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The spear heads could measure between twenty and sixty centimetres with a tendency towards longer heads in the later Viking Age. [2] Spear heads with wings are called krókspjót (hooked spear) in the sagas. Some larger-headed spears were called höggspjót (chopping spear) and could also be used for cutting. The barbed throwing spears were ...
The references from saga literature are not relevant to the Viking Age but come from Iceland of the thirteenth century and later. Originally it meant 'most spear-like spear' i.e. best spear, and can refer to a light or a heavy weapon. [4] Arguably the most famous atgeir was Gunnar Hámundarson's, as described in Njal's Saga.
The krókspjót was a barbed spear, literally "hooked spear", from Old Norse krókr, "hook, anything crooked", [1] and spjót, [1] "spear" (cf. höggspjót, above). The krókspjót resembled a regular spear, except that it had two lugs or "wings" attached at the bottom of the spearhead, somewhat like a boar-spear. Additional hook-spear types ...
Spear-armed hoplite from Greco-Persian Wars. A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as bone, flint, obsidian, copper, bronze, iron, or steel.
The most common weapon in the Viking arsenal was the spear. They were inexpensive and effective weapons, and could also be used when hunting. In the late Roman Iron Age (ending c. 500 CE), the Norse were reputed for their preference of and prowess with the light spear. The wooden shaft of the Viking spear was between two and three meters long.
They were particularly effective against cuts by a sword or axe, since the impact was absorbed and distributed across the many rings. However, mail was less effective at preventing spear injuries—the concentrated force of spears could break a few links and allow the spear to enter the body, sometimes causing the rings to enter with it. [104]
The word kêr or gêr is attested since the 8th century (Lay of Hildebrand 37, Heliand 3089). Gar and cognates is a frequent element in Germanic names, both male and female.. The term survives into New High German as Ger or Gehr (Grimm 1854) with a generalized meaning of 'gusset' besides 'spear'.
The main blade is 12–14 in (30–36 cm) long [I have not found any sources supporting this measurement, the spetum shown in the image's head is measured at 46 in (118.1 cm) meaning the blade is only marginally shorter than 46 inches], and the side blades are only about half that length and are set at acute angles.