Vikings -- myArmoury.com

Donald Taylor · Posted: Wed 07 Mar, 2007 1:26 pm Post subject: Vikings

I did not see a forum for living history so I think it is ok to post my questions here. I'm trying to get a Rus trader/viking outfit together. I'm working on making some of the poofy pants. My question is though since those end at the knee what did they wear on the lower leg? Just some stockings? I know they wore the leg wraps in the winter but it does not get cold enough wear I live to even wear something like that in the winter. So any input will be well appreciated.

Thomas Sundquist-Nilsson · Posted: Wed 07 Mar, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

Here´s an example of a rich Viking trader, it is based on findings from Birka, Hedeby and York.

Link to pictures and patterns.

If you click on the links under the picture you will find patterns of the garments in Pdf.
Only in swedish but i think you will manage. Wink

Nick Trueman · Posted: Thu 08 Mar, 2007 5:56 am Post subject:

Hi

I live in the sub-tropics and wear pants of that style. If you use pure wool or linen they will be fine, they actualy breath quite well. There is no set pattern to these pants, we can only assume there cut. The originals found ( Corking rags from memory) were to badly damaged to make out a pattern.
There are some suggestions that the pant finishes below the knee and a stocking is worn over the calf which is held up by thonging looped through eyelets on the pant seems.

Cheers

Nick

Jean Henri Chandler · Posted: Thu 08 Mar, 2007 6:04 pm Post subject:

Elling Polden · Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2007 12:23 am Post subject:

REAL men go west, kill celts, and bring back their gold and women.
Sissy men go east, and bring back... big pants...
Razz

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2007 12:25 am Post subject:

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2007 12:38 am Post subject:

Elling Polden · Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2007 1:00 am Post subject:

If you look at the finds from for instance Illerup Ådal, people actually have lots of stuff in their belts;
http://www.illerup.dk/custom/illerup_largeima...ension=jpg
However, in the middle ages, this seems to have fallen out of fashion.

I doubt a drinking horn would be part of the "standard loadout" however.

But, of course, when you are sailing you ship on a narrow river, and not the wild and stormy north sea, you might want to be drunk all the time. After all, it is very safe and boring, and the natives are mostly harmless...

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2007 1:04 am Post subject:

Thomas Sundquist-Nilsson · Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2007 4:03 am Post subject:

Ladoga S · Posted: Mon 26 Mar, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject:

Its quite fine reconstruction of Vikinga Tida men. Clothes are based on oryginal founds from one of the major viking markets ( high time 9 century Birka ) with strong influence of eastern style ( like Kafthan and Pants) belt and baldric are good as well but comb seems to be to big for me ( just have a look in to the gotland founds for example) and one important thing vikings never attached drinking horns in to the belt.

Ladoga S · Posted: Mon 26 Mar, 2007 4:29 pm Post subject:

Here is something different. More in Eastern Style but still Scandinavian

Hugh Fuller · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 7:45 am Post subject:

Mikael Ranelius · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 8:03 am Post subject:

Agree, how do we know they didn't? But yes, I got the point. I would personally hesitate to tie a drinking horn to my belt, but then I would not regard the practise as completely historical inaccurate, since we just don't know how they did. Carrying a 19th century canteen in your 10th century belt is inaccurate, tying a horn to it may be speculative, but far from impossible.

James Barker · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 8:23 am Post subject:

Here is my impression of a Viking or Anglo Saxon (change out the bling). This would by far be the most commonly found look:

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/flonzy/...ntury.html

Here is my rich trader outfit much like the posted one:

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/flonzy/Garb/10thcentury.htm

The Rus pants I wear for my Hedeby trader outfit would be rare to never worn among the Scandinavians.[/img]

Ladoga S · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:

Guys the main thing is what is important for you. In my opinion the main important thing in reconstruction is to build your knowledge on archaeological excavations, findings and ofcourse books. For the last almost 200 years of viking graveyard excavations no one found any example of this kind of burial. And you can ask for example prof. Duczko from University of Uppsala if he ever sow anything like that:-) or any major viking period specialist. You need to decide what you wont to reconstruct A.True knowledge B. Guess

James Barker · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 10:21 am Post subject:

Well Ladoga there is only one pair of extant pants from Scandinavia and they are 11th c so any other culture has to be an educated guess based on fragments Wink

Ladoga S · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 10:39 am Post subject:

Its not everything:-) about pants . Just have a look in to the book of Thor Ewing"Viking Clothing" (page.99-102) or just some visions from picture stones like Stenkyrka Lijjbjars, Halla Broa or Nar Smiss as well notes of Ibn Fadlan. So its not just a guess:-) Regards

James Barker · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 10:58 am Post subject:

Ladoga S · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 11:12 am Post subject:

Yes I Agree with You:-)