Early Viking sword Godfred Damascus

The original of this beautiful reconstruction once belonged to the feared Danish king Godfred (also known as Gudfred or Gudrød). King Godfred lived in Haithabu (near Schleswig), the most important Viking settlement in Jutland, until his death in 810.
The sword dates from the 8th century and has the typical design of an early medieval Viking sword:
a short quillons bent slightly forward, a double-edged and straight blade with a fuller, a wide pommel with three ridges

This sword is made entirely by hand. The crossguard and the pommel with the three ridges are made of heat-treated, forgeable cast iron. The blade is made of 100-layer damascus steel and is hand-riveted all the way to the pommel. The handle is wrapped in a wide leather strap. The blade has a pronounced fuller, which gives the sword great elasticity and lightness at the same time. The edges of the blade are not sharpened.
The sword comes with a very beautiful wooden-leather scabbard with a leather sword belt

The term Damascus steel, Damascus steel or simply Damascus refers to a composite steel made from two or more different types of steel. The name is derived from the Syrian city of Damascus, which is considered to be the former stronghold and origin of Damascus steel production.
As a rule, a hard, high-carbon steel and a soft, low-carbon steel are brought together by repeated fire welding and folding. The high-carbon steel ensures greater hardness, better hardenability and longer edge retention, while the softer steel gives the blade greater elasticity and greater breaking strength. This technique, which was developed in a time of poor and changing steel qualities, can therefore combine the positive properties of the different steels.
The different colourings with varying carbon content also create impressive patterns of alternating layers, such as twisted, so-called torsion damascus, or rose damascus. It was not least because of these patterns that the damascus blades of the Middle Ages were said to have an inherent magic. The Edda describes a damascus sword blade as a bloody worm or a poisonous snake

Details:
- Blade material: Damascus steel, 100-ply
- Overall length: approx. 94.5 cm
- Blade length: approx. 79.5 cm
- Max. blade width: approx. 43 mm. Blade width: approx. 43 mm
- Center of gravity: approx. 16 cm in front of the parry
- Including wooden and leather scabbard and sword belt
- Weight without scabbard: approx. 1250 g

Note: By etching the surface, the typical line structure of Damascus steel is visible. This disappears when grinding or polishing, but can be made visible again by re-etching (e.g. with citric acid).

Please note:

This item is only sold to persons over the age of 18.

We therefore require a copy of your identity card, driver's license or similar by e-mail, scan, fax or post.