Viking Fighting Moves from the Sagas: 6

A speculative reconstruction of one-on-one Viking combat based on fighting moves described in the Sagas of Icelanders, including: -- A surprise attack from behind a cloak: Fóstbræðra saga Og er minnstar vonir voru bregður Þormóður höggöxi undan skikkju sinni og höggur í höfuð Loðini svo að hann féll þegar dauður til jarðar. And when it was least expected, Þormóður drew out an axe from under his cloak and struck at Loðinn’s head so that he fell to the ground dead. -- Peace-straps (friðbönd) prevent a sword from being drawn: Króka-Refs saga, ch.3 Í því leggur Refur spjótinu á Þorbjörn miðjan. Féll Þorbjörn á bak aftur og gat ekki brugðið sverðinu. Var það og friðbent enda bar bráðum að. At that instant, Refur thrust his spear through Þorbjörn’s middle. Þorbjörn fell backwards. He had not been able to draw his sword because the peace straps were fastened. -- Strike with the pommel: Vatnsdaæla saga, Jökull ... spratt upp og hljóp að honum, laust milli herðanna Bergi með hjöltunum svo að hann féll við áfram. Jökull sprang up and leapt at Bergur, and struck him between the shoulder-blades with his pommel so that he fell flat on his face. -- Dragging an opponent by the hair: Þórðar saga hreðu, Síðan tók hann í hár honum og kippti honum fram á stokkinn og hjó af honum höfuðið. He grabbed him by the hair, dragged him to the bedstead and chopped his head off. -- Breaking the neck to quiet down an unruly opponent: Finnboga saga ramma, Finnbogi ... snarar síðan höfuð hans og brýtur á bak aftur og linast hann heldur við slíkar byxingar. Finnbogi ... snapped his head back, breaking his neck. With such rough treatment, Þorbjörn quieted down considerably. More information at: Comments and discussion at: