The use of Viking shields went far beyond a mere means to parry blows from an opponent. Ornamented with personal insignias and family coats of arms, the shield evolved into a symbol of warrior's allegiance and loyalty.

The battle axes were ornately decorated with inlays, twisted wires and other beautiful adornments in silver, copper and bronze. They represented the Scandinavian genius for evolving specialized weaponry.

The greatest of Viking weapons was his sword. It was highly prized for its fighting strength and was a status symbol; the higher the rank of the warrior, the greater the sword. It usually had a wide, long double-edged blade and had a richly decorated hilt. The fuller ground out the length of the blade and lightened the blade without reducing it’s strength and increased it’s flexibility. Swords were thought so highly of that many Vikings named them.

The Viking spear was probably their most popular weapon. It wasn’t as expensive as a sword, and was still very deadly. They had a slender, tapering blade up to 50 centimeters long attached to a wooden shaft by a socket. They were very dangerous thrusting weapons, and they could also be thrown.

The Vikings wore strong iron helmets. Most were simple cup shapes, with a strip of metal to protect the nose. Others were more complex and had a goggle-shaped mask that protected the eyes and nose, and flaps to protect the neck. They did not have horns on their helmets.