Peasants only tended to fight close to their home areas when danger threatened them directly. They tended to have simple weapons, often adapted from farm tools.
The round shield was being replaced by the new kite shaped design during the 11th Century.
Early medieval laws required communities to provide a certain number of warriors with equipment between them. Professional warriors would usually be attached to a particular household and would travel with their lord. While the lord was away it was often his wife's job to organise the defence of his lands.
Shields were typically 80-90 cm in diameter. The board was flat, and made of a single layer of planks butted together. The Gokstad shields were made of seven or eight white pine planks of varying widths. The planks were usually only 6-10mm thick. There is no archaeological evidence for laminated construction (Härke 1981) though contemporary poetry and slightly later legislation suggests it (Dickinson and Härke 1992; Nicolaysen 1882).
The swords were the most important weapons they used for combats:
Viking Age ~ 700 to 1066 AD
Viking swords average about 37 inches in length overall and will, especially toward the later part of the period, show increasing taper towards the point and a deeper central fuller in the center of each blade face. Pattern welding diminishes during the middle of this epoch to be replaced by iron inlaid names and designs usually formed with twisted rods, such as were used in pattern-welding, hot-forged into the surface of the blade.
The pommels and guards generally have a base of iron sometimes covered by non-ferrous metals often in geometric designs. The phrase "Viking sword" may be somewhat of a misnomer as similar swords are seen throughout Europe at this time, even in central western Europe, and with only a few exceptions, even if a design were made in only one area, trade scattered it widely.
Norman Period ~ 1066 to 1180 AD
The evolution of the Viking sword continues with blades becoming, on average, three or four inches longer. These remain slashing swords and in some examples the degree of taper appears to be slightly reduced when compared with the most tapered Viking swords; the degree of the change being more than would be explained by the longer length alone. Iron blade inlays persist into the earliest part of this period, but latten and silver inlays dominate by its close. The relatively short iron cross guards of Viking swords become longer and Brazil-nut and flattened disc pommels (without a separately defined upper guard) become characteristic. These hilts are frequently of unadorned iron.
CLOTHING
In Early Medieval times, thread was made on a drop spindle. Wool or linen (rarely silk) was first cleaned and combed so as to line up the fibres. It was then pulled out into a narrow strand which was twisted up by dropping and spinning the spindle. In order to make multiple plies of thread several spindles were needed. Single threads were spun with a twist in one direction, and then these were spun together onto a new spindle using an opposite twist. Several miles of thread are required to make even a simple tunic.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT: The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry (actually an embroidery measuring over 230 feet long and 20 inches wide) describes the Norman invasion of England and the events that led up to it. It is believed that the Tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, bishop of Bayeux and the half-brother of William the Conqueror. The Tapestry contains hundreds of images divided into scenes each describing a particular event. The scenes are joined into a linear sequence allowing the viewer to "read" the entire story starting with the first scene and progressing to the last. The Tapestry would probably have been displayed in a church for public view.
History is written by the victors and the Tapestry is above all a Norman document. In a time when the vast majority of the population was illiterate, the Tapestry's images were designed to tell the story of the conquest of England from the Norman perspective. It focuses on the story of William, making no mention of Hardrada of Norway nor of Harold's victory at Stamford Bridge. The following are some excerpts taken from this extraordinary document.
JEWELRY
Both men and women wore necklaces. These might be simple ones with a couple of beads on a thread or leather thong, or more elaborate ones, as shown here.
Most of the beads here are millefiori, with some amber and bone ones. Wood, clay, semi-precious stones and plain glass were also used for beads. The beads are arranged in an irregular pattern.
The trefoil (three lobed) brooch is a design which Viking women used to fasten their large triangular cloaks.
