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A “typical” thegn wore a woolen tunic and breeches. These were expensive, in large part because of the meticulous craftsmanship involved in their manufacture. The average “rank and file” thegn might be able to afford a basic helmet, but high-ranking Saxon warriors wore mail shirts. These greatly varied in size, ranging from about 6 to 10 inches in length. Much more universal was the scramaseaxe, a long knife that was used by peasant and king alike for everyday tasks. Blades were about 30 inches long and three inches wide, designed for slashing, not stabbing. Anglo-Saxon Swords Were Rareīy contrast, only high-ranking Anglo-Saxon warriors used the sword. The thrusting spear varied greatly in size, but generally was about seven feet in length, tipped by a broad leaf- or lozenge-shaped head. Once an enemy was “softened up” by the javelins, it was time to close with thrusting spears, generally held overhand. Few Viking warriors and Anglo-Saxons who were lower down on the social scale had helmets and virtually none had armor, which made them particularly vulnerable to a javelin “barrage.” This was harder to do, however, if a soldier were shoulder to shoulder in a shield wall, and if not one but scores of javelins were raining down simultaneously. Javelins were light and slow, and targeted soldiers could easily avoid them. The Regia Anglorum, a modern living history group based in England, did a few experiments that produced interesting results. Javelins were launched early in a battle, “gadfly” shafts that were best thrown en masse. There were several types of spear, but the two major categories were the light javelin and more sturdy thrusting spear. Its effectiveness was underscored by the fact that everyone from great lord to humble thegn used it. The basic Anglo-Saxon weapon was the spear. Even today, information is scanty, and must of necessity be gleaned from literary sources and a few rare archaeological finds. It can indeed be rather difficult to understand the differences between Anglo-Saxon thegns and the Norse Viking warriors.