Clothing in the Viking Age

Gentle Reader:

Questions about Viking Age clothing are possibly the most common ones I receive. However, the archaeology of textiles and the science of clothing reconstruction and interpretation are fairly specialized fields. While I could delve into this research, I feel my readers are better served by turning to the research and articles of Mistress Þóra Sharptooth. Þóra describes herself as "a fiber freak"... but I would describe her as The Viking Textile Research Goddess.

Mistress Þóra's articles on Viking topics may be found online at
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/vikresource.html.

In addition, I have a few other useful online resources I can recommend which I list below. If you are in search of written scholarly documentation for Viking clothing and textiles, again, Þóra's webpage is the place to go... she cites her sources and also provides very useful annotated bibliographies.

Another useful resource for Viking re-enactors is the Norsefolk Yahoo! Group. Searching the archives of Norsefolk will very often turn up exactly the answer you need to almost any question about Viking clothing. The members of the group belong to Viking re-enactment societies, the S.C.A., and similar groups world-wide, and among them have a considerable pool of experience and information about creating reconstructions of Viking dress and accessories. You will find that you must subscribe to Norsefolk in order to access the site: this became necessary after the list started being deluged with spam... but it's a quick and simple process. If you don't want to recive the list email, after you subscribe you can set your group preferences to "No Mail - Read Only on the Web" and still be able to access all the group's content online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Norsefolk_2/

Here then are my recommended links to more information on Viking Age clothing.

General Topics

• Mistress Þóra's Bibliography of Sources for the Construction of Viking Garments
  The scholastic source documents that contain the archaeology and research into Viking Age textiles and clothing.
  
  
• Marc Carlson's Shoes of the Dark Ages, Northern European (c.700-1000)
  Carlson's entire site is worthwhile, but this is the section specifically dealing with shoes appropriate to the Viking Age
  
  
• Textiles in the Oseberg Ship
  In English. From Anne Stine Ingstad's report on the Oseberg textiles, with illustrations.
  
  
• Viking Belts
  Nice "handout" article that covers the size and length of surviving belt parts (with nice statistical presentation), info on buckles and decoration, etc.
  
  
• Viking Clothing Patterns from Statens Historiska Museum, Sweden
  In Swedish but understandable. Note that the reconstructions do have some problems, and refer to Norsefolk Archives Message #7524 for details.
  
  

Viking Age Men's Clothing

• General
  
  
  • Mistress Þóra's An Archaeological Guide to Viking Men's Clothing
    Discusses the different garments involved in Viking men's clothing, fabrics, ornamentation, etc.
    
    
  • Peter Beatson's Wickelbander Article
    Legwraps, known in Old Norse as vindingr or vaf-spjôrr.
    
    
  • Viking Man's Clothing from Statens Historiska Museum, Sweden
    Nobleman's clothing & patterns. Note that the reconstructions do have some problems, and refer to Norsefolk Archives Message #7524 for details.
    
    
  • Viking Warrior Clothing from Statens Historiska Museum, Sweden
    Warrior clothing and patterns. Note that the reconstructions do have some problems, and refer to Norsefolk Archives Message #7524 for details.
    
    
  • Textbook Case of What *NOT* To Do
    The fellow here is so wrong in every singular particular of his equipment and clothing that a reasonable person could hope this was a joke. Anything you see on this guy is *NOT* correct and should be avoided when designing your own Norse clothing and gear!
    
    
• Kirtles/Shirts
  Viking Age men's upper body garments.
  
  
  • Mistress Þóra's Viking Tunic Construction
    
    
  • The 11th cent. Viborg Shirt
    This garment from Viborg, Denmark appears to have been the under-garment worn beneath a kirtle.
    
    
• Trousers
  Viking Age men's lower body garments.
  
  
  • Baggy Trousers/Balloon Pants/Trader Pants from Lärbro Runestone
    This photo from the Statens Historiska Museum shows men wearing the "baggy" style trousers, probably with leg-wraps from ankle to knee.
    
    
  • Baggy Trousers/Balloon Pants/Trader Pants from Smiss Runestone
    This photo from the Statens Historiska Museum shows men wearing the "baggy" style trousers, probably with leg-wraps from ankle to knee.
    
    
  • Museum recreations of the Thorsberg and Damendorf pants
    Photos from a visitor to Denmark, look for 01-09-05 for the photos
    
    
  • Norse Clothing Handout
    Has possible layouts of the Thorsbjerg and Damendorf pants, along with various tunics
    
    
  • Skjoldehamn Hose/Trousers (1000-1200 CE)
    A possible layout of the bog find trousers
    
    
  • Straight Wide Leg Trousers from Tjängvide Runestone
    Here the men appear to be wearing a straight leg, full-length trouser.
    
    
  • Viktoria Persdotter's Trouser Info
    Looks at pre-Viking Age and Sámi trousers to arrive at a suggested reconstruction that allows the wearer to squat without ripping out the seat.
    
    
• Rus Masculine Costume
  Clothing worn by Eastern Vikings and traders into Russia
  
  
  • Peter Beatson's article on Rus Masculine Costume
    Nice article that shows a reconstruction of a complete Rus man's costume, with individual articles describing the various garments and the documentation for each.
    
    
  • Rollo's Riding Coat - Documentation for a Birka (Rus) style coat by Rollo Lackbeard
    This is a skaramangion-type coat worn as an outer garment.
    
    

Viking Age Women's Clothing

• General
  
  
  • Mistress Þóra's "But That's How They Look in the Book!": Viking Women's Garb in Art and Archaeology
    Points out problems with pictures/desriptions of Viking women's wear in many popular books about the Vikings.
    
    
  • Mistress Þóra's A Quick and Dirty Look at Viking Women's Garb in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries
    Discusses the different clothing layers, and regional differences over time.
    
    
  • Viking Women's Clothing from Statens Historiska Museum, Sweden
    Viking ladies' clothing. Note that the reconstructions do have some problems, and refer to Norsefolk Archives Message #7524 for details.
    
    
• Apron Dress
  The outermost Viking Age woman's garment is variously called an apron-dress, hanggerrok, traggerrok, pinafore, etc.
  
  
  • Ellisif Flakkari's Apron Dress Pattern
    Starting from the Hedeby information and Thora's reconstruction, develops a low-wastage cutting pattern.
    
    
  • Shelagh Lewins's info on the Hedeby Apron Dress Fragments
    Notes in English based on Inga Hägg's German write-up of apron-dress fragments from Haithabu/Hedeby
    
    
  • Sketch of Mistress Þóra's Apron-Dress Pattern
    A very basic sketched pattern showing Thora's apron dress construction
    
    
  • Vigdis' Apron Dress Pattern
    A different cutting pattern for Ellisif Flakkari's apron dress reconstruction.
    
    
• Underdress
  The garment worn under the apron dress is variously referred to as a gown, underdress, kirtle, etc.
  
  
  • 10-Gore Greenland Gown (13th cent.)
    These gowns are really more of the European cotehardie, and are of course post Viking Age, but since they're from Herjolfsness in Greenland people confuse them with Viking garments.
    
    
  • Vigdis' Underdress Pattern
    This one seems to be based on the dress layer used in Finnish women's costume.