How To: Dress as an Anglo-Saxon or Viking

Overheard in a classroom during a discussion on the preponderance of leopard print costumes being worn for a Stone Age history day a comment was made that the same outfit would do for an Anglo-Saxon day. Clearly the speaker had no idea of the clothing worn in early Mediæval Europe, but then why would they? How many of us really need to know what an Anglo-Saxon man or a Viking woman would have sported a thousand years ago. Perhaps those teaching children ought to know something so Tastes Of History hopes to help.

This “How to:” guide is therefore meant for those wishing to recreate simple yet effective historically-themed costume. It is primarily aimed at teachers wishing to inspire their pupils on “Wow Days” when dressing up is the order of the day. Previously Tastes Of History has tackled “How to: Make Simple Egyptian, Greek or Roman Costume”, so this time we going to address the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings [1] of the 8th- to the 11th-century. Let us start at the feet and finish with what to wear on the head.

Footwear  From practical experience obtaining well-fitting footwear is essential for comfort. Remember you may be on your feet all day so although it is tempting to buy some shiny armour or a new sword, we would strongly advise spending money on good quality boots or shoes first. Early Mediæval footwear seems to some form of ankle boot, known as a “turn shoe”, enclosing the foot and fastened with either leather laces or one or two toggles. Men and women wore ankle boots, Historical examples of which have been recovered from Viking-era Jorvik (York). Those pictured are very similar to those worn by the author and, to name but two online retailers, may be purchased from the likes Get Dressed for Battle or Merchant of Menace [2]. Retailing for ca. £70-75 (at time of writing) a pair these boots may not be a viable purchase for, say, teachers. So, to achieve the “look”, any form of brown leather ankle boot will suffice as they can be disguised by leg wraps.

Leg wraps  Bandage-like leg bindings worn by Anglo-Saxon and Viking men resemble the puttees worn by late 19th- and early 20th-century soldiers. Known in Old English as “winingas” (the plural of “wining”) the word is related to the act of “winding”. The equivalent term in Old Norse is “vindingr”. These woollen leg wraps are typically 2.5 m long (8 ft) and ca. 5 cm (2 in) wide and by far the most illustrated method of wearing them reveals they were wound from the ankle around the leg and fastened just below the knee. The loose end appears to be tucked in, or they were secured either by hooks or by tapes for tying. The exact method is not known. Winingas/vindingr are not only a good way of keeping the lower extremities warm but also protect the trouser legs from wear and from rough undergrowth, preventing tears from brambles, etc. They also provide support to the muscles of the leg, which may have been the primary reason for their use, but it would also make sense to use leg bindings as cold weather clothing. Wrapped over the top of the shoe or boot, winingas/vindingr are effective at keeping mud, stones and snow out and keeping one's feet and legs drier in wintery conditions. As stated above, woollen material wrapped around the lower leg can also be used to disguise modern ankle boots.

Trousers  The Romans noted that ankle-length trousers (Latin: bracae) were worn by tribesmen in NW Europe (Germans, Gauls, Britons, etc.) and by those further East such as the Persians or their successors, the Parthians. No complete pair of Viking trousers, known as “brækr” in Old Norse, has ever been found. The earlier (1st- to 5th-century) leggings found at Thorsbjerg Mose in the 19th-century have been used by museums and re-enactors as a pattern for Viking-age trousers, not least due to the paucity of other evidence. Of very strong construction, these should be generally straight legged and reasonably close fitting, not unlike modern jeans. For those on a budget, woollen leggings would be an acceptable compromise to achieve the “look”.

Shirt  The shirts worn by Anglo-Saxons and Vikings were largely identical differing only in the way the name was pronounced. In Old English scyrte was pronounced “shirta” while the Old Norse word skyrta was pronounced “skirta”. Both words originate from Proto-Germanic *skurtjon meaning “a short garment”. Shirts can be of wool or linen, quite voluminous and typically long-sleeved. In terms of length, it seems that shirts typically reached to the mid-thigh or were knee-length. Tablet woven decoration or embroidery often adorned the neckline, sleeve cuffs and hemline but this is not essential in any recreation.

Dresses  Anglo-Saxon and Viking women wore ankle length linen under-dresses known also as skyrta in Old Norse. This could be long-sleeved, short-sleeved or sleeveless; a woman’s arms were considered a point of attraction, and young women probably preferred to show them off when appropriate. In cold or wet weather, a similarly styled woollen dress would have been worn over the skyrta, but in winter, a doubled outer tunic or coat could be worn over her other garments.

To protect her skyrta, an “apron-skirt” or hangerock (proun. “han-ye-rok”) was typically worn over it. A hangerock is another type of dress, wider at the bottom than at the top and held up by straps passing over the shoulders from the back to the front. The straps were fastened by brœkr (“brooches”), with oval-style “tortoise” brooches appearing to have been very popular. Depending on the woman’s status or wealth, these might by silver or gold. Finds have revealed a high degree of craftsmanship in the decorative designs. Such brooches are often connected by chains of glass beads and amber pendants; the latter thought to have magical properties.

Belts  Leather belts are worn by both men and women round the waist to suspend useful items like knives, keys or a pouch to hold small valuables. Women may have also elected to wear decorative tablet woven belts instead of leather ones.

Headwear  Married women tied their hair up in a knot and covered it with a headscarf. Unmarried girls wore their hair loose or simply confined by a piece of braid. Simple skullcaps made of wool or leather were worn by both sexes. Caps could be edged with tablet-woven braid or trimmed with fur. Both men and women also wore caped hoods covering the neck and giving excellent protection from inclement weather. A lining of looser-woven cloth was not uncommon, and some hoods even had a filling of down between the two layers. The basic design survived all over Europe for many centuries. 

Material to use  For accurate ancient or Mediæval costume, cloth should be made only from the natural fibres of linen or wool. It is recognised, however, that sometimes modern cloth contains a mixture of these and cotton. This is acceptable compromise for those seeking to be as accurate as possible since the mix of fibres will not adversely affect the appearance or the draping qualities of the base material. In the early Mediæval period wool was the dominate fabric worn by most people so ideally that should be the first choice for any Anglo-Saxon or Viking costume.

Colours  It may come as a shock, but television dramas and movies are not the best source of inspiration for what colours to wear. Even today, costume and wardrobe departments seemingly cannot divorce themselves from the very outdated idea that ancient and Mediæval clothing was almost exclusively dull browns and subdued colours. This is despite overwhelming evidence from contemporary paintings, embroideries and tapestries all showing a wealth of vibrant colour. Admittedly, modern chemical dyes produce consistent and vivid hues which probably could not have been achieved so perfectly in the past when using plant-based dyes. Yet, from just the small selection of plants as shown right, a variety of colours and shades clearly can be achieved.

And finally  If tempted to add to your ensemble, then be aware that no cow-horns ever graced a Viking helmet before the last quarter of the 19th-century. There is simply no evidence whatsoever, historically or archaeologically - the end. Should you, dear reader, remain unconvinced, then follow the link to Roberta Frank’s article on “The Invention of the Viking Horned Helmet”. Bon appétit!

Endnotes:

1. In the Old Norse tongue, the word viking meant something like raiding or piracy, and vikingr meant a raider. Today, however, this word is used as a general term for the Nordic peoples of the 8th- to the 11th-centuries, it was used more rarely in the mediaeval period. Their fellow Europeans used to speak rather of “Norsemen” - men from the North (a term which lives on in “Norman”, since Normandy was founded by Scandinavian colonists). The peoples of eastern Europe and the Balkans, however, used the terms “Rus” and “Varangians” for the Norse invaders, traders, colonists and mercenaries.

2. Tastes Of History is neither affiliated with either company named nor endorsing their products. We are merely pointing interested parties to two possible sources of clothing and footwear. Other retailers and suppliers are available.