The Ancient Nord Sword is the weapon you will see most often in Skyrim’s barrows: a pitted, ancient blade wielded by the draugr and skeletal guardians of the old Nordic tombs. With 8 base damage it matches a steel sword, but at 12 weight and a sale value of just 13 it is heavier and almost worthless to merchants.
In practice it is a weapon you take from enemies rather than one you seek out. Its real interest lies in the many named relatives built on the same old-world design, from enchanted heirlooms to the stronger honed and Nord Hero versions. It sits naturally alongside Ancient Nord Armor.
Stats
| Type | Sword |
|---|---|
| Skill | One-handed |
| Material | Ancient Nord |
| Damage | 8 |
| Weight | 12 |
| Value | 13 gold |
| Speed | 1 |
| Reach | 1 |
| Stagger | 0.75 |
| Critical damage | 4 |
| Add-on | Base game |
| Item ID | 0002C66F |
Where to find
- Wielded by most draugr and skeletons in ancient Nordic tombs, burial crypts and Halls of the Dead.
- It shows up there alongside the matching war axe, greatsword and battleaxe, so any barrow crawl will hand you a few.
Crafting and upgrading
This weapon cannot be crafted at a forge – you have to find, loot or buy it.
Improving at a grindstone: 1 × 
Steel Ingot. The Arcane Blacksmith perk doubles the improvement.
Compared with other swords
Base stats of all regular (unenchanted) swords in Skyrim, weakest first:
| Weapon | Damage | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Sword | 7 | 9 | 25 |
| Ancient Nord Sword | 8 | 12 | 13 |
| Imperial Sword | 8 | 10 | 23 |
| Silver Sword | 8 | 7 | 100 |
| Steel Sword | 8 | 10 | 23 |
| Orcish Sword | 9 | 11 | 75 |
| Dwarven Sword | 10 | 12 | 135 |
| Falmer Sword | 10 | 18 | 67 |
| Forsworn Sword | 10 | 13 | 70 |
| Blades Sword | 11 | 10 | 300 |
| Elven Sword | 11 | 13 | 235 |
| Honed Ancient Nord Sword | 11 | 15 | 23 |
| Nord Hero Sword | 11 | 9 | 135 |
| Nordic Sword | 11 | 12 | 290 |
| Scimitar | 11 | 10 | 5 |
| Skyforge Steel Sword | 11 | 10 | 70 |
| Glass Sword | 12 | 14 | 410 |
| Honed Falmer Sword | 12 | 18 | 205 |
| Ebony Sword | 13 | 15 | 720 |
| Stalhrim Sword | 13 | 14 | 985 |
| Daedric Sword | 14 | 16 | 1250 |
| Dragonbone Sword | 15 | 19 | 1500 |
Tips and notes
- Not craftable. It can be tempered with a Steel Ingot, and Steel Smithing doubles the gain.
- Unique variants: Drainheart Sword, Eduj, Gauldur Blackblade, Ghostblade, Red Eagle’s Bane, Red Eagle’s Fury and The Pale Blade.
- Stronger versions: the Honed Ancient Nord Sword and the Nord Hero Sword, which can be made at the Skyforge after Glory of the Dead.
- Quest items: Ceremonial Sword and Hjalti’s Sword.
Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Skyrim.esm, record DraugrSword). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.