Klaipėdos universitetas

The article is devoted to the history of tenth to 13th-century blade weapons in Belarus. The main tendencies in the evolution of blade weapons and the most important directions in military-technical contacts of the population of Belarus are defined.

The various ways of interpreting the meaning of battle-axes and swords as grave goods are discussed. Two Finnish Crusade Period (1050–1200AD) inhumation cemeteries (Kirkkomäki in Turku and Rikalanmäki in Halikko) are presented as a case study. Both swords and battle-axes in these cemeteries had several meanings: they were effective weapons, but also important symbols of the wealth and status of their owners and community. They also had other symbolic and magical dimensions, which were important in the burial ritual.