The Knife Wrestlers

The Knife Wrestlers is a sculpture in the style of Romantic nationalism created by the Swedish sculptor Johan Peter Molin in the middle of the 19th century. It depicts two men involved in a fight with knives. The sculpture was Molin's breakthrough work and was for some time well known in Europe. Multiple copies of the sculpture were made. Today, copies are located in Gothenburg in Bältespännarparken, in front of the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm, in Vänersborg and in Mästarnas park in Hällefors.

The sculpture allegedly references a mythological style of duel called spänna bälte, in which two men fight each other while bound together with a belt. The origins of this myth are unclear, as no reliable historical sources are known for it. The sculpture furthermore contains elements of Nordichistory, including the use of runes and verses from the Poetic Edda.