Site Overview
See the unique and mystical Langeid sword
The improved Viking Age exhibition will open in 2019.
The exhibition includes exquisite objects highlighting three important aspects of the Viking Age – journeys, warriors and a changing society.
Langeid sword
This unique sword was discovered during an archaeological dig in Setesdalen in 2011. The hilt is decorated with mystical signs inlaid with gold.
This decoration is extremely unusal during the Viking Age and it is not clear what the letters mean. They could be in reference to Bible verses or be copies of characters on Anglo-Saxon coins. One theory is that it was brought to Norway from England.
The decorations include several Christian motifs – crosses and a hand holding a cross – but the sword was finally placed in a heathen grave.
Key Attractions
- Religion and Belief
- Viking Voyages
- Artefacts