The bow and arrow was a very effective ranged weapon used throughout the Viking and medieval times. It was common for vikings to soak the arrows in a flammable liquid and then light them, which allows the arrows to burn the houses which were commonly made out of thatch and wood. Most arrows were made of yew, ash and elm. arrow heads were typically made of iron and produced in various shapes and sizes. They were mainly connected to the wooden shaft by a shouldered tang. Some heads were also made of wood, bone or antler. The draw weight of a 10th century bow may have been around 90 pounds.
Throwing spears was very common among the warrior class. Despite popular belief spears were an apt fit for the formations and tactics of the Vikings, and was the principal weapon for a Viking warrior. The spears consisted of a metal head with a blade and a wooden shaft of two to three metres in length, which was typically made from ash wood. The spear head could measure anywhere from twenty to sixty centimetres in length. Two main types of spears were used; the krokspjot was a spear with a winged head and a hoggspjot was a spear with a larger head. The krokspjot was used for throwing, whereas the hoggspjot could also be used for chopping and stabbing.
A pole-arm known as the Atgeir is mentioned in viking sagas and literature, and is commonly translated to halberd, akin to a glaive(sword) . Gunner Hamundarson in the Njals saga is described as very gently "cutting and impaling his foes on his Atgeir." several weapons have been described as "viking halberds", although none of these were found in graves. Halberds may have been quite rare, or may not have been customary in the funerals of Vikings.
two types of knives were in common use by the Vikings. the more common one was a plain, single-edged knife called the knifr. these are found in most viking graves, as it was the only weapon allowed for everyone, including slaves. smaller versions served as everyday utility tool, while longer versions were likely used for hunting, combat or both. the knifr had a more or less cylindrical handle. the blade was straight with the edge sweeping upward to meet the back in a point. the second type of knife was the seax. the type associated with the vikings is the so-called broken back style seax. this was usually heavier than a knifr, and served as a machete or falchion like arm. a wealthier man might own a larger seax, some being effectively swords. with a single edge and heavy blade, this crude weapon could be relatively simple to reduce. a rather long tang is fitted to many examples, supposing that some could be designed for two-handed use.
the viking sword was a single-handed weapon which was combined with a shield. it sported a double-edged blade 90cm in length. its shape was very much like the roman spartha, with a tight grip, long deep fuller and no pronounced crossguard. the sword was not specific to the vikings, but was of use throughout europe. swords were costly to make, and were a sign of high status. they were rarely used, and many swords found in graves were not large or sturdy enough to have been used in battle, and were probably used for decorative purposes only. swords would be kept in a leather-bound wooden scabbard hung across the right shoulder.
the axe was the most common hand weapon among vikings. swords were much more expensive to make, so only wealthy warriors could afford them. the prevalence of axes in archaeological sites can likely be contributed to the use of the axe as a common tool. several types of larger axes were also developed specifically for battle, with larger heads and longer shafts. larger axes were made to be used to handed, and were called dane axes.
The shield was the most common means of defence. The sagas specifically mention linden wood for shield construction, but grave sites also show evidence of fir alder and poplar. These were not very dense and are easy to carry. These are also not inclined to split, like oak. The fibres of the wood will bind around the blade, preventing it from digging in deeper. In conjunction with stronger wood, vikings would put strips of metal in the wood, making the shield even stronger. vikings would occasionally even reinforce them with leather or metal rims, although this was uncommon.