High-quality crucible steel Ulfberht swords, marked with the name, were produced likely in the Rhineland near modern Germany and traded widely by Vikings. Superior to most contemporary blades, they were prized in raids from Scandinavia to the British Isles and Russia.

Ulfberht swords are legendary in Norse sagas, symbolizing divine craftsmanship. They enrich skaldic poetry and modern interpretations of Viking literature, inspiring English poets like those in the 19th-century Norse revival.