Armour
When I first started fighting, I only had a vague idea of how I wanted to assemble my "kit". I was looking for light armour with good coverage, and a period appearance. To me, that meant leather. Of course, once I was bit by the authenticity bug this proved troublesome - there are not a lot of finds that include leather armour. We know that it existed, through accounts and representational finds (art), but we don't have much detail. In some ways, that gives us some latitude, but in others it makes life difficult for those of us that like to document.

Honestly, given my persona (an 11th C. merchant-class Celt with a strong Norse influence), body armour is not something I was very likely to have had at all. If I did, it would be along the lines of a "leather jerkin" or "leather jacket". There might not be any steel in my kit at all, maybe not even in my helm (those that weren't made entirely of leather often included plates of shaped horn - though obviously metal helms have been found). If I was lucky, I might have a chainmail hauberk - and I may some day get around to making one of those. In the meantime, my 'second-generation armour' is a bit more "low profile" and looks mostly like Rus Viking pants and a large tunic. However, the full leather harness (that I've been fighting in quite a few years and have put quite a bit of work into - pictured left and elsewhere) still sees use in melee where I can rely less on maneuverability for defense.

My helm was constructed by Windrose Armouries, and proved to be almost exactly what I was looking for. The nasal represents a Norse influence, while the cheek plates are a style seen in many Celtic helms. Neither in-period helm would have sported an enclosed back (or obviously the bar grille), but we must make some sacrifices "for the game". The leather kits was constructed by myself with the addition of metal fittings from a variety of sources. The "low profile" kit includes some modern sports gear, the tunic and pants sewn by my wife (the rest sewn by myself), and leather pieces also made by myself.

Shields Moving on... I actually started this project to document "shields that are appropriate to my persona". There is a good body of research on Celtic and Viking arms and armour available. There are many surviving artifacts in various states of repair, but since wood and leather don't stand the test of time well much of this research is also based upon representational finds - written accounts, sculpture and artwork, etc. Much of what we know is based upon archeological "best guesses" and is subject to interpretation.
Celtic Shields The term "Celtic Shield" actually encompasses several different styles of shields. However, all of them do bear common elements. Generally, "the Celtic shield consists of an ovoid shield board with a long, spindle-shaped umbo with a spine extending vertically along the shield board". While we mostly have only artwork and some fittings to base our knowledge of these shields on, there are a few rare finds that give us insight into the types of shields used by the Celts from the 6th century BC into the early AD period. Some of these finds include the Witham and Battersea shields, which are not actually whole shields but the bronze central fitting in which the central-grip is located and to which wooden boards were fixed. Due to their elaborate decoration and somewhat delicate construction, these are actually believed to be ceremonial in nature. They also don't give us a great idea as to the shape of the complete shield. As they are, they have been described as "elongated rectangle with rounded corners but slightly concave lines along its length", but it is unclear what shape the boards affixed to them would have made the final shield. The Chertsey shield, entirely of bronze (with an ash handle) gives us an example of what the size and shape that these shields may have been and is a fairly perfect ovoid measuring 83.6cm long by 46.8cm wide. All three are dated to within 350-50 BC with the Withan and Chertsea dated to narrower windows in the earlier end of that time frame. The same general size and shape is also evident in the shields found near La Tène. These were three oak plank shields roughly 1.1m long and 1.2cm thick at the center (tapering to thinner near the edges). Two of the three exhibit wooden bosses, while the third's was missing. All Celtic shield boards found are flat - in other words all of these shields were flat with protruding umbos. Overall it seems that many variations on shape were used. "The victory arch at Orange shows both rectangular, ovoid, rounded rectangles, and elongated hexagonal shapes". Most of these shapes show up seperately in other depictions as well. We also see a good variation in sizes. "The Clonnoura shield is a tiny 22.8 by 14 inches; the Fayum shield measures 50.25 by 25.4 inches. The La Tène shields are more moderate, measuring about 43 by 24 inches." While most of these shields contained a grip in a wooden spindle-shaped umbo, later period examples (1st century BC to early AD) seem to have rounded metal bosses much like the later Viking shields. All of these grips were fixed in a horizontal orientation. My Celtic shield is based closely on the La Tène finds. It is 42"x24" and exhibits the same "rounded rectangular" shape. It is constructed of 1/2" plywood, though obviously the taper found in most Celtic shields (and definitely the La Tène) was not applied for safety reasons. Edging is done with garden hose laced over aluminum c-channel. Rather than the spindle-shaped umbo, I installed a steel boss (later replaced with a larger, more-comfortable high-impact plastic) - though I did set the handle in a horizontal orientation.
Kite Shield The kite shield seems to have come into existance at the end of the Viking period in the mid-11th century. It is a style widely depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry as well as being borne by every shield-bearing piece of the Lewis chess set. These are half-body shields with a rounded upper edge tapering to a point at the bottom, and with an outwardly convex shape and central bosses. This styling mutates slowly over the next couple of centuries. Some depictions loose the central boss, while others show the eventual flattening of the top portion. Still others show a shortening of the overall length. There is sufficient evidence to indicate that the kite shield eventually mutated into the familiar 'heater'-style shield. Early kite shields seem to utilize a boss-grip, while some of the later ones were strapped to the arm. Some depictions show carry straps that enable the shield to be slung across the back. My kite shield is 4ft tall, 2ft wide (at the top) and bears the typical teardrop shape. I've laminated a couple layers of 1/4" plywood so that the shield has built-in curvature (it's my first non-flat shield). I did strap this shield rather than install a boss.
Round Shield There are quite a few grave finds including Viking round shields and shield bosses. There are also many period depictions of them, as well. Through some of the more intact examples, such as those of the Gokstad find, we can garner some detail as to their construction. These were flat shields with a central iron boss, and sometimes iron edging, obviously round with an average diameter of 60cm. Diameters do vary a fair bit (from as small as 1.5' to 3'), as well as the size and shape/style of the boss. While it is generally accepted that the boss was also the location of the center-grip, there is also some evidence of round shields that may have been strapped to the arm. Some also indicate that they may have had carrying straps that would allow the bearer to sling it from his back. Generally these shields were flat, but a few examples do indicate convex shaping, at least towards the outer edges. Most were constructed of planks glued in layers of alternating orientation - the original plywood. My round shield is circular with a 28" diameter (exactly as long as I can span comfortably with one arm). It is flat and made of 1/2" plywood. I originally used a steel boss, but later replaced it with a larger, more-comfortable high-impact plastic one. Edging was done with aluminum c-channel for reinforcement and garden hose for padding.
Rus Shield This was actually my first shield. It is based on an illustration in Osprey's Elite 3: The Vikings. The plate is titled "Eastern Vikings, 10th-11th centuries". The plate's depiction is apparently based on "Arab and Byzantine writers, especially that of Leo the Deacon". In those descriptions there are accounts of the Rus arms and armour which include "tall shields 'the height of a man' (in fact they would have been four feet tall)". The author does not mention if these accounts also describe the shape of the shield, or of this is an artist's interpretation. Said interpretation is a flat, tall rectangular shield with rounded corners and a center boss which may or may not be the grip. It also includes wide metal reinforcement around the edges and decorative metal reinforcement on the face. At this time, I have not been able to find further documentation for this style of shield. My original shield was based loosely on this depiction, but a number of allowances were made. Since then I have replaced it with a new shield that much more closely matches the depiction above: 4'x2' with slightly rouned corners. It sports the boss-mounted center grip as well as arm straps (thus allowing it to be used either way).
Sources: Ian Heath, The Vikings, Elite Series, Book 3, Osprey Publishing, UK, 1985. http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html. http://www.redrampant.com/roma/celtshields.html.

. This weapon has gone through several design iterations now as weapon construction rules keep changing.

Like the mace, this is a weapon my persona was unlikely to have owned as hammers came into vogue much later for combatting foes in plate armour. My persona is doublely-unlikely to have had something like this as the haft length is more typical of a horseman's hammer, the length being useful for attacking opponents on the ground or likewise on horseback. Further, the head diameter of 3"x2" is larger than most extant examples - smaller is better for concentrating force, but I purposely went a little larger for safety reasons (and because it looks cooler :). Likewise with the spike on the reverse end of the head.
 

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Weapons Of course, the real fun is in giving new weapons and new styles a try and attempting to gain a wide variety of proficiencies, even though I have recently been persuaded to focus on a few particular weapons/styles. The following is a list of most of the weapons in my arsenal and why I have them.
Long sword My first stick, and a weapon I still prefer, is the long sword. I've had a couple of these, from 38-39 inches with a "blade" length around 32 inches. I tried a basket-hilt on one for about a year, but the added weight dramatically effected my speed. My newest ones incorporate thrusting tips. Coincidentally (or maybe not), a 32 inch blade is about the average among Viking swords, and the double-edged blades were most common.
Short sword After finding that it is hard to swing a long stick in the press (say, in the pocket during the Castle Battle), I realized that I might want something shorter. As luck would have it, I had a short piece of rattan lying about. This sword is about 27.5 inches overall once the thrusting tip was added, with a "blade" length just shy of 20 inches. The quillons are perhaps a little longer than necesary, but it is what I had lying around when I constructed this and it protects my hand well. This is representative of the many shorter cut-and-thrust swords used throughout history, and quite familar to the Celts and Norse.
Daggers In order to have a few hold-out weapons when fighting with my variety of long weapons, I constructed a pair of daggers. They can also be fun to fight with as a pair. Both incorporate thrusting tips and have cutting edges. They are 21" and 18" each with cutting edges 15" and 12" long respectvely. The longer of these two daggers is actually shorter than the long seax (developed by the 7th C.), though I tend to wear it in a horizontal belt scabbard anyway (as would be typical of most seaxes). The shorter of the two is about the length of a Scottish dirk, though the dirk is a much later-period weapon. Luckily neither of these daggers are intended to specifically represent either of these weapons, but to be more generic daggers. The historic references are only to illustrate the approximate size of weapons of this general type.
Bearded Axes This pair of axes were made using rubber foam forms made by By My Hand Designs, and attached in the recommended manner to staves of 30 inch long shaved rattan. I love these, for despite their size they are light and fast. Hand axes were used in various cultures throughout history, and the "bearded" form was characteristic of the Vikings. Some have even said that they brought axes back into military fashion with this design.
Throwing Axes I have recently been experimenting with different designs for throwing axes. One of these is a dense foam core edged with garden hose. The other is a configuration of close-cell-wrapped rubber stoppers. Throwing axes were used by a variety of cultures, the Norse included.
Mace Constructed of a 24" haft of shaved rattan with a large Konga ball fitted over the end. A thrusting tip has been attached to the top of the ball, making for an overall weapon length of 25.5 inches. The short length of the shaft allows this weapon to maintain good balance despite its top-heaviness, and it swings quite nicely. Its size makes it best employed in close quarters. While not excessive in the least, it certainly lands with authority. Okay, my persona is not as likely to have a mace as the weapon came into vogue much later for smashing plate armour with, but it is certainly a fun thing to play with. There is evidence of its use in Scandanavia as early as the 13th C., but that's currently the best I can find.
Claymore I actually started out attempting to build this claymore close to the same dimensions as a steel one that I own. The quillions and pommel came from By My Hand Designs, and the thrusting tip is of moulded rubber from Mandrake Armoury. Overall length is 57" (58.5" if you count the pommel weight). The grip is about 12" long and an 8-9" ricasso is marked above the quillions (depending on where you start measuring), leaving a blade length of 35.5 inches. This weapon is intended to be representative of a typical Scottish claymore or greatsword and does the job admirably - even if the claymore (even greatswords, in general) came along much later than my persona. Since it was modeled on an actual example, the dimensions are fairly close to the average 55" overall, 13" grip and 42" blade.
Greatsword This greatsword is admittedly built directly to SCA specs: 6 ft overall length with a grip of 18 inches. The thrusting tip is a low profile one (the first I've put on a great weapon since they were allowed) with thrusting edges on the quillons and one of Mandrake Armoury's moulded rubber tips as a pommel spike. As mentioned above, greatswords in general really aren't period to my persona. This weapon was constructed to round out my weapon selections, but also so that I could participate in AEthelmearc's half-swording experiment. I have lately taken a liking to using this as an off-hand weapon when fighting "two-sword".
Broad Axe This 4 ft shaft was cut from my original glaive (the stave was pretty "whippy" at 7.5ft) and has had a rubber foam axe-head form from By My Hand Designs added, along with a thrusting tip. The butt-spike was also kept. While this weapon lacks the range of most glaives and other two-handed weapons it is a load of fun. Opponents often underestimate the speed in attack and defense that the shorter haft allows, and the intimidation factor of seeing a crazed fighter charging with this thing raised over his head is just a hoot. On the other hand, some truly great bouts have been had when I've found other people nuts enough to own one of these. The broad axe was another weapon that the Vikings tend to get credit for, and is also illustrated nicely in the Bayeux Tapestry. While I'm not sure if any examples have been found with butt-spikes (or thrusting tips for that matter), the axe head was specifically designed to immitate these weapons and the haft length is right on spec.
Great Axe This 5 ft double-bitted axe again utilizes the rubber foam axe-head forms from By My Hand Designs. A butt-spike was added for a little variety, but a thrusting tip didn't really seem to fit well with the weapon's primary use. Built on a dense piece of rattan and with a fair bit of weight in the head, this weapon is a tad cumbersome. This weapon is actually built to the descriptions of Kveldulf's axe in Egil's Saga. He uses an axe like this to single-handedly clear the foredeck of a ship, and it is not difficult to see how once you get this thing in your hands. It is an interesting and challenging weapon to use effectively, but it has its potential.
Glaive This is your SCA standard 7.5 ft unpadded "war glaive". As a 90" stick it has a 30" cutting edge, double-sided. It also sports the ubiquitous thrusting tip and butt spike. This glaive is identical to my first except that I acquired a stouter piece of rattan for it. Honestly, I've never been quite sure what our standard glaive is supposed to represent. There are a few, but only a few, period polearms that don't sport some sort of large cutting head in order to serve as a dual-function weapon. Though the 30" cutting edge is really too long (1-2 feet is the typical length of a spear head, this length often includes the socket and all), this weapon isn't too far off as a representation of a "short cutting spear" as is sometimes referred to in the Norse sagas - The Saga of Ref the Sly particularly comes to mind.
Boar Spear Because I like to try different things I put together a spear made from rattan and, per the rules, with a thrusting tip only 2 inches in diameter. This spear also boasts a pair of boar spear 'wings' of rubber foam from By My Hand Designs. I have found the 'wings' to be perfect for trapping and grounding opposing spears, usually allowing a partner to make the kill. They are also useful for pushing shields out of the way. This is certainly intended to be your typical Celtic/Viking thrusting spear. The shaft lenth is perfect (evidence leading scholars to believe 7-10 ft was average) with the 'rivet' (or place where the rivet would be) being just as high as I can comfortably reach. The head is of a fairly typical boar spear design, 2 'ells' (feet) overall, a blade about 1 'ell', and wings to keep the head from penetrating too far into a target and getting stuck.
Spear Of course I also have an SCA standard 9 ft fiberglass spear with foam thrusting tip. Spears were employed widely by many cultures, including the Vikings and Celts, long before polearms came around. In many ways this spear is little different from them in terms of martial use. In other words, this is a good represntation of the typical Viking spear, though perhaps one that would only have been used two-handed as it is a bit clumsy to use one-handed.
Long bow Hickory self long bow, tillered to 30# at a 28" draw length. This is the maximum spec for "light" combat bows allowed to fire fiberglass shafted arrows. The parameters of the ammo I use (28" shafts, Baldar blunts and Asgard APDs) prevent me from overdrawing to my actual draw length of 29". Original stave length 72" - though it might appear a little shorter now as the curvature has set. Vikings did use bows in battle, and some long bows have even been found (a 73" example was found in Dublin). They did not disdain it as a "lower" weapon as some later cultures did or as an "impersonal" weapon as the early Celts did, and there is evidence that many Norse kings often picked up a bow and took pride in their accuracy. What evidence we have indicates that archers mixed in with the units and took a role as marksmen, rather than grouping separately and employing volley fire and other mass tactics (as we see later in period) - in other words, the Vikings used archery in much the same way that many employeed combat archery in the SCA.
Crossbow This is a crossbow that I built myself as part of a class on crossbow construction. The stock is rock maple and uses a Roman rising block trigger design. The prod is in need of replacement as the one that was included in the "kit" was too light for current standards. From this bow I use siloflex bolts tipped with Baldur blunts. The crossbow is an interesting weapon historically, for while accounts of weapons like this exist from Roman times, the Battle of Hastings marks the first documented use in English history. It is not a weapon that is known to be employed by the Celts or Norse, but I own one because of my passion for combat archery.