On the topic of axes... one found recently in Russia is ornamented with seemingly the same distinctive technique as the Langeid sword. Large surfaces are plated with silver, bordered with herringbone trim.
In contrast, some smaller edge surfaces are decorated in the "opposite" way, with silvery tracery on the iron surface. All the decoration on the Buskerud sword seems to be executed in this way. The decoration of the axe is particularly interesting because it seems to show the trident emblem of the royal Rurik family - a symbol which survives today in the coat of arms of Ukraine.
Examining the pommel of the Buskerud sword, a cross shape can be seen at the left. The central motif is probably a highly abstracted face or mask... a similar design appears on one side of a sword hilt found in Sigtuna, Sweden (I can't find a better example at the moment, but it is a recurring design). It might be a stretch, but with some imagination one can see the curve of an arm connecting the cross and the human face/figure... making an additional similarity with the decoration of the Langeid sword.
http://www.slavorum.org/archaeologis...arks-of-rurik/