VIKING SURVIVAL AXE by Tyr Neilsen
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When it came to hunting, combat, and life in the wilderness of Viking Age Scandinavia, an axe was the go-to survival tool.
In the harsh Nordic climate, survival often depended on the ability to quickly chop firewood and build shelter. Not only was an axe the perfect tool for these tasks, it could also be used for building a Viking ship and protecting the family.
An iron axehead was relatively easy and cheap to make, and even the poorest Viking farm had an axe. Every child knew how to use an axe, and every adult male had mastered it.
This vauable and versatile tool, changed steadily throughout the Viking Age. Some axeheads were elegant and thin, others were thick and heavy. Some had sharp pointed tips on each end of the blade, others had a ‘beard’ form which made it perfect for cutting and shaving wood.
The best axeheads had a hardened steel edge welded to the iron, which made it a better cutting edge.
viking axe with elongated beard
