Snartemo sword, North Germanic spatha from the 5th century.

Snartemo sword – North Germanic spatha from around 500 – 500 CE.

Faithful reproduction of the Snartemo sword.

The sword was discovered by chance in the autumn of 1933 during the cultivation of new farmland in a grave. The grave was located beneath a large stone slab in a cavity that was dated to the early 6th century. Together with other grave goods, including a gold ring and a drinking glass, the grave could be assigned to the Migration Period. The sword was named after the discovery site, "Snartemo," in the Snartemo district of Hægebostad, Norway.

In the original sword, a fur-lined wooden scabbard was also found, along with the remains of a fabric band decorated with a swastika pattern, which likely served as a sword hanger.

The hilt of the original sword is decorated with golden scrollwork, human figures, mythical creatures, and animal heads.

The sword was very likely manufactured in Scandinavia around 500 CE and is not considered a typical ring sword; rather, due to its distinguishing features, it is assigned to an earlier period. The pommel of the sword is not pyramid-shaped, but boat-shaped. Furthermore, the ring is located on the crossguard rather than on the pommel, as is customary with ring swords.

The small ring on the crossguard is also referred to by some military historians as an oath ring.

This very finely crafted North Germanic Migration Period spatha has a slightly sharpened 440 stainless steel blade that can be resharpened. The hardened steel blade features a fuller and is screwed at the end of the hilt. The original of this sword is in the National Museum in Oslo.