Why Did Vikings Carry Decorative Swords That Were Useless In Combat?

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Scientists have discovered that Vikings occasionally carried useless decorative swords that could not be used as real weapons.

Left: Viking warrior - Adobe Stock - Ana - Right: Viking swords displayed at Hedeby Viking Museum - Credit: Wikipedia - Image compiled by AncientPages.com

It seems odd that a Viking warrior would bother to go around with a decorative sword if it could not be used in combat. Were the Vikings vain, or was there another reason why decorative swords became popular?

As Ancient Pages wrote earlier, to ancient Vikings, a sword was much more than just a weapon. Since swords were difficult to make, they were rare and expensive, and, as such, they were not common and were used by kings and high-ranking Vikings.

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See also: 

Vikings Had Dark Humor And Joked Even During Deadly Battles

Why Were Swords So Important To Ancient Vikings?

Hedeby: Prestigious Trading Center And One Of The Largest Baltic Sea Ports In Viking Age

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