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I wasn't going to make any new Viking clothing this summer, but the other day I got this idea about a green woolen aprondress to wear over my brown linen tunic. And why not make it a tutorial for beginners? ^^ I am a self-taught amateur sewer myself, so if I can do it you can too. I bought this dark green Shetland wool, in diagonal twill weave. It is of a much lighter quality than other Shetland wool that I've used before, and while the other if perfect for winter events I think this one will be more comfortable wearing on summer nights. 
The Haithabu finding This dress is inspired by the Heiðabýr (Haithabu) finding from the 10th century. It is a fascinating find: Fragments of what is believed to have been part of an aprondress was found in the harbor, where it had been used as caulking material between the wooden boards of a ship that had later sunk there. It is not much, the largest piece is approx. 30 cm long, but it is believed to be the best-preserved finding of an apron-dress that we have, and it provides some clues to the shape and construction of this garment. 
The fragment was of finely woven wool dyed brown, indicating high social class, and was of the type worn with/held up by bronze brooches as commonly found in the richest graves. Its shape — narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, with stitch-holes along both sides — indicates that it had a tailored and fitted cut, had several panels, and that it was probably closed along both sides of the body. A simple aprondress-pattern Panels As there are few preserved findings of clothing from the Viking Age, it is all up to different scholar's interpretations of fragments. We do not know on which side of the body the fragment from Haithabu belonged, or how many parts the dress consisted of. There are many possible interpretations, and the pattern I use is very simple. It does not include the exact shape and size of the fragment from Haithabu and is thereby not a reconstruction, but it is based on the fitted design, with flared front and side-panels sown together on both sides. Shoulder loops The shoulder straps are shaped as loops and sown to the back of the dress, to be connected to the brooches right above the chest. I also use smaller loops on the front, to avoid piercing the cloth on the front with the thick needles from the brooches. As described by Thunem (2017), fine fabrics found in Viking graves is believed to have been highly valuable and imported from southern-eastern countries, and the use of such loops to protect the fabric appear to have been common. Other findings have shown several loops, which may have been used as tool bands for knifes or scissors, or to fasten a separable apron on the front (e.g. the embroidered apron i often wear). Another discussion is that of the length of the loops/placement of the brooches. While brooches have been found in different positions on the chest, it is most likely that they were positioned on the upper part of the chest (as is most commonly observed) and that graves findings where brooches are in a lower position on the breast due to them simply having slipped downwards as the remains of the body under them has decomposed, or due to some of these bodies having been buried in a sitting position. 
First off, remember to always wash new linen before sewing, to allow it to shrink beforehand. This should not be necessary if you are using wool (as long as you never wash it in hot water). Start off by measuring the circumference of your bust (A) and waist (B). I allow some slack here, as I wish to be able to pull the dress over my head without struggle, and since you will be wearing a tunic underneath. Secondly, divide each of these measures by six (as you see, you will be using units of sixths in order to tailor the pattern to your body). Thirdly, measure how far it is between your bust and down to your waist (C), and how long you want the dress to be (D). In my case (I am 182 cm/six feet tall) i made the dress 115 cm long and use 25 cm between bust to waist. As the drawing above indicates, the front and back panels should both be 2/6 of A on the top, 2/6 of B at the waist, and 3-4/6 of A at the bottom (depending on how much flare you want). The side panels should be 1/6 of A on the top, 1/6 of B at the waist, and 2/6 of A at the bottom. Draw your pattern on the fabric using a chalk, and before cutting, remember to leave a 1-2 cm margin around all the pieces, to account for the seams. Shoulder loops Measure the length from the bottom of your shoulder blade to the top of your breast, and double it to get the appropriate length for each of the upper straps (in my case, 90 cm). The width should be about 4 cm total (including the margins). Fold the edges inwards, creating four layers. Close the tube by hand-stitching along the length of each strap. The small front straps are made in the same way, and different interpretations vary from short (making the brooch overlap with the dress) and longer (making the strap visible between the brooch and the dress). I chose the former, making mine about 5 cm long in total and non-visible under the brooches. 
When you have all your pieces ready, sew overlock-stiches along all the raw edges of the fabric, in order to avoid fabric fraying. Sew the pieces together on the reverse side. I use a thicker and more decorative woolen thread along the most visible seams. 
And ta-daa, the final result! I am in lack of a better backdrop for the moment, but I'm looking forward to wearing it around the Viking village in Gudvangen, where we will be heading tomorrow. :) Will I see any of you there? 
Resources: Hägg, I. 1984. (Die Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu. Berichte über die ausgrabungen in Haithabu, Bericht 20 - Part English translation) Lewins, S. 2003. A Viking Pinafore Thunem, H. 2017. The apron dress from Haithabu Harbour Thunem, H. 2017. Viking Women: Aprondress # Comments
Heyrði í Hafrsfirði, hvé hizig barðisk... Last weekend we visited Hafrsfjordkaupangen, located in South-West Norway where the Battle of Hafrsfjord took place in the late 800s. The Hafrsfjord Vikings once again did all they could to make everyone feel welcome! It was short but sweet trip, and the weekend flew by. We arrived on Friday evening to put up our camp, and before we knew it, it was Sunday, and another great market was over. ^^ 
I didn't take that many photos of the market life and activities along the way, but I took a stroll around the marketplace to document some of the beautiful historical handicraft that was being displayed, especially a lot of woodwork and smithery! 
Pretty shiny things made by Grzegorz... 
Hazel was also there. And she brought her owner André. :) I'm hoping to be able to visit his and Anita's home in Møystadsaga again later in the summer, and share some photos of their project and the buildings they've raised there! 
Right after the feast on Saturday evening, these fellows decided to challenge each other in an eating competition! They were equipped with two wooden spoons that were connected to each other by a chain, and had to eat through a large tray of smoking hot porridge, full of meat, bones and chucks of fat, to see who got to the middle first. The game was inspired by the competition in the hall of Útgarða-Loki, as described in Gylfaginning. And yes, we were glad we had finished eating before watching this, because things got quite gross! ^^ 
Anja and Claus :) 
And me and Christian ♥ 
Lasse and Ida! 
Historical bows, made by archaeologist and bowmaker Ivar Malde. 
We spent the evenings by the big common bonfire, listening to folksongs and storytelling, and enjoying lots of good mead and ale, surrounded by good people. Could it get any better? 
The next market on our part will be at Gudvangen in July, where we will spend a whole week. Already missing the market life, and I cannot wait :) Thank you once again, Hafrsfjord! # Comments
Back home from Bjørgvin market, held the first weekend in June on and around the beautiful grounds of the Hordamuseum, here in my home town Bergen in West-Norway. ^^ 
The weather Gods seemed to have left the weather on "autopilot" when we arrived on Thursday, which for Bergen means rain, and a lot of it at that! Our thick linen Oseberg-tents did however keep us dry, and the middle-part/roof we got to put up between our tents proved to be a good investment once again, providing shelter for our little camp and making us able to sit by the fire at night as the rain thundered against the canvas above us. It did clear up from time to time, and on Saturday the clouds receded and we found ourselves under the blue skies and warm sun that we like to associate with this first weekend in June and these beautiful green surroundings. 
The Danish band Virelai arrived, playing their joyful tunes! They create such a cheerful atmosphere, making Vikings as well as (sometimes rather unsuspecting) visitors join in medieval circle chain dances. ^^ 
Brewing beer... 
Silje and LC ♥ 
Iron smelting and beautiful historical brooches and beads, by Montanus Historical Jewellery. 
The Kutscheras, or the past time family :) 
Having a large drying-room in the basement came in handy when we came home late last night, and after a lot of carrying, washing and drying we could finally take a long shower and sink into the couch at home. I had a great weekend and I'm still feeling it; my hair still smells of bonfires, my muscles are sore, and my heart is happy. The Viking season is here! Next time we'll pack our sheepskins and sleeping bags we'll be heading south to Hafrsfjord, in two weeks' time. :) # Comments
A couple more weeks until my Viking summer begins, starting with beautiful Bjørgvin market here in my home town. I am in the last phase of my PhD which means that I will not be able to attend all the markets I would like to, but I have set aside time a few, including Bjørgvin, Hafrsfjord and a whole week in Gudvangen. I cannot wait for lazy days in the sun, eating breakfast outside, laying in the high grass and looking up at the waterfalls, dipping my toes in the sea, and dozing by the fire at night. I will leave modern life behind and forget about the city, to enjoy the blissful market life, with the smell of bonfires, live music, foods and market stands. Daydreaming... 
Check out my annual calendar of the Viking markets in Scandinavia for an overview of what's happening and where. # Comments
Þat hugsuðu þeir ok undruðust, hví þat myndi gegna, er jörðin ok dýrin ok fuglarnir höfðu saman eðli í sumum hlutum ok þó ólík at hætti. • They thought and pondered over, what it might mean, that the earth and the beasts and the birds all had the same nature in some ways, and yet were unlike in their manner of life. 
Þat var eitt eðli, að jörðin var grafin í hám fjalltindum ok spratt þar vatn upp, ok þurfti þar eigi lengra at grafa til vatns en í djúpum dölum. Svá er ok dýr ok fuglar, at jafnlangt er til blóðs í höfði ok fótum. • For one, the earth was carved into mighty mountain peaks where water gushed out, and one needed not dig further for water there than they would in the deep valleys. So it is also with the beasts and the birds, their blood lies equally deep in head as in foot. 
Önnur náttúra er sú jarðar, at á hverju ári vex á jörðinni gras ok blóm, ok á sama ári fellr þat allt ok fölnar, svá ok dýr ok fuglar, at vex hár ok fjaðrar ok fellr af á hverju ári. • The second nature of the earth is, that every year grass and flowers grow upon the earth, and in the same year it falls and withers. Hence it is with beasts and birds, that hair and feathers grow and fall each year. 
Þat er in þriðja náttúra jarðar, þá er hon er opnuð ok grafin, þá grær gras á þeiri moldu, er efst er á jörðinni. Björg ok steina þýddu þeir móti tönnum ok beinum kvikenda. • It is the third nature of the earth, that when opened and ploughed, the grass grows again on the soil which lies uppermost on the ground. Mountains and stones they viewed as the teeth and bones of living things. 
Af þessu skilðu þeir svá, at jörðunni væri kvik ok hefði líf með nökkurum hætti, ok vissu þeir, at hon furðuliga gömul at aldartali ok máttug í eðli. Hon fæddi öll kykvendi, ok hon eignaðist allt þat, er dó. • Thus they recognized, that the earth was alive in its own right, and they knew, that she was stupendously old in years and mighty in essence. She gave birth to all things living, and took back all that which died. 
Fyrir þá sök gáfu þeir henni nafn ok tölðu ætt sína til hennar. • Thereby they named her, and counted their descent back to her. 
Þat sama spurðu þeir af gömlum frændum sínum, at síðan er talið váru mörg hundruð vetra, þá var in sama jörð ok sól ok himintungl, en gangr himintunglanna var ójafn. Áttu sum lengra gang, en sum skemmra. • They learned from their ancestors that many hundreds of winters has been counted on the same earth under the same sun and moon, but that the course of the moons was uneven. While some had a longer course, others journeyed shorter. 
Excerpt from the prologue in the Younger Edda, Snorri Sturluson, approx. 1220. Music: Nytt Land - The Last War Photography: Valkyrja.com # Comments
Today, one moon phase after the spring equinox, is the first summer day, according to the old Icelandic calendar! As a Viking age enthusiast with likeminded friends, I will occasionally post photos of our celebrations marking the various seasons. Some of you have written to ask me about them (and that sounds like a blog post to me). ^^ Let me tell you what I know about the four main feasts that were celebrated by our forefathers! 
The Norse calendar divided the year into two halves, the summer and the winter season, each holding six of the old months. Meanwhile, each of the four quarters of the year were times of celebration and sacrificial feasts (or in Old Norse, blóts). The months of the Viking Age are believed to have been lunar months, lasting from new moon to new moon, meaning that dates would not be exact, but vary somewhat from year to year. According to the interpretations of Nordberg (2006), this would translate to the following dates in the Julian and Gregorian (current) calendars:
Sumarmál (coming of summer) 
Sumarmál marks the last days of the winter half-year, or in the days around the first day of the summer month "Harpa", which we would be entering today. Oh joy, the winter has passed, and easier times are ahead! The hens are laying eggs once again, and the ewes are giving birth to their lambs. Daylight and warmth has moved everyday life outside the house, and calls for changes in work and chores to be done around the farm. The summer was also the time for travel, trading and raids, and as stated in Ynglingasaga, it was held toward summer, for victory ("sigr"). Focusing on victory in battle, some hold the sumarmál celebration to have been held in honor of Óðinn. Others, like the Ásatru community in Iceland, point to the wider meaning of the old Norse word and celebrate victory in another sense, honoring Freyja and Frey, for the defeat of winter, for life, fertility and growth. Miðsumar (midsummer) 
The Midsummer celebration is poorly documented in historical sources, and some leave it out when counting the main blóts of the year. There is however reason to believe that a celebration took place at this time. Snorri Sturlusson mentions a midsummer blót in the Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason, and the manuscript Ágrip from approx. 1150, further mentions the midsummer celebration was replaced with Saint John's Eve during the Christianization. Midsummer was also the time of several big happenings such as the Þing (parliamentary assembly) in the Scandinavian countries, which may have coincided with religious feasts. Vetrarnætur (winter nights) 
Come fall and the end of the summer half-year, the old calendar enters winter nights which mark the start of the winter season. The winter nights is the most thoroughly documented celebration in the literature. As described in a previous blogpost about the first winter month Gormánuðr, this was the time for slaughtering, salting, smoking and otherwise preparing foods for the winter, and Ynglingasaga states that this was a celebration for a good harvest. Several sources, including Víga-Glúms saga and Egils saga discuss the Dísablót (blót for the "Dísir", female dieties), which found place at the same time, and may have been a similar and coinciding celebration, or simply be a different term for the same blót. The sources describe the celebration as a grand feast and gathering of friends. Although sources differ on when the new year commenced during the Viking Age, many have claimed that the winter nights was the entry to the new year, and it is also believed to have been a popular time for weddings. Miðvetur (midwinter) 
Midwinter was the time for the Old Norse Yule celebration. In the Saga Hákonar góða describes how the celebration would start with hökunótt (midwinter night) around mid-January, and was held for three nights. Being halfway between the first day of winter and the first day of summer, Yule was a celebration of the passing of winter and a blót for growth and a good and bounteous year. There were firmly established traditions regarding the brewing and consumption of Yule ale, and toasts were made in honor of the deities as well as for friends and family that had passed away. The celebration was later moved to conform to Christianity, which would override many of the heathen practices and blóts discussed above. Nevertheless, some things have remained, such as the fact that Scandinavians still refer to midtwinter as Jól/Yule (rather than Kristmesse/Christmas), along with the consumption of Yule-ale and traditional foods. Do you celebrate the seasons and the turning of the wheel of the year? 
Photography: Valkyrja.com # Comments
Haven't had the chance to blog in way too long! This afternoon, however, I took the time to cook properly and decided it had to be shared here. :-) 
I call the Samdal stew, because the recipe is from my friends who live there (and who feed me with all kinds of delicious gastronomy during my visits). I love rustic foods like this, simple organic ingredients put together to create a natural and hearty meal! Ingredients: - about 500 g of diced moose/deer meat - butter - 1 tsp salt - 1/2 tsp pepper - 3 bay leaves - 15 juniper berries, crushed - 2 tsp dried thyme - 4 carrots, chopped - 4 parsnips, chopped - 2 dl water - 2 dl sour cream / cream (or use both like I did) Directions: Cook the meat gently in butter and then put all the ingredients in a casserole. Bring it to a boil and then let it all simmer for as long as necessary for the meat to be cooked through and the vegetables soft. Serve with brussels sprouts and lingon berry. Oh, and I added some diced bacon and mushrooms to the recipe (because well, bacon and mushroom are two of my favourite things). ^^ 
Music: Cecair - Atiny Naya # Comments
My green wooolen hood is based on an archeologic find in a bog near Skjoldehamn in Northern Norway, dated to approx. year 1050-1090. Designed by Klesarven. (Ps: the color appears darker in my photos, it is more of a pear green in reality) Text: Excerpts from Rígsþula Photography and editing: Valkyrja.com Music: Wardruna - IngwaR # Comments
Last weekend was truly wonderful. We went back to the lovely dale of our friends Silje and LC, and curled up for a Lord of the Rings-marathon, with lovely meals and snacks (including shepherd's pie, and lembas-bread baked by Silje), mead and ale, and with a nice fire going beside us throughout the night. Though the snow had gone, the weather was clear and cold outside, and Sunday morning we went out on the lake for ice skating. I used to skate a lot as a child, but it has been many years since I last wore skates, and I was rather wobbly out there, though I got the hang of it after a while. Christian was however fearless (shameless), skating around me in circles, though this was only his second time on the ice. ^^ 
I dressed up in my new bright blue Viking dress from Klesarven ("Viking Heritage"). I recently started a collaboration with Lene Lorentzen, Norwegian fashion designer and history enthusiast, who makes timeless and environment friendly clothing inspired by the Viking Age. Although I have sown the most of my Viking clothes myself, this suits me perfectly as I do not always have the time available to produce new pieces for the season, and 2017 is a busy year for me workwise. I also know that a lot of you have been looking and asking about where you can find quality historical gear, so there you go! This dress is 100 % linen, with underarm gussets and gores on the sides, designed based on fragments found in Birka, Sweden. 
Music: Helene Bøkslie - Ylva # Comments
We are now in the month of Þorri, the fourth of the old winter months. I am beginning to long for spring, for thawing ice and lighter clothes, for sitting by the bay listening to rippling waves, for the Viking markets to start, the birds coming back, and for the thimbleweed to grow. Meanwhile, I am thankful for blankets, candles, music and tea (and for my macbook, allowing me to spend late nights looking through my old photography and putting together collages)... ^^
Photography: Valkyrja.com Music is by friend and artist Kai Uwe Faust, from the amazing project Heilung. # Comments
During the Viking Age, people celebrated four main sacrificial feasts or blóts of the year. The large Midwinter or Yule celebration, the Miðsvetrarblót, is believed to have been held in what is now mid-late January, marking one of the quarters in the Old Norse calendar, mid the first day of winter and the first day of summer. The feast was held for the passing of winter and for a good and bountiful year, and ceremonial toasts were made in honor of the Æsir and for friends and kin that had passed away. Haakon the Good later moved the heathen celebration to December 25th in order for it to coincide with the Christian celebration elsewhere in Europe, which would override the heathen practices. Some of us who are particularly fond of the old ways and our cultural history do however still meet up to celebrate the old Midwinter, in our case in the forests of Western-Norway, where we light a fire, feast and drink together with the best of friends! 
Mead with ginger and raspberry, brewed by my friend Bjørn. 
The forest is pitch black at this time of year, although there was almost a full moon and the stars shone bright far up above the treetops. The temperatures were well below zero in the forest, and as usual we stayed until we had burnt up all our firewood and walked back to civilization to enjoy a warm midnight meal inside. Behold—Silje and LC's delicious organic moose stew, with lots of yummy vegetables, sour cream, lingonberry and bay laurel leaves. Perfect for thawing frozen Vikings, and filling up hungry bellies! 
Music: Gjallarhorn - O-Vals # Comments
A new year is here, and for us history enthusiasts and reenactors that means a new season of adventures will soon be upon us! Friends from all over the world will meet again under summer skies and gather around campfires to talk about the year that has passed, as well as those that passed long ago, in the culture and history we love so much. 
That also means that it's time for my annual overview of Viking and Medieval events in Scandinavia! Each event is provided with a link for more information. Many dates have not been set yet (TBA), so this list will be updated continuously. Some markets are biennial and will not be arranged this year (N/A). If your market or event is not listed here, please let me know and it will be added. ^^
I hope to meet many of you this summer! Ps. Feel free to share this post (permalink) or its contents with credit to Valkyrja.com! *Copying source code and claiming credit yourself is however not nice. *cough* Music: Songleikr - Mann og mening # Comments
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