alb3798494

Viking Blacksmiths Forge the Sword Gram, 12th Century

Details carved on a stave-church portal at Hyllestad in Norway dating from the 12th century illustrating the saga of Sigurd Favnesbane (legendary hero of Norse mythology). In the scene at the bottom, the sword Gram is being forged. The smith is holding a piece of iron in his tongs, hammering it out on the anvil while an apprentice tends the bellows. In the upper scene the finished sword is tried on the anvil and breaks. During the Viking age all free Norsemen were required to own and carry weapons, not only for defensive purposes but also to verify a Vikings social status within their clan. With the spear, sword and shield being the basic armaments of a typical Viking warrior, the art of the blacksmith was especially essential.

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Title:

Viking Blacksmiths Forge the Sword Gram, 12th Century

Caption:

Details carved on a stave-church portal at Hyllestad in Norway dating from the 12th century illustrating the saga of Sigurd Favnesbane (legendary hero of Norse mythology). In the scene at the bottom, the sword Gram is being forged. The smith is holding a piece of iron in his tongs, hammering it out on the anvil while an apprentice tends the bellows. In the upper scene the finished sword is tried on the anvil and breaks. During the Viking age all free Norsemen were required to own and carry weapons, not only for defensive purposes but also to verify a Vikings social status within their clan. With the spear, sword and shield being the basic armaments of a typical Viking warrior, the art of the blacksmith was especially essential.

Credit:

Album / Science Source / New York Public Library

Releases:

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Image size:

2355 x 4827 px | 32.5 MB

Print size:

19.9 x 40.9 cm | 7.8 x 16.1 in (300 dpi)

Keywords:

12TH CENTURY • ANVIL • APPRENTICE • ART • ARTISAN • ARTWORK • ATELIER • BLACKSMITH (MALE) • BLACKSMITH TOOLS • BLACKSMITH'S WORKSHOP • BLACKSMITH • BLACKSMITHING • BW • CARVING • DANES • FORGE • FORGED • HAMMER • HAMMERING • HERO • HEROIC • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • HUNDRED YEARS WAR • IRON ANVIL • LEGEND • LEGENDARY • MEDIEVAL • MIDDLE AGES • MYTH • MYTHOLOGICAL • MYTHOLOGY • NAILER • NORDIC • NORSE • NORSEMAN • NORSEMEN • NORTHMAN • NORTHMEN • NORWAY • NORWEGIAN • SAGA • SIGURD FAVNESBANE • SIGURD • SMITH TOOLS • SMITH • SMITHY • STAVE-CHURCH PORTAL • SWORD GRAM • SWORD • TRADE: BLACKSMITH • TRAINEE • VIKING • WAR • WEAPON • WEAPONARY • WOOD CARVING • WORKSHOP