Only twenty-four
Viking Age Swords have been preserved in Iceland. This statement is perhaps too
optimistic since many of them are only fragments of a sword. Four of the best-preserved
swords are displayed in the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik, and in addition to them, too fragments, both of lower guards.
- SHM-11537 , type V, was found in Hrafnkelsdal in East-Iceland,
- Þjms 13535/1946-43-1, type O, found in Kaldárhöfði (-nes) at Úlfljótvatn (lake, not far from Thingvellir national park),
- Þjms 559/1868-128, type S, was found in Hafurbjarnastaðir, not far from the site of now Keflavik international airport in the south-west peninsula.
- Þjms 13736/1947-154 from grave nr. 4 at Silastaðir in northern Iceland, is of type Q. It is displayed in the position it was in the grave when it was found.
The sword from
Hrafnkelsdal is an Ulfberht sword. It was sold
from the country around 1900 but is now as an eternal loan from the Historical
Museum in Stockholm (Statens historiska museum), that is why is marked with SHM,
not Þjms (Þjóðminjasafn = National Museum of Iceland) as the other two. It is a stray find, but most probably originally from a grave.
The sword from
Kaldárhöfði is a very rare type, O, and the only one of this type found in
Iceland. From a man's grave. The person had been buried with all his weapons and other grave goods.
The sword from Hafurbjarnarstaðir
is also an Ulfberht-sword. Also this was a grave with all the weapons and a richly furnished with grave goods.
Hafurbjarnarstaðir is the only sword of S type that has been found in Iceland,
but there is another sword which is probably an S type, Þjms 2/1863-3 found in
Baldursheimur in northern Iceland, but since it is only fragmentary – the pommel
is missing, we cannot be absolutely sure. In the condition the sword from
Baldursheimur is now there is nothing to tell us about its splendid history,
but we have drawings that were done at the time the sword was found (in 1863),
and they are pretty good. There is also a very good description written by the then director of the museum in Reykjavik. The grave where the sword was found was richly furnished with grave goods, but about that perhaps later.
Another fragment of type
S was found in south-western part, inland, Þjms 8844. It is only a pommel, found in Keldur in Rangárvallasýsla. In my opinion
is would rather be of type R, but considering, as Androshchuk has pointed out (Viking
Swords, 2014), S and R should be considered as on type, it really does not
matter which letter we use for this single pommel. Neither of the two last-mentioned is displayed, but can be seen if ordered in advance via internet. They are stored in the museum storage in Hafnarfjörður town.
One interesting fragment
is displayed in the museum. It is a lower guard of a sword
type L, Þjms 29.10.1947, found in Knafahólar in Rangárvallasýsla. No other sword of type L has been found in
Iceland. This piece is very well preserved. A photo of it is here below.
Beneath it there are photos of the sword from Hafurbjarnarstaðir, a
contemporary drawing by Arngrímur Gíslason of the lower guard
of the sword from Baldursheimur and a photo taken in last July by Galdrakonan
herself of the pommel from the Keldur. The photos of the lower guard from
Keldur og the one of the sword from Hafurbjarnarstaðir are at the courtesy of
the National Museum of Iceland. NB. As the sword from Hafurbjarnastaðir is now,
the colours are not as bright and the silver wire is dark, but the shape is the
same.
Knafahólar
Hafurbjarnarstaðir
Baldursheimur
Keldur
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