more on ULFBERHT...

In a conversation with Michele Smith, the question of 'How many are there?' came up. Michele (generally more 'with it' than I am) obviously did a fast Google search for 'Ulfberht' and came up with this:


Photo: Leiden, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Netherlands
Sword with the inscription „Ulfberht“, discovered in the Maas near Lith, the Netherlands, 950-1000 A.D.

The inscription "Ulfbehrt" does not refer to the owner of the weapon, but rather to the smith who forged it. Ulfbehrt was a very well-known Frankish blacksmith, whose products were highly coveted because of their high quality. "Ulfbehrt-Swords" were found in many parts of Europe (166 blades in 23 European countries), with an especially high number found in Scandinavia.

This excerpt is from the exhibit 'Die Wikinger' (The Vikings) at the Historical Museum of the Platinate, at the town of Speyer in SW Germany.

Although the exhibit has (just!) closed, the web site is worth a look.