Authenticity Officer’s Photo Guide – Examples of Authentic Kit

The primary garment is the tunic. Its skirt comes to the knee cap or just above and it’s always worn tight to the forearm and wrist. Neck-holes are either round, oval or v-shaped, and can have a keyhole opening. Decoration, in the form of facings, embroidery or tablet weave, can be applied to the cuffs and neck-hole but not around the hem of the skirt. Tunics are usually made from wool but can also be from linen.

Belts can be made from either braided wool or from a leather strap. They can be simply tied or else closed by a buckle of bone, iron or copper-alloy. Belts often have strap-ends attached.

For warmth a cloak can be worn, clasped on the right-hand shoulder by ties or a large disc brooch or pin.

Leg coverings, if worn at all, should be tight to the leg and can be hose and braies or trousers. Leg wraps can also be worn. These are long strips of 10cm wide woollen cloth worn wound about the lower leg from the ankle to the knee.

Shoes are of the simple, two-part turn shoe construction and are usually low, coming to below the ankle.

Jewellery is often of copper-alloy although silver and gilt brooches are worn by those that can afford them. The Winchester style is common with the Viking introduced Borre and Jelling styles used in some parts of the country.

Viking men’s fashion of the 10^th century varies little from that of the English and does not change as dramatically as it does for women. Viking men from England are quick to adopt more Christian fashions such as disc brooches and hose and braies.

The main item of clothing is the knee length tunic and other than decorative fashion and jewellery it would be hard to tell a Viking from an Englishman. Neck-holes are either round, oval or v-shaped, and can have a keyhole opening. Decoration usually in the form of facings, embroidery and tablet weave can be applied to the cuffs and around the neck-hole.

Belts can be made from either braided wool or from a leather strap. They can be simply tied or else closed by a buckle of bone, iron or copper-alloy. Belts often have strap-ends attached.

For warmth a cloak can be worn, clasped on the right-hand shoulder by ties or a large pin or penannular. Some Anglo-Danes may wear disc brooches like the English.

Leg coverings, if worn at all, are usually trousers, but hose and braies are being adopted, even in the Viking homelands. Leg bindings can also be worn. These are long strips of 10cm wide woollen cloth worn wound about the lower leg from the ankle to the knee.

Pagan first generation settlers and pagan Viking visitors can still be seen wearing traditional male Viking costume like that of the 9^th century, although this becomes less common as the period progresses, as even in Denmark and Norway there is a growing number of Christian converts.

Men tend to wear little artistic jewellery, instead mainly wearing simple decorated pins or penannulars. Ring money is worn in the shape of twisted silver neck torcs and arm rings. Some imported jewellery styles have however been adopted such as the Irish style silver Thistle brooches and some Anglo-Danes are now wearing the English style disk brooch.

Following Alfred’s reforms, the warriors of the 10^th century are increasingly better equipped. Many warriors wear either the old fashioned iron domed helmet or the new style iron conical helm. A large wooden round shield is the primary form of defence, faced in leather or cloth and with an iron boss covering the centre grip. Mail shirts are usually only available to rich aristocrats and professional warriors, although they are becoming ever more common as the century progresses

Warriors carry into battle 1 or 2 javelins to throw and a spear to use one-handed and overarm in combat. Additional weapons could include a seax, a large single edged knife; a hand axe, with or without a beard; a langseax, a 45-60cm long single edged knife; or if they are very lucky, a sword. Swords are incredibly expensive and normally only carried by the rich aristocratic warrior class. The seax was carried by the English, both as a status symbol and as a weapon of last resort.

With the increased number of mail-shirts comes the bodkin arrow head. These are specifically designed to pierce armour and become common after AD950.

Warriors fight on foot and as one unit. Combat starts with exchanges of arrows, javelins and clubs. There are no specific units of 'Archers'. The two shield walls would then advance and engage with spear and sword. Many spears carry pennons and each lord would have with him a banner-man to carry his personal standard.