Viking Battle Axe: When Farm Tools Roamed The World

According to literal and archaeological sources, axe was the most common and important weapons back in the Viking Age. Viking axe was used not only for agriculture, fishing, hunting but also in battle. Once in the medieval time, this Viking farm tool roamed the world. 

Historically, Viking axe was the single-bladed type which focused much on speed when in combat. The Vikings also made their axe not to weigh much so that it could be brought along easily and used quickly. Viking legends had it that every Viking boy before reaching 12 years old had to train himself to use axe when hunting and farming. And when the boy finally became a man, he could join battle with skills he already had. 

Almost every Viking man had for himself an axe, even a poor man. That's why axe was known as the symbol of the Vikings, not the sword. Sword, in the Viking age, was used by those who were in high ranks only. Anyone who could own a sword in the Viking age was either wealthy or had a high social rank. 

Sometimes, Viking axe reminds me of Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, which looks a little bit like an axe. The connection was that axe was affordable for every Viking man while Thor was generous offering blessings for those who worshipped him. Thor was popular in the Viking Age. 

One of the most beautiful Viking axe artifact is the Viking Mammen Axe which was found in a grave mound in Mammen. The axe was made from iron and silver inlay. On one side, the scholars claimed it depicted Yggdrasil while the other side of the axe illustrated a figure resembling the rooster in Norse mythology that woke up the warriors in Asgard to prepare for Ragnarok.