The Tale of a Reunited Sword
Two pieces of a Viking sword, separated for like 1,200 years, finally find each other, fit together like they were meant to be.
The first piece was discovered by this metal detectorist dude in Stavanger, along Norway’s west coast. He hands it over to the local museum, thinking it’s just some odd piece of metal. But then, his buddy, another metal detectorist, finds the rest of the damn thing nearby. Talk about luck, right?
According to Ann Zanette Glørstad, an archaeologist at the University of Oslo, this sword is some rare type, found all over Scandinavia and even in places like France, Britain, Ireland, and Hungary. The blade’s missing, but the hilt? It’s like something out of a Viking king’s dreams. Gold, silver, intricate carvings — you name it.
Now, that isn’t the only cool thing they found lately. Over in Vinjeøra, Norway, archaeologists uncovered a bunch of Viking graves. And one of them? Well, it’s got everyone scratching their heads. See, most Viking burials, they put the sword on the right side. But not this one. This warrior’s buried with his sword on the left.
Why? Well, it’s got something to do with their beliefs about the afterlife. You see, they thought the afterlife was a mirror image of the real world. So, if you were buried with your sword on the left, well, you’d probably end up in the afterlife with it on your right. Crazy, right?
Now, these researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, they’re digging up all sorts of stuff ahead of a highway expansion project. Warriors’ graves, a Viking woman’s burial, and a bunch of cool artifacts like brooches, scissors, and colored beads. But the real gem? It’s this left-handed warrior’s grave. The man was buried with a full set of weapons — axe, spear, shield, and that epic sword we talked about earlier.
Raymond Sauvage, one of the archaeologists, thinks it’s all about family pride. See, back in Viking times, your ancestors were everything. So, being buried close to them? That was a big deal.
Now, this sword, it’s seen some stuff. It’s like 1,100 years old, nearly three feet long, and so rusted you can barely tell it’s a sword. But still, you can feel the power, you know?
Archaeologist Astrid Kviseth said it best: “You would have had to be pretty strong to be able to swing this sword.”
They’re not done yet. They’re gonna X-ray that bad boy, see what secrets it’s hiding under all that rust. Can’t wait to see what they find!
