The Włocławek sword is a remarkable example of Viking Age craftsmanship, distinguished by its intricate hilt decorations and unique construction. Having had the opportunity to examine the original artifact firsthand, I conducted a thorough analysis, the findings of which are presented in this article. A detailed analysis of the sword’s structure and ornamentation has enabled the creation of a digital reconstruction, shedding light on its artistic qualities and functional design.
Photo 1. The Włocławek sword on display at the Museum of the History of Włocławek (Author's private archive).
Introduction
The sword was discovered accidentally on January 12th, 2024, during dredging operations in the port basin of the marina on the Vistula River in Włocławek. The location lies approximately 200 meters from the site of a possible 10th-century settlement and a castle dated to the 11th–13th centuries (Żurowski 1961; Grześkowiak 1963). After several months of conservation work at the Institute of Archaeology of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, the sword was returned to the Museum of the History of Włocławek.
Swords of the Type S are widely distributed across the Nordic countries and Eastern Europe, with only a small number found in the West (Martens 2004). The period of use for this type was originally defined by J. Petersen (1919) as spanning the 10th to early 11th century, although according to the revised chronology proposed by Androshchuk (2014), it should be dated more narrowly to around 970–1000.
The Type S hilt is characterized by two steel guards, slightly flaring at both ends, and a three-lobed pommel. It is closely related to Type R, with which it is sometimes confused. The hilt of the Type S sword is typically richly and intricately decorated, usually with silver and copper inlays. The inlay technique involves “roughening the surface and deepening grooves” (Schietzel 2022, p. 435), followed by “bounding the motif with impressed cord strands of copper and silver wire” (Schietzel 2022, p. 435). The decorative motifs on Type S hilts usually correspond to Androshchuk’s group h (2014), which features a braided pattern of two intertwining bands, often adorned at the intersections with additional knot-like elements of various forms. Given the considerable diversity of interlace motif forms, this typology could potentially be expanded.
Fig. 1. Decorative motifs on type S sword guards. 1. - Sigridsholm, Sweden (Seitz 1965); 2. - Magleø, Denmark (Pedersen 2014); 3. - Fyresdal, Norway (Petersen 1919); 4. - Snoen, Norway (Drawn by Harald Hrodberhtsson); 5. - Busdorf, Germany (Schietzel 2022); 6. - Gjermundbu, Norway (Unimus catalog).
Other group of examples, such as the two Type S swords from Busdorf (see Fig. 1:5) next to Haithabu in Germany (Schietzel 2022) or the sword from the burial at Gjermundbu in Norway (see Fig. 1:6) (Stylegar & Børsheim 2021), display ornamental motifs in the Jelling style, characterized by interlaced designs incorporating distinct representations of animals. Therefore, among the hilts of type S swords, two stylistic trends can be distinguished: one based on the Jelling style and the other on interlace motifs (Wadyl 2019).
I had the pleasure of examining the sword in person in the Museum of the History of Włocławek. During my examination, I took over 300 high-resolution photographs documenting all details of the sword, made precise measurements, and studied the overall shape and geometry of the weapon. As a result of this work, I was able to document all of the sword’s visual and functional features, produce a digital reconstruction, and recreate the decorative motif of the hilt - an aspect to which I will return later in this article.
Fig. 2. Photograph of the blade with lines marking inscription traces visible to the naked eye (Author’s private archive).
The Blade and Its Inscription
The blade of the sword from Włocławek is classified as Type 4 in A. Geibig’s typology of medieval sword blades, a type dated to approximately 950 - 1050 CE (Geibig 1991). It is a double-edged blade measuring 760 mm in length (from the lower guard to the tip) and 50 mm in width at its broadest point near the guard. The fuller measures approximately 27 mm in width. The blade is generally well preserved, although it bears signs of combat use and exhibits a slight bend approximately one-third of the way down from the crossguard. This deformation likely resulted from mechanical damage caused by an excavator during the sword’s discovery. A partial fracture of the blade was reinforced during the conservation process to prevent complete separation.
Within days of its discovery, a radiographic image of the sword was taken, revealing the form of the hilt, which was initially obscured by heavy corrosion. This analysis confirmed the sword's typological identification as Petersen Type S (1919). The image also revealed the presence of an inscription on the blade. Media reports erroneously identified the inscription as “Ulfberht,” suggesting the sword belonged to the well-known group of so-called “Ulfberht swords”. However, this interpretation is incorrect. The inscription is not the Ulfberht but rather a geometric composition that can be transcribed as: + | | X | | | + . Such geometric inscriptions are well attested on Viking Age swords in various forms. The variant found on the Włocławek sword is typical of inscriptions featuring an X-shaped motif flanked by a series of vertical lines and crosses.
It is possible that the blade is pattern-welded (a technique involving twisting and welding together different iron alloys to create decorative patterns), as is frequently the case with blades of Geibig’s Type 4 (Geibig 1991; Peirce 2002). However, to date, no metallurgical analyses have been published to confirm this hypothesis. During conservation, remains of the wooden scabbard were identified on the blade, suggesting that the sword was deposited in its scabbard. This fact casts doubt on hypotheses proposing accidental loss in the river, for example during combat. Interpretation of the sword's deposition context, however, must be addressed in a separate discussion.
The Hilt
The hilt of the sword from Włocławek displays several distinctive features that often go unnoticed or are considered insignificant. While the general shape of both hilts and the pommel is consistent with the typological norms of type S swords, the asymmetric geometry of their attachment to the tang deserves particular attention. To describe this more clearly, I have divided the sword into left and right sections relative to the central axis when viewed from the top (see Fig. 4).
In the frontal projection (Fig. 3), it is immediately apparent that the hilt components deviate slightly from a perfect right angle to the blade’s axis. The upper hilt (upper guard and pommel) is mounted at an angle of 94° to the blade, whereas the lower guard inclines at 92.5°. Moreover, in this view the entire upper hilt is shifted marginally toward left side of the central axis to compensate visually for its angular offset. This deliberate lateral displacement likely served to preserve the overall impression of symmetry despite the ergonomic modifications.
In the plan view (Fig. 4), a further twist becomes evident: the lower guard is rotated approximately 3° clockwise relative to the blade and upper‑hilt alignment, which remain parallel in this plane. Such a subtle twist would facilitate a more natural wrist alignment during use, without significantly disrupting the weapon’s visual symmetry and aesthetic qualities.
Fig. 3. Illustration showing the mounting angles of the upper hilt and lower guard, front view (Illustration by Harald Hrodberhtsson).
Fig. 4. Illustration showing the twist of the upper hilt relative to the lower guard, top view (Illustration by Harald Hrodberhtsson).
The asymmetric mounting of the hilt components served a highly practical purpose: it subtly improved the sword’s ergonomics, enhancing grip stability and comfort during combat. This design allowed for greater precision and control, particularly during fine cutting maneuvers (Warzecha 2020). Although the components are not positioned in a way that drastically disrupts the sword’s overall symmetry - which remains essential to its visual impact and symbolic value - these slight deviations meaningfully improve its functional performance.
Fig. 5. Correct hand position on a model of the sword from Starigard/Oldenburg (Illustration by Roland Warzecha).
The most significant structural feature is the 3-degree rotation of the upper hilt relative to the lower guard, as seen from above. This subtle twist allows the palm and wrist to rest more comfortably against the side of the upper hilt during handling, since the upper hilt serves as a direct extension of the grip. The 2.5-degree rotation of the lower guard toward the blade tip creates additional space on one side of the grip for the thumb, while the 4-degree offset of the upper hilt provides extra room on the opposite side for the remaining fingers.
Importantly, the Włocławek sword belongs to a rare group of Viking Age swords with a grip that has been preserved almost entirely. Organic material has survived, including the wooden lining around the tang and an almost complete layer of leather wrapped around it. As a result, it is possible to reconstruct the grip’s original form and appearance with a high degree of accuracy. This sword provides an excellent example of how Viking Age grips likely looked, contrasting with many modern reconstructions by contemporary swordsmiths, which are often significantly thicker than historical examples actually were.
The Ornaments
The guards display ornamentation belonging to Androshchuk’s Group H (2014): a pair of interlaced bands. Each band consists of two parallel copper-wire inlays, with a central cord of alternately twisted silver and copper wires, separated from the outer copper borders by an additional silver-wire inlay. Bands of this construction occur on many Type S sword hilts decorated in the same manner. At every point where the two bands intersect, they are “clamped” by an oval motif following the same structural composition pattern as the bands themselves but proportionally wider; consequently, it contains one or two extra cords of alternately twisted silver and copper wires. Each clamping oval also incorporates one or two small loops formed solely from copper-wire inlay. Both the upper and lower guards carry a single plain copper-wire inlay along their lower and upper edges.
The three-lobed pommel also represents ornamentation motif typical of Type S swords. On the central lobe, the inlays depict characteristic side lobes, each composed of two semicircular bands. Within the center of both side lobes, the inlays form small quadrangular shapes. The decorative motifs on the side lobes of the pommel are currently poorly preserved, as are the inlays on most of the surface of the central lobe. Additionally, inlays are missing from the ends of both the upper and lower guards of the sword. Significant losses of inlay are also visible along the ridges on both sides of the guards - right and left. These losses were most likely caused by prolonged and intensive use of the sword, as all of these locations correspond to the parts of the hilt most exposed to mechanical abrasion. The pattern of inlay loss observed on the Włocławek sword closely mirrors the damage patterns documented in the hilt ornamentation of other Type S swords, thereby corroborating this interpretation.
Fig. 6. Left side of the upper hilt and lower guard of the Włocławek sword (Author’s private archive).
Moreover, slightly more extensive inlay losses are observed on the right side (as illustrated in Fig. 4.) of the upper guard and pommel, which likely relate to the grip and combat techniques. As a result, the inner side of the hand would have frequently rubbed against these surfaces - precisely in the areas where inlay losses are now observable.
Less visible areas, such as the undersides of the upper and lower guards, also exhibit decorative motifs. The underside of the upper guard includes two straight copper-wire lines and a motif that most likely once encircled the rivet head fastening the two parts of the upper hilt - though this inaly is no longer preserved (see Fig. 7:2). On the lower guard, the decoration consists of a single copper-wire line running around its underside, along with simple geometric motifs at both ends (see Fig. 7:1).
The top surface of the lower guard features additional interlace ornamentation in the form of a single interwoven band creating a figure-eight shape. At the point of intersection, there is also a clamping oval identical to those found on both guards motifs. At either end of this lower guard face are two teardrop shapes formed from copper-wire inlay (see Fig. 7:3; Fig. 7:4).
Fig. 7. Details of the sword's inlay ornamentation motifs (Author’s private archive).
Very similar pattern of interlace ornamentation of the top surface of the lower guard appears on other Type S swords - for example, the sword from Sigridsholm, Sweden (inv. no. 106760_HST) (Seitz 1965), or on the one of two Busdorf swords from Germany (Schietzel 2022). Another pattern of decoration appearing on the surface of Type S lower guards consists of geometric motifs composed of straight lines, similar to those observed on the underside of the lower guard of the sword from Włocławek.
The final decorative element of the hilt was a twisted copper or silver wire set into the grooves between the upper hilt and the pommel, as well as between the three lobes of the pommel. This is a common decorative feature on hilts fitted with three- or five-lobed pommels. On the Włocławek sword, however, this wire was not preserved, making it difficult to determine its original material, thickness, or precise arrangement.
Final Remarks
Through detailed visual examination of the Włocławek sword, I was able to reconstruct its ornamental motif to the fullest extent possible. Unfortunately, the drawings do not include the motifs that were once present on the now-lost inlaid surfaces of the central and side lobes of the pommel. Along with the drawing of the sword and the reconstructed ornamental pattern, its precise measurements are also published. All files are available for download HERE.
Fig. 8. Reconstructed hilt ornaments of the sword from Włocławek (Illustration by Harald Hrodberhtsson).
I hope that this article has highlighted the key features of the Włocławek sword and made this unique object more accessible to both researchers and enthusiasts. The sword is currently on display as part of the permanent exhibition at the Museum of the History of Włocławek, where it can be viewed by the public. Further research on the object is eagerly anticipated, particularly the results of radiocarbon dating based on organic material sampled from the sword, which are expected to provide valuable insights into the interpretation of this find.
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land in Włocławek, as well as to Tomasz Wąsik, Head of the Museum of the History of Włocławek, for granting access to the sword for my personal examination, which was essential for the development of this article. I also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to Roland Warzecha for kindly providing the excellent illustration used in this paper.
Thank you for taking the time to read my work. If you found this article valuable or insightful, you can support my ongoing research and projects by buying me a coffee. Your contributions help cover the time and resources needed to produce well-researched content. I also invite you to share this article within your network like social media. Additionally, feel free to leave a comment below the article - I welcome feedback, insights, and further discussion.
Harald Hrodberhtsson
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