Birka Viking woman

This historical Viking women's costume has been compiled as much as possible on the basis of archaeological finds made in the Viking city of Birka. Viking clothing in the early Middle Ages was not very different from clothing in other areas of Europe. Fashion trends can be clearly seen throughout medieval history. Yet there were deviations. Even between the clothes and objects used by the Vikings of the Baltic Sea area (the Rusvik) who were mainly Swedish and Baltic and the Norse and Danish Vikings who roamed the British coasts.

Viking city of Birka

In the 8th century Birka was a large Viking city. Birka was an important trading center with trade with many parts of Europe, as well as with Russia and further into Asia. In its heyday, Birka had a population of about 500 - 1000 people and the city flourished for up to two hundred years. Then it ceased to exist. Around the same time, the city of Sigtuna was founded about 30 km away and won the competition between the two. So Birka didn't become Jorvik (York) or Dublin. Instead it became a gold mine for archaeologists together with Hovgården on the neighboring island. Because there was minimal habitation afterwards, a lot has been preserved.

Viking dress

Viking women wore a dress or long tunic which were also called særk or kirtle. Early medieval dresses are basically quite shapeless, the shapes are mainly made with the belt around the waist. There is little difference between a Viking dress and a 12th century dress that was later worn in the rest of Europe. The colors depended on how rich you were. Some colors were more difficult to make. This soon meant that wealthy Viking women could show off their wealth just by the color of their dress. In the Middle Ages, laws were even drawn up for this. So that people from certain classes did not dress themselves in expensive colors. Gray, brown-red, greens, yellows, browns, cream were colors that all classes could afford. Shades of blue, red and even purple were very expensive.

Because our Viking woman does not belong to the nobility, she wears one of these dresses.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-dress-freya-natural.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/dress-feme-natural.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-dress-elisa-green.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-dress-freya-green.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-dress-freya-burgundy.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-dress-freya-forest-green.html

Hangeroc

This Viking woman wears a skirt over her dress. The hangeroc is a kind of apron that is attached to the dress with brooches at the shoulders. Sometimes the hangeroc was embroidered and the shield brooches, holding the Viking dress and hangeroc together, could be fitted with jewelry dividers, from which the most luxurious combinations could be hung. For example, beaded necklaces made of glass beads and amber were regularly worn. Jewelry was sometimes hung between the beads of the necklace. Sometimes items such as nail clippers or needle cases with needles were attached to this set of cosmetics. Both were also used as jewelry.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hangeroc-lientje-green.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hangeroc-alva-herringbone-motif-black.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hangeroc-alva-herringbone-motif-brown.html

For our Viking woman we opted for a roughly woven hanger skirt from Mytholon. The rough weave gives the woman an extra authentic look.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-ring-birka.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/early-medieval-hack-silver-bracelet.html

Shield Brooches & Viking Jewelry

Of course, all this jewelry was a status symbol. If you were rich you let it hang rich. If you were poor you had at best a beaded necklace or even no shield brooches at all. Vikings carried their wealth with them. There were no banks and if you needed a means of payment to buy a cow, for example, you just grabbed a silver bracelet to pay with. or you chopped off a piece if the value was less than the bracelet.

Because our Viking woman is unfortunately not of nobility, we have opted for a modest set-up.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/turtle-brooch-british-museum.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/jewelry-hook-pointy.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-jewelry-divider-oeland.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/necklace-birka.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/birka-viking-ear-spoon-grave-660.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/pick-birka.html

As other jewelry, our Viking Woman wore:

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-ring-birka.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/early-medieval-hack-silver-bracelet.html

Viking belt

The woman wore a belt around her waist. This could be made of textile. For example, a banded belt, or one made from leather.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/birka-belt-black-brass.html

Viking cloaks

Life in Early Medieval Scandinavia, Britain, Russia or Canada was hard and merciless. In the winter, people sought the warmth of the fireplace. But that doesn't mean the winters must have been incredibly harsh. In Viking Saga like the Edda it is regularly mentioned that during a hard winter one after another died.

In the winter, and often also in the summer, our Viking woman therefore wears a cloak over which she may wear an extra belt.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/birka-cloak-aslaug-wool-brown.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/fur-collar-grey.html

Viking bags & accessories

Many Viking women must have carried bags to carry everyday items. A leather belt is very suitable for even carrying many objects with you.

These bags are based on archaeological finds where remnants or bag fittings have been found.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/haithabu-viking-bag-small.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-pouch-haithabu.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/birka-bag.html

Often Viking women also carried the keys to the house. The Vikings had ingenious locks on doors and chests that could be opened with keys.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hand-forged-viking-key-birka.html

Viking Axes & Knives

Axes and knives were important tools in everyday life. There wasn't a Viking woman who couldn't chop wood with an axe. Even slaves were allowed to carry knives with the Vikings.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-knife-asmund.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hand-forged-viking-knife-reykjavik.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-throwing-axe.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-craftmens-axe.html

Viking shoes

Unlike modern footwear, Viking shoes offered no ankle support at all. Many Vikings were probably also barefoot. These shoes are based on archaeological finds:

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-boots-oseberg.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-shoes.html