Anglo Saxon Weapons Essay

Warfare was a big part of Anglo-Saxon life. The people who fought in these wars were viewed as heroes. Only the men carried weapons, but that didn’t mean women wouldn’t use them if necessary to protect their home or themselves. The most basic weapon used by the Anglo-Saxons would have been knives, which they called aseax, although it was more used for tools and eating.

Spears, called spere, ord, aesc, sceaft or gar, were a pretty common weapon. More often than not, they were over 2 metres and could have been used for warfare or hunting. It was encouraged that every freeman have a spear according to the Anglo-Saxon laws.

Swords (sweord, secg, heoru, and ecg) were very hard to make and cost a lot of money, so not many people had them unless they were warriors or otherwise quite important.

Helmets and chain-mail were worn by only the most important and richest Anglo-Saxon warriors. This meant that they had far more protection than most warriors.

Axes (aex aesc) were another tool that could have been used as weapons, some being specifically designed for it. If a warrior was using an axe, he most likely had a

This period of down time was also preparation for unknown battles in the future.

The Anglo-Saxon society revolved heavily around war, and they were very passionate about it. However, it would eventually lead to their downfall.

The fall of Anglo-Saxon England had to do with many factors, including the Anglo-Saxon’s obsession with war, a leaders ignorance and disregard towards his advisors and internal rivalries. In 1066, Harold II, made the worst decision in Anglo-Saxon history. Disregarding his advisors recommendations to wait and starve the Viking invaders, Harold took to battle, leading to his death, the Anglo-Saxon’s defeat and the end of the Anglo-Saxon empire.