Norwegian Couple Ploughs Up Viking Sword in Potato Field

The discovery of a Viking-era sword has fueled speculations about whether more artefacts can be found in the immediate vicinity, as most swords are found in connection with a grave, which would yield numerous other arms and tools the dead were buried with.

A Norwegian couple from Øverås in Vestnes, in Møre and Romsdal County, Norway, found a Viking sword while plowing a potato field.

According to Kai Grønningsæter and his wife, Heidi Vike Grønningsæter, they initially thought that the old and rusty pieces of metal they found were the remains of a plow.

Subsequently Kai argued that the pieced looked as if they formed a sword, but his wife disagreed. Ultimately, they wrapped the pieces in a towel and stored them in the garage. After a while, to settle the dispute once and for all, the couple decided to contact county conservator Bjørn Ringstad in Møre and Romsdal County Municipality.

To their surprise, the county conservator did not take long to determine that the rusted pieces indeed used to form a Viking sword.

“This is a double-edged sword from between the 8th and 9th centuries,” Ringstad told the Viking Herald outlet, after evaluating the shape and the hilt. By his own admission, he identified it by the handle, which is typical for swords of that period.

The two pieces initially hang together, but later broke in two. While both parts are richly covered in rust, the shape of a sword is clear nonetheless.

“It is not very well preserved, but it’s a Viking sword alright,” Ringstad added.

Finding swords is not a common occurrence in this part of the country. During his entire time in the County Council, Ringstad has seen only two such sword finds. One of them he excavated himself in the 1990s.

According to him, the find means that more artefacts could potentially lie in the vicinity. There is a hill close to the potato field, and archaeologists wonder if it could therefore be a burial mound.

“Most swords were found in connection with a grave. If you find a sword, you can find the entire weapon set with axes, spears, arrows, and tools that the dead person was buried with,” Ringstad explained.