many shields bigger than 80 cm, even 100cm and 110 cm.

So you must visit other museums or read more about viking round shields.

Peace

[moOswe]

Not all of the viking tribes was well armed. This I assume is a reenactment of the more common nomad tribes that lived here in Sweden and often had a lack of knowledge and equipment because of their unrest. Nature had much to show those who were ready to listen... :)

[BaraPontus]

vikingarna slaktar hela bunteeeeeeeen!!!!! :)

[Jarnvarg]

remember that, the vikings have many formations on war and many ways to fight, the huge army were the less desired situation, and the most common were the surprise attack and fast retrieve ...dueling also are another form of fight with their own problems and solutions

[Jarnvarg]

youre right on many points, the horsemen were a lone warrior and not a part of a cavalry, but the viking horsemen were famous and good (see Vendel), on experimental archaeology very close to your Reenact the test show us similar results as you said

[Calimbandil87]

Ok, I´m a reenacter myself so i´m not sure about all the historical facts but the sizes i mentioned are the ones that are most practical in melee on foot. Unless you fight with bucklers but that is hardly something you do in battles since it only gives active defense and no shielding against the second line spearmen, only in one-on-one battles. But i didn´t think vikings used cavalry. They were to dependent on their ships for that.

[Jarnvarg]

Some sagas tell us about the sizeand use of shields, the horsemen shield were bigger than others the smallest were used by more experimented warriors, and of course Berserkrs do not use shields except on Holmgång ....

[Calimbandil87]

between 65-85 centimeters is the most common sizes lesser than that makes it to hard to shield yourself against spears and larger makes it so clumsy you will get hit by smaller weapons like the short seax or even shorter swords. You also tire very soon if you carry a too large shield.

[Jarnvarg]

the shield were of many sizes as can you see on museums

[Razoslav]

Hey!WTF? Viking shields were much bigger! :P