Fake Viking Swords: But not Modern Fakes!

Archaeologists and collectors of Viking swords have been pondering a strange fact: some of the best Viking swords ever found bear the name of their maker, Ulfberht, on the metal of their hilt. Conversely, some of the worst, blades which have shattered in combat and been recovered in pieces, also have the name Ulfberht. The answer is that, just as you have to keep an eye out today for counterfeits (mentioning no auction sites by name), Vikings also had to do the same. Recent studies have added some science to our understanding: the excellent Ulfberhts were made from crucible steel brought up from the Middle East via trade routes; the poor Ulfberhts weren’t, and were particularly prone to shattering because of the way they were made, which was potentially lethal in battle. Intriguingly, archaeologists have noted that many of the poor Ulfberht’s have been recovered from graves, possibly used in that manner because they weren’t as reliable as real Ulfberhts, which tend to be recovered from where they were lost.