Vikings would create a wedge formation, with their best men, or
berserkers, at the front of this wedge. They would throw spears and shoot arrows, and
rush this wedge through enemy lines where they could engage in
hand-to-hand combat.
In preparation for battle the younger warriors would draw up in line, with
their shields overlapping in a 'shield-wall' for better protection. The older
veterans formed up in support behind them.
ARMOUR
HELMETS
Only the wealthiest Vikings could afford helmets, as they were expensive.
Despite popular culture, there is no evidence that Vikings used horned
helmets in battle as such horns would be impractical in a melee, but it is
possible that horned head dresses were used in ritual contexts.
CHAINMAIL
Probably worn over thick clothing, a mail shirt protected the wearer from being cut, but
offered little protection from blunt trauma and stabbing attacks from a sharp point such
as that of a spear. Expensive mail armour was also seen as cumbersome and
uncomfortable in battle. Given that Vikings on a raid tried to avoid pitched battles, it's
possible that mail was primarily worn only by the professional warriors going into battle.
CLOTH & LEATHER
The case for non-metal forms of armour remains inconclusive. It is likely that the average Viking
fought whilst wearing ordinary clothing, with the shield as the only form of protection. Quilted cloth
(a gambeson) is conjectured as possible options for lower-status Viking warriors.
WEAPONS
RANGED
BOW
The bow and arrow was used both for hunting and in battle. Arrowheads were typically made
from iron and produced in various shapes and dimensions and depending on the weight if the
arrow, had an effective range of at least 200 metres.
SLING
The Viking age sling was without a doubt the easiest for
the manufacturer to produce, simply consisting of a
rope and sometimes a leather cup to assist with the
loading.
MELEE
SWORDS
The Viking Age sword was for single-handed use to be
combined with a shield, with a double edged blade
length of up to 90 cm. Swords were very costly to
make, and a sign of high status.
SPEARS
The spear was the most common weapon of the Scandinavian
peasant class. Throwing spears were constantly used by the warrior
class; despite popular belief, it was also the principal weapon of the
Viking warrior, an apt fit to their formations and tactics.
AXES
The most common hand weapon among Vikings was the axe.
Vikings most commonly carried sturdy axes that could be thrown
or swung with head-splitting force.
SHIELDS
The shield was the most common means of defence. Vikings often reinforced
their shields with leather or, occasionally, iron around the rim. Round shields
seem to have varied in size from around 45–120 centimetres in diameter but
75–90 centimetres is by far the most common.