Rules for Weapons & Fighting

The scene we all enjoy is continuously developing. Many new sources of inspiration and knowledge are being introduced all the time as well as a host of new people, full of energy and ideas. As always we welcome this surge of vitality and seek to guide it as best we can. Some of the rules, written and unwritten, continuously undergo both changes and scrutiny with new perspectives, and page seeks to set them down in a short and easily understood fashion.

Therefore this set of rules is not new. Rather it is the rules, as they have always been, a collection of all the input we have received over the years from everyone, curated by us.

We do not want a stringent rule system, because it undermines people’s use of common sense. This is a Gentleman’s sport, and preserving the amazing and unique culture we have so diligently built over the years is vital. Please don’t try to find loopholes and bend the rules as much as possible, but seek to better yourselves and your friends through inspiration, knowledge, and hard work. Let’s cultivate this great atmosphere of friendly competition with less anger and assumptions of cheating, so we can have that beer afterward with a smile.

These rules are created from the three pillars of Safety, Game Balance/Sportsmanship, and Authenticity. We want to honour the creative spirit in the scene, but there are limits. Please make your weapons look like weapons and not sporting tools.

We traditionally allow the standard assortment of knives, axes, swords, spears, and daneaxes, all of various shapes and sizes but based on Viking age weapons. Rather than attempt to name all variations here, we ask you to try to use your common sense.

Please note that we will reserve the absolute right to remove weapons that we consider to be in conflict with the fair play mentality of our sport, overtly unauthentic, or if we consider them unsafe (The Rule of Silly/Safety).

If any doubts arise, please feel free to contact the organizers.

General Weapon Specifications

All weapons should be based on the weapons of the Viking period, and from the Scandinavian regions that the Vikings inhabited. However, weapons can also be based on weapons from foreign regions, as long as these regions were visited by, and somewhat common to, the Viking travelers. We implore you to match your weapons with your garments, so as to not cause visual confusion.

All cutting blades must have a minimum of 2mm rounded edge.

All blade points (incl. swords, knives, axes and daneaxes) must have rounded points to a circle with a diameter of 16 mm.

Maximum Weapon Lengths

Two-Handed Spear

250 cm

One-Handed Spear

180 cm

Two-Handed Axe

200 cm

(base to highest point, be it axe head or handle)

The following are NOT rules but guidelines in the spirit of fair play.
Please expect any significant deviation to be addressed.

Swords

90 cm

One-Handed Axe

90 cm

Spear Specifications

Spear tips will be measured by their impact area. This is only the very tip of the spear and the part that usually connects with the opponent. Even if the spear becomes wider further down, the size measurements are for this area only. Please refer to the diagram on the right for specifications. Remember to take your rounding off into account when measuring your spears.

One-handed Spears

Minimum 90 mm2

Approximate shape examples in mm.

Ø 11

9 x 13

8 x 12

Two-handed Spears

Minimum 120 mm2

Approximate shape examples in mm.

Ø 13

10 x 16

9 x 14

How you shape your spear otherwise is up to you. Remember these are minimum measurements. If for example you want to use a ball tip, it just has to be larger to present an acceptable impact area. People are soft, but since a ball doesnt impact with whole top sphere, you’ll need to measure the part that actually does.

All spear tips (2-handed and 1-handed) must be rounded, with no edges able to catch. Examples below are just to serve as guidelines.

Materials

Shafts for all weapons should be made of wood, but antler and bone handles are allowed for knives and swords. All safety aspects are based on steel weapons. If you choose another material, you must adjust the dimensions to equate to a 16 MM normal steel weapon.

You are responsible for the safety of your weapon.

Likewise, if you choose to make a hollow weapon (we honestly dont know why you would, and reserve the right of ridicule if we find out), make sure your welds are safe. Overall please respect the spirit of the fight. Dont create overt sports tools.

Target Zones

Swords, Axes, Knives & Daneaxes

The target zone covers the torso, from the top of the shoulders, and the upper leg down to the knees, including the crotch.

The neck, head, knees and the upper arms are NOT a part of the target zone!

One & Two Handed Spears

The target zone covers the torso to the underside of the hipbone, including the crotch and buttocks.

Kills with the spear

Only a thrust with the point of a spearhead counts as a kill. Slapping or cutting does not. The definition of a thrust is a forward moving motion of the tip. A slap thus being a horizontal or vertical motion, with the tip not moving forward. A cut is defined as a forward moving motion were the tip isn’t the first to hit.

Simply put: if the spear moves forward and the tip of the spear hits you, it’s a kill.

Often when attacking from behind, a spearman will attempt to protect the opponent by cutting with the spear to the back or buttocks. We urge you to be gracious in defeat and accept the kill. This is done for your own protection.

General Rules

A collection of general rules, we play by. We try to keep them as few as possible and always encourage people to stay in the spirit of the fight and use their common sense of fair play.

Metal Kills

We operate with the term “metal kills” for all weapons, with the exception of the spear. Any contact between a knife blade, sword blade or axe head and the target zone counts as a kill. The quality of the hit is not important: metal kills. However, neither sword handles incl. pommel and guard, axe hafts or spear shafts can kill an opponent.

Hooking with Axes

If you hook someone and you are unable to unhook immediately in a safe way without injury to person or gear, you must let go of the axe for safety reasons. Active shields are allowed to be hooked, but please be careful. If you hook someone in the target zone, they are dead, but you must still let go of the axe.

Grabbing Weapons

You can grab the wooden part of a weapon. If you grab the steel, you must let go at once. You are not dead. Do not use the hand to block the steel part of weapons.

Never Allowed

The following is not allowed at neither training nor battles.

Kiteshields
Metal butt-ends for spears
NEVER bring any sharp weapons or blades of any kind onto the field!

Headshots

If you, your weapon or shield comes into contact with an opponents head, you are out of the fight. Occasionally, a fighter is unaware that he or she has made a headshot. If so, simply say “headshot” and the fighter will go down. Any discussion or placement of blame can take place after the fight has stopped. Please do not resume training until any dispute has been resolved. If two fighters cannot reconcile a situation, please find the organizers and they will help resolve the matter.

“Headshots are a delicate matter. Where do we draw the line? Personally, if someone punches or elbows me in the head. I’ll call a headshot. However, if I charge in and headbutt someone’s shield, I won’t. We don’t want to make too many rules, but urge all fighters to respect the friendly and honorable spirit of the game.”

Mads Rode – Fighter & Former Organiser at Moesgaard

The current culture is that it is always the person with the weapon, who is at fault. And we agree. That is why we have the headshot rule. It is their responsibility to use their weapon safely. But we would also urge everyone who receives a headshot, to reflect on the actual cause of it. Safety is a paramount concern, which carries the responsibility of taking care of yourself and your friends in the heat of the fight. We engage in a tough sport. Lets try and keep it as safe as possible.

Passive Shields

There are a number of restrictions that need to be satisfied when using a passive shield, while wielding a two-handed weapon:

With a passive shield, the fighter must also carry a one-handed weapon
A passive shield must be carried on the back or the hip
If the shield is carried on the hip, the top edge must be below the belt
The fighter must be able to effectively draw the shield and use it

We will not make any rules regarding the size of your shield, but we urge you respectfully to not bring very small shields to the main field of battle.

Knives & Passive Weapons

Knives must be based on finds, and like all other weapons, they must be worn in a scabbard in the belt. No knives must be attached to your hand, or held in the back hand when using a two handed weapon.

No specially designed sporting implements will be allowed.

Passive weapons are weapons not actively being used, eg. a sword hanging from the belt or an axe held behind the shield. These weapons offer no protection at all. If you are hit on the sword scabbard, and the blow would have hit your leg, that is a kill. If you are stabbed on the head of your axe sticking over your shield, and the stab would have hit your shoulder, that is a kill.

Safety Equipment

The only mandatory safety equipment you must use for training and on the field is padded leather gloves. We strongly advise you to also use armguards, and these must be hidden under your clothes.

Weapon Safety Check

This year at Sletten, we would like to change the way we typically do safety checks. This will increase safety during the week and reduce time standing around waiting. So the procedure will be as follows:

Please present yourself with all the weapons, you will be using during the week and weekend at the first office hour after you arrive at Sletten.

Office hours will be posted at infopoints, and held at the admin camp.

Here we will check your weapons and clear up any questions you might have.

Please help your friends and groupmates by reminding them of this new initiative, so we can get it running smoothly as fast as possible.

Christoffer Cold

Ulfhednir

These are the two people responsible for all aspects of the fighting, both training and battles. If you have questions these are the people to ask.

War Team

Simon Møller Christensen

RIPA