Location: Haithabu, Current-Day Germany Date: Approx. 10th Century Culture: Viking Age Danish Estimated Social Class: Lower - Lower-Middle Class Sometimes everything needs to come together to make sense, and in many cases that is none the clearer than in recreating historical and ancient clothing and artifacts. As a piece alone, they can have an interesting quality all their own, but when reconstructed and compiled in their entirety to recreate a complete look is when history really is brought to the modern age! In this article, the first of several "kit guides" that will be posted to the site, we are going to look at the reconstructed clothing and equipment of a lower to lower-middle class Danish farmer or trader from 10th Century Haithabu. This will be a general overview of the items, the majority of which are copied directly from original fragments or complete items from the town or surrounding areas. Since there is a lot of ground to cover in this case, the list will be clear and concise, and any further information on these items can be found in each item's own article devoted to it elsewhere in the site. The image of heavily-armored Nordic Vikings going into battle certainly strikes a since of romance into the hearts of many, however, in most cases, the men of Scandinavia were farmers and traders first, with a very small percentage actually 'going-a-Viking' during the Viking Age. Most would have been poor or middle-class tradesmen who worked specific crafts such as dealing in textiles, livestock, blacksmithing, woodworking, or any of the other uncountable trades needed to keep an Early Medieval community running. As such, while it is certainly entertaining to picture maille-clad warriors out on the town, sword or battle axe in-hand, bringing back hoardes of gold from far-off lands, the reality was far different, and in most cases many may have went their entire lives without ever having even seen a Viking in the flesh. Something that will be delved into more deeply in another article, but should be touched on here, is the difference between a Scandinavian warrior and a Viking. While it is easy to assume every warrior in Early Medieval Scandinavia was a "Viking", they were not. Stating this is the equivalent of saying every man who owned a firearm or fought during America's Colonial Period was a Pirate. While Vikings did play very large roles in their conquests in France, Britain, Spain, Germany, and other regions, it is easy to forget the actual standing armies which were brought to many of these battles, and in some cases, by Scandinavian chiefs, kings, and Jarls to fight against the Vikings themselves. Most of these men were not career warriors, but as stated above, tradesmen. They were farmers, merchants, blacksmiths, etc. who were called upon by their local royalty to fight on their behalf, be it over petty disputes of land, or greater offenses. As such, many came armed only with the clothes on their backs and simple weapons from home. There is a reason the armored, sword-wielding warriors stood out amongst their contemporaries. In many cases, the men fought rarely in massed battles, especially in the cases of trading centers like Hedeby, that didn't see any large-scale war come to it until the 11th Century with Harald Hardrada and his forces. As such, most of the inhabitants there likely enjoyed a rather peaceful life, aside from the typical local conflicts which likely arose from time to time in the forms of criminal enterprises, which are to be expected. With this in mind, we shouldn't expect a lower-class farmer to be bedecked in a helmet, maille shirt, sword, shield, a Langseax, but rather only the essentials needed to defend himself while out working, or his home from unwanted guests - but likely little more. Headwear It does not seem that pre-Christian Pagans living in Denmark (or elsewhere in Scandinavia for that matter) put nearly as large an emphasis on head coverings for men as their Christian descendants would, however, that does not mean such items were nonexistent by any means. Simple hats and even hoods do seem to have been worn at the owner's discretion and even laws were put into place in places like Iceland to protect such wearers from certain crimes involving mistreatment of their chosen head covering. Worn here on top of the head is a pillbox hat, which is comprised of a very simple design of an oval crown and curved rectangular band that connects with a seam in the rear. As per the original fragment from Haithabu, Fragment S35, the piece is made from a 2/2 wool twill. No dye analysis was done on the original fragment to-date, so we are unsure of its original color, so we went with a simple walnut-dyed wool of two shades for this reconstruction. A more complete example of an early Medieval pillbox hat can be found in the Leens, Netherlands find, cataloged as b1930/12.34/1. In addition to the hat, a hood is also worn during foul weather. While the theorized hood fragment from Haithabu has been debated if it is that of a hood at all, we took the fragment and adapted it as one to see how that would work, and the results seem to speak for themselves. The hood is made from a green 2/2 wool twill with heavy felting. Although the original fragment is a reddish-brown color, it is believed this is due to oxidation inside the ground and not actually indicative of its original dyed coloration. The hood features gores in the front and back to open it up so that it will fit around the neck and shoulders. There is also a "liripipe" tail on the back, which if the theories are to be believed, and the fragment does in fact depict a liripipe on the back of the hood, this would be the first example of said feature on a hood until they reappeared as a common fashion staple during the 14th Century! Torso Garments The two primary garments worn on the torso are the wool tunic and the wool jerkin or vest (also referred to in German as the 'Lodenwams'), the former being worn for nearly every occasion. The wool tunic is that of the Hedeby Type I tunic, and is based off fragments 9, 18, 40, 55A, 72C, and 73. Most notably about the tunic is is complex design and fitted form. It has rounded armholes and in-set sleeves with seams that run down the backs of the arms. In addition to this, it also features curved tailoring seams along the back and an array of gores around the lower half for added mobility. This is indicative of a highly sophisticated tailoring trend in Danish fashion at the time and is a far cry from the previously believed loose, baggy, formless tunics thought to be worn by Norse men of the time. The tunic is constructed from a thin plain weave and dyed blue with woad for effect. Our example also shows obvious signs of staining, wear, and repair from use around the farm and shop. In addition to the tunic, for foul or cold weather the woolen 'Lodenwams' jerkin may also be worn. Based off fragments 7 and 53 A & B, this was a sleeveless, robe-like garment made from felted wool that wrapped across the torso for added protection - be it from the elements, or possibly as a very rudimentary form of textile "armor". The fragments were of both plain weave and 2/2 twill with felting and little in the way of dye. As such, due to the variation, we opted to combine the two into a single garment, also made of 2/2 wool twill and left undyed in its natural off-white form. Cloak In addition to the tunic and Lodenwams, a cloak is also worn. These were likely a staple of Viking Age fashion - they had been worn for hundreds (if not thousands) of years prior, and would continue to be worn for many hundreds more. This particular example is made of a very heavily-felted wool that Haithabu's textile finds have come to be known for. It bears a selvedge on three edges and a fringe on the fourth, and has been mostly dyed brown using walnuts, however, there are three faint blue woad-dyed stripes woven in for added and cost-efficient fashion effect. It is closed using a simple bronze cloak pin with a ring at one end. It is simply thrust through the cloak and then tied in place using a thong of deer hide. Leg & Foot Wear For the lower body, trousers would be worn. While separate-leg Hosen were beginning to be introduced to the region, the older-style fashion of joined trousers still seems to clung on a bit longer, likely kept alive by the more rural, traditional of the area, trying to cling on to the last vestiges of their dying culture. The trousers worn here are based off fragments 22 A - C and 39 A and B, and were likely cut in a nearly identical fashion to the much earlier Thorsberg trousers. These featured a tightly-fitted design with an integrated waistband, belt loops, gussets in the front and back for added mobility, and feet. They are made from walnut-dyed brown broken diamond twill, as were the originals, as has been determined through dyestuff analysis. In addition to the trousers, the lower legs are also protected with woolen leg wraps, often referred to as 'Winingas'. The original fragments from Haithabu were in both twill and herringbone weave, the latter of which was used for our reconstruction. They are hemmed straight across on one end and hemmed to a point on the other. No dye analysis was done, so the original colors were left undetermined, however, ours were dyed using onion skins to achieve a rich yellow color. The fastening of these wraps in Haithabu has been discussed and debated, as none of the characteristic hooks have been found to keep them wound here as in other regions, so we went with a conjectural design in a leather thong threaded through the point and tied. While not exactly pretty, it is durable and does the trick nicely. Finally, for the feet are a pair of leather shoes, these being the low-quarter design based off the Shoe Type 1 from Haithabu. These are a low-quarter design with a side-seam and a simple leather thong to tie around the top. They are made from oak-tanned goat hide and are lined with straw and wool scrapping for insulation and comfort - a technique that works surprisingly well, even in sub-zero winter snow! Equipment
A man can wear as much wool as he wants, but without the accessories and equipment to go with it, he can't do his job adequately! As such, even for a simple farmer, certain items are a necessity. A list of these equipment items and accessories is as follow:
Of course, inside the bags and pouches are also necessary goods such as coins, hack silver, beads, fire starting implements, etc., but these will all need to be covered in an article all their own! Spear Finally, as far as weaponry goes, a simple spear will do for our farmer. While items like the sword and battle axe certainly get all the credit, the spear was the true workhorse of nearly any Early Medieval army. They were easy and cost-effective, and quite simple to use, making them ideal for a non-professional "peasant army" consisting of farmers and tradesmen. Our spear here is made of an oak shaft with an iron head fitted to the top. The head is not only secured using an iron rivet, but also by a slathering of pine pitch and finally a grass rope wrapping. It is of hand spear length, meaning it can be used either one-handed - as in the case with a spear and shield combination - or with two hands, making it ideal for situations where versatility is key.
Charles
8/8/2020 08:19:13 am
Would you mind posting images of the equipment/accessories you mention?
Caleb
8/8/2020 02:13:32 pm
Yes, there will be detailed articles on all of the items eventually, if they aren't already posted. It's something that's in the works, but unfortunately it takes time to properly write out all of the articles, photograph them, etc. Comments are closed.
|
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
July 2021
Categories
All
|