Location: Haithabu, Current-Day Germany & Leens, Netherlands Date: Approx. Late 10th Century Culture: Late Viking Age Danish Estimated Social Class: Unknown Garment Type: Hat To date, no complete hats have been recovered from the harbor at Haithabu, so much of what we have to go from is conjecture and a good deal of reconstructive archaeology. Although no complete find has been recovered (nor are the forms of headwear worn by Viking Age Danes mentioned in any of the literary works from the time), we can still assume that in Haithabu’s 200+ year run that many hats – and many styles of hats – were probably worn. So what style of hats were probably worn? In short, the most probable was that of a pillbox design such as those worn by the Romans, and later, by the Carolingians in what is now the Netherlands and central Europe. This article will focus primarily on this style of hat, as the most evidence for its use exists when compared to other styles from the period. To start, a pillbox hat is a hat with a flat top (made from one or two pieces) and rounded sides, which means, as its namesake implies, it comes in a pillbox shape. What the Viking Age Danes called the hat is unknown to us, or if the hat even had a separate name and wouldn’t have been referred to as nothing more than a “hat,” with nothing to denote a specific style. As stated above, few, if any, literary sources from the time refer to the headgear worn by Danes during this period, so those are unfortunately not of much use when determining a proper name for the hat, and as such, the term “pillbox hat” will be used for the duration of this article. So why is this style the most probable candidate to have been worn in Viking Age Haithabu? The answers are numerous. The first and foremost being the textile fragment recovered from Haithabu. The fragment, catalogued as piece S35, was recovered is what is believed to have been the upper sections of a well, and was most likely disposed of once it because too worn to continue use. It is thought to date to around the late 9th Century and is made from a 2/2 wool twill. The piece itself is rather ambiguous, being merely two pieces of wool textile sewn together with a seam down the middle. To many experts, however, the shape of the seam, and the fact that the piece appears to have been heavily worn, indicates that it most likely fits the shape of that of a pillbox hat design. When one compares the fragment’s shape to that of a reconstructed pillbox, the resemblance is uncanny. Despite the piece dating to the 9th Century, the style itself very well could have continued its use well through the fall of Haithabu in the early 11th, as this type of hat had already been in use since at least the 3rd Century (perhaps even earlier), and saw use well into the Renaissance. The second reason is the near-complete find from the Netherlands and its proximity to Haithabu and Denmark. The hat in question, numbered as find b1930/12.34/1, was recovered from Leens, Netherlands and is a near-complete extant find. It was constructed from diamond twill wool and is made from three pieces, two for the top and one that goes around the main body, and is a textbook example of a pillbox design. So why would a hat from the Netherlands be grounds for one to present it as an example of those worn in Denmark? The answer is simple: Location and commerce. We know this particular style of hat was a rather prolific design, after all, it began its life as a Roman design and lasted well into the Medieval Period and Renaissance, and was used all throughout Europe during its lifespan. The close proximity of the Netherlands, and Carolingian Dynasty as a whole, to Viking Age Denmark is also a good indicator. While the two factions had rather off-and-on relations during this period, with some areas (primarily East Francia) even being under Danish rule during the latter part of the 9th Century, when the fragment from Haithabu is believed to have been dated to, there certainly were periods where the hat could have been introduced to the Danes of the area via Carolingian influences, be it through trade and commerce, or war and occupation, that exposed the men fighting, settling, and trading to new fashions of their enemies and beneficiaries. The location and probability for trade and exposure between the two groups, coupled with the seemingly perfectly-shaped fragment from Haithabu itself seems to begin to paint a very convincing picture for this style to have been worn. The presence of items adopted through trade and/or war and occupation by Viking Age Scandinavians in gravesites and other areas of note, such as the ring uncovered in Sweden bearing Islamic inscriptions, indicates these peoples were more than willing to adopt fashions from their neighbors, business partners, and subjugated masses. What about other styles? While it is a fairly good reality that other hat styles were in use during this period of Danish history, no examples, be it literary or physical extant finds, have been found, at least where Haithabu and Denmark are concerned. We do have examples of other hats in use in other regions of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, such as the conical hat found in various sources (not least of which, the famous Icelandic bronze Thor figurine), though again, an argument for their use in Denmark is not as great as the pillbox simply due to a lack of physical evidence from the area. Paneled hats, such as those from Sweden and Moschevaya Balka, are also ambiguous options for potential styles worn in Denmark during this period due to a lack of evidence. The frequency of which hats were worn during this period is also likely unknown to us. While some artistic sources, such as the painting of Viking raiders housed in the Scandinavian School in Oslo, Norway, show nearly all the men involved wearing hats, we must also take note that sources such as this were certainly post-Viking Age and do not accurately portray the men or equipment of the time, but are probably rather an artist’s interpretation of how he thought they may have looked. One could argue that the lack of extant archaeological finds regarding hats is an indication of their rarity in-period, however, I personally do not buy this notion. There are just as few complete tunic finds from the period, so by this logic, does that mean tunics were a rarity? Hardly. Perhaps we will never truly have a complete picture on just how common hats were worn, or what myriad of fashions were in use during the Viking Age in Denmark. Photo Credit:
Location: Haithabu, Current-Day Germany Date: Approx. 10th Century Culture: Late Viking Age Danish Estimated Social Class: Varies on fragment Garment Type: Wool Leg Wrap We know from both literary, as well as artistic, sources from the Roman age well into the Medieval period that leg wraps seem to have been used in some form or another, particularly with men’s fashion, to protect the legs and trousers. These wraps appear to have originated as single, wide pieces that took up the entirety of the lower leg in early Germanic fashion, however, as time progressed, most contemporary sources show long, narrow, winding wraps that start at the knee and terminate somewhere around the ankle or foot. The exact use of these wraps seems to have been multi-faceted, from a simple fashion statement, to a very practical use to keep one’s lower legs warm during winter months, or protect the legs and trousers from brush or general wear when undertaking manual labor tasks, or even preventing wear to one’s trouser legs when on horseback, as some sources have suggested as the most likely origin of these wraps in particular. Despite the wide array of uses, these wraps appear to have stayed rather consistent in design for the better part of their lifespan, usually appearing to be somewhere in the range of 7.5cm to 10cm wide, and judging from the locations on the legs in most artwork, long enough to cover the entirety of the lower leg, from knee to ankle, depending on the wearer’s height and measurements. In this article, we will focus specifically on the fragments of these wraps, known as Wickelbander, Puttees, or Winingas, the latter believed to have been the original Old Norse and/or Anglo-Saxon terminology for said accessories, from Haithabu. We will look at the original extant remains from the harbor, our own reproductions, and how the two compare and add up, as well as the practical and archaeological significance of the pieces. The Original Fragments To date, five main fragments have been recovered from the Viking Age settlement of Haithabu (also known as Hedeby) that are believed to be those of leg wrappings. As Inga Hägg notes in “Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu”, these five fragments are surprisingly consistent in their makeup, further corroborating our theory as to the consistency of this style, as well as its prevalence in Viking Age and Early Medieval society. These fragments, labeled as 28 Ab, 29, 43, 49 B, and 55C, will be examined here. Starting with the oddest of these fragments, 28 Ab, Hägg notes that this band was composed of two pieces of different weave and color, which appear to have been sewn together to make a single band, as well as bearing hems on the sides. Both of these features go against most other evidence of leg wraps of this type, as most appear to have been woven to size (as opposed to hemmed), and they also usually appear as a single piece, rather that multiple sewn together. This feature leads most experts to believe this particular example was likely on its last leg of use, and had been mended and repaired using cloth from another garment. The fact that most of these examples are of a woven herringbone weave, yet piece B of the fragment is made from a dark, 2/2 woven twill, seems to lend credence that this is likely a potential end piece that has been added toward the end of the wrap’s life in order to preserve it after the end had become worn and/or damaged. The second fragment, 29, also appears to have been cut and hemmed to size, rather than woven to the actual size the wrap was intended to be. It is made from a middle-fine plain weave wool and the fragment measures approximately 23cm long and 7.5cm wide. Fragment 43 is by far the largest of the pieces, measuring in at around 102cm long and 7.5cm wide, it is made from a middle-fine 2/2 twill wool, and has also been woven to size, rather than cut and hemmed like the latter two examples. Fragment 49 b has been woven from a very fine herringbone twill wool and has also been woven to proper size, however there are also very fine reinforcements along the edge of the fragment, as well. Whether these were purely practical, or meant to be somewhat ornamental in some way is unknown to us, as the fragment and the reinforcement all appears to be near the same color, and Hägg never mentions in her work whether there was originally any shade differences noted between the two textile colors. The final fragment, 55 c, is also woven from herringbone twill wool, however, this fragment’s quality appears to be slightly coarser than that of the latter, fragment 49 b, meaning this particular wrap was likely from a slightly less-wealthy (or at least less-determined or crafty) individual. The band, like the previous three, has also been woven to size, and does not bear any signs of having been cut and sewn into shape. Hägg notes in “Textilfunde aus Haithabu” that it appears there are two distinct styles at work here: narrow bands measuring about 7.5cm in width that are woven from either plain or 2/2 twill weave, and wider, approximately 8.5cm bands from herringbone twill. At this time, no analysis has been done to these pieces to determine what was used to dye them, if anything, so we are unsure as to the exact color any of these fragments would have been originally. The Reconstruction For our reconstruction, we opted to go with the finer wide herringbone wraps. The wraps are produced from a finely-woven herringbone wool, and were like the original fragments they were based on, woven to shape, rather than cut and hemmed from separate fabric. Since no analysis has been done on these Winingas fragments to define the dyestuffs used in their coloring, we opted to have these dyed using onion skins – something that would have likely been quite common in the better part of Europe and Scandinavia at the time – and one that produces a rather nice hue of yellow with relative ease. They yellow provides a nice color to the wraps, and the overall outfit, yet is not produced using a dyestuff that would have been out of the reach of even the most common of the population of Haithabu during the latter years of the 10th Century. The wraps measure about 8.5cm wide, and are about ten feet long, which is made to accommodate them being wrapped from the knee to the foot. Since none of the fragments are complete, we have no information on how long they exactly were. Most artwork from other parts of Europe during the time denote the wraps as starting just below the knee and extending down toward the ankle, usually disappearing inside the shoes, as opposed to being wrapped around the tops of the shoes, as was done in later centuries. This leaves us with two methods of wearing the wraps: with hooks, or wrapped in a descending manner without the use of hooks. The first method, akin to 20th Century military puttees, sees the wraps starting down around the ankle and being wrapped upward to just below the knee. These are then theorized as having been fastened to themselves using metal hooks, such as those recovered in regions of Sweden, Britain, and others, which is a likely method, however, the low numbers of these hooks recovered in some regions, as well as a complete lack in Haithabu itself, conflicts with the evident widespread use of these wraps, meaning an alternative method was also likely used. The second theorized method is using no hooks, ties, or fasteners, and simply using the tightness and coarseness of the wool itself to hold the wraps up. Rather than starting at the ankles, and winding upwards, one starts just below the knee and winds down, reaching as far along the foot as possible, to the toes if the length of the wrap allows. This means the tightness of the wraps, paired with the coarseness of the wool itself, and the fact that it is wrapped and terminates underneath the foot, will hold the bands in place with little to no give, even with very strenuous activities, such as long-range trekking, manual labor, or even combat, are taking place. It should, however, be noted that modern medicine practices argue against the wearing of wraps in a downward-facing manner, as this can potentially lead to health problems later in life. While this may be a candidate for authentically wearing one's wraps, prolonged wear should be relegated to the above fashion using hooks, and this method really should only be used for certain short-term historical contexts! In Conclusion
In conclusion, it appears these wraps hit their climax during the Norman conquests of the 11th Century, and are featured heavily on works such as the Bayeux Tapestry, however, they seem to have had a sharp decline in use almost immediately afterward. While there are occasional artistic sources that may show a garment that resembles these wraps, it appears that they were almost entirely eliminated from men’s wardrobes by the beginning of the 12th Century and were rarely paired with the separate-leg hose that would become commonplace for the next several centuries. Photo & Information Sources
More of the mundane. Gathering wood to maintain a steady fire to keep warm would be of the utmost importance during the Winter months, a far cry from the action-packed raids of the Summer...
Haithabu, Current-Day Germany ; Latter half of the 10th Century. After a Summer spent abroad on raids in what is current-day Britain, this fledgling Viking warrior has returned home to Haithabu. Among his haul is new fabric, as well as money and jewelry for additional clothing and home goods for the family. His tunic will certainly need to be replaced now that it has been soaked in blood. His hand is still bandaged from a wound suffered during his last raid.
With these raids, he has certainly established his place as being counted among the warrior class of Danish society and has begun the slow climb up the economical and social ladder! Haithabu, Current-Day Germany ; Latter half of the 10th Century. Trying to get clean after the fight...
Combat during this period would have been extremely messy and bloody, and getting clean after the fight to prevent the spread of illness would have been paramount. Near Current-Day Cheshire, UK ; Latter half of the 10th Century. Despite the initial intent of granting Frankish land to Scandinavian invaders, most famously Rollo "the Walker", not only would Frankish rule be shortly challenged by the Normans, whom they had hoped would remain allies, but by more colonists (who were primarily Danish and Norwegian in origin) from the North. Though primarily intent on settling the area alongside their now Norman cousins, many conflicts between the Franks and newly-settled Northmen would erupt, lasting well into the 11th Century and giving rise to powerful figures such as William the Conqueror.
Near Current-Day Pays de Caux, France ; First half of the 11th Century. Photo courtesy Ivana Desančić. Preparing for a day of combat training.
Haithabu, Current-Day Germany ; Latter half of the 10th Century. Showing off the spoils of the battle. Jewelry such as this would have been highly-valued when taken from enemy combatants, both as a status symbol, but also as a potential trade good for other goods and services later.
Near Current-Day Cheshire, UK ; Latter half of the 10th Century. While earlier raids in what is now Hampshire, UK went with relative ease due to the inability for local forces to prepare fully for defense, word still has traveled fast and the subsequent raids on Cheshire did not go as smoothly due to forewarning reaching those who were potential targets.
When a raid did not go with ease, it would have been a violent and bloody affair. Contrary to what popular film may portray, early warfare would have been especially bloody and gore-filled, with men having their limbs split and maimed with axes, swords, and spears, and some even being bludgeoned and gored with shields in massed formations. These sorts of combat actions would have certainly left a mental scar on all involved, a price many Viking men would have asked themselves if it was truly worth it for riches and plunder... Near Current-Day Cheshire, UK ; Latter half of the 10th Century. |
AboutThis part of the site will look at the various aspects of life on Viking Age Danish people. From what they ate, to how they may have fought. Archives
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