Viking Clothing Facts: Learn All About The Curious Clothes They Wore

Do you know about the kind of clothes the mighty Vikings wore?

Viking clothes are a subject of interest not only for people who are into historical shows set in the Viking era but to others as well. It is astonishing to think about what the Viking women and Viking men would have worn to conquer the harsh conditions they lived in.

There is much archaeological evidence that supports the information given in this article. In this article, we will learn about the kind of clothes Viking men and women wore, fabrics and coloring, and the influence the environment had on their fashion.

Read along to find out about various Viking shoes and Viking clothes worn by Viking men and Viking women. After you have understood all about Viking cloaks, head coverings, outer garments, shoulder straps, and use of animal skin along with silver thread, also check Viking raid facts and Viking longship facts.

What The Vikings Wore And How

The Viking Age is a famous one. Historical television shows such as 'Vikings' and 'The Last Kingdom' have sparked massive interest among Viking enthusiasts about this age.

In fact, many festivals are held throughout the world to celebrate the Viking Age that spanned 250 years. At festivals, Viking enthusiasts dress up in the same way as the warriors did. Wearing Viking clothes, enthusiasts learn about Viking history and buy merchandise inspired by the Viking Age from festivals vendors.

Viking men wore cloaks, trousers, and tunics. The tunics were somewhat like full-sleeved shirts but without the buttons and usually, they were knee-length. Some tunics were plain while some had symbols for the more important members.

Layers were in fashion even in the Viking era. Whether shipbuilding, hunting, or looting, it was important for Viking men to stay warm while doing physical chores. Basic clothing tended to be lighter with shorter sleeves in the warmer months and thicker and longer in the dark of winter.

Viking men's pants were relatively simple. Men's trousers didn't have pockets and could be loose or tight. They were usually made from local dyed wool and linen. Viking men's underwear was mainly made of linen rather than wool as linen was more comfortable on the skin as compared to wool.

However, Vikings who couldn’t afford linen wore wool. Viking shoes men wore were made of leather. Leather shoes were preferred as they were sturdy and long-lasting.

The Viking Warrior's Clothes

The clothes Viking warriors wore in battle had to be more sturdy for obvious reasons. So, for those long journeys, the warriors wore tunics and their cloaks were much thicker. They were made of animal skins that were thick and could keep them warm.

It was of extreme importance to keep themselves warm before combat or conducting Viking raids. Weapons were of extreme importance for a Viking warrior.

To keep heavy weapons like axes, swords, and daggers in place they used to wear heavy belts. The belts were made of leather to make sure they were sturdy. They were made to ensure weapons were accessible when needed.

In addition to this, the mighty Vikings also wore thick leather armor and shields that protected them from sword strikes while fighting. However, with the exception of metal helmets, the Vikings usually did not carry armor or clothing that was overly heavy, as this hindered maneuverability during combat.

Contrary to popular misconception, Vikings did not wear horned helmets all the time. Surprisingly, the Vikings knew of and used techniques to make their clothes waterproof. To make their clothes waterproof they used animal skins that had already been treated with fish oil and beeswax. The beeswax made them soft and the fish oil made them waterproof.

When it comes to the clothing of a typical Viking woman and the dress of every common Viking man, you will find some common denominators. The use of animal furs, huge belt buckles, and baggy trousers were quite prevalent across the region.

Viking footwear was crafted of leather and usually up to the ankle. The shoes were made using the turn shoe technique.

Fabrics And Coloring

Different colored clothes were in fashion in the Viking Era. They liked to wear clothes that were woven in different colors. The clothes worn during this period were colored by boiling the yarn with plants that yielded different colors.

The color blue has only been found in the graves of wealthy Vikings and apparently, it was a precious color that could only be produced from indigo. The indigo dye was mainly purchased from abroad.

Some other colors that have been discovered by archaeologists are purple, green, yellow, and red. Flax was found to be the main component in almost 40% of the Viking clothes so this must have been a very important plant that needed to be grown.

Researchers claim that 44 lb (20 kg) of flax was necessary to produce enough material to make a single tunic. Including the hours it took to sow the plant, it took as long as 400 hours to create one tunic. Several sites in Denmark show that flax was produced in the Viking Age almost on an industrial scale.

Colors And Patterns

One might believe that the Viking clothes were made only for serious and practical purposes to suit the often dark gray nations they lived in. On the contrary, experts have claimed that many Viking clothes were bright and colorful.

They did not only have black and white but also many other colors like red, blue, and yellow.

However, some colors are believed to have been more difficult to obtain than others. It is possible that one color that perhaps held the most importance was red.

In terms of meaning, it was a color that signified fame and monetary value. Red was created from the roots of a plant that was not found in Scandinavia, named the madder plant. It was imported from other European tribes and this increased their price.

Some clothing was patterned with beautiful intricate designs. Weapons and longship details show how much the Vikings loved to decorate and add details and this suggests that clothing was not mediocre and ordinary and was perhaps in line with social hierarchy.

The Influence Of The Environment

Vikings took special care while producing clothes as they knew they had to deal with cold and hostile situations. This is the reason that both men and women wore an outer garment to remain warm.

While the clothes needed to be warm and thick to protect them from the biting cold and other unfavorable weather conditions, they also needed to be practical and flexible enough to comfortably carry out everyday chores for common people and participate in combat for Viking warriors.

It is widely believed that the Germanic people of northern Europe wore very similar clothes to the Vikings. There was a strict distinction between the types of clothes Viking men wore and the types of clothes Viking women wore.

Their clothes were also influenced by money, their social importance, and their place in Viking society.

Clothes For Viking Women

The Viking clothing of men and women varied a lot according to the region and culture they were a part of. For the Vikings' shoes, women mainly wore leather ones.

The Viking woman usually wore a Viking dress that had straps and under the dress, they wore a smock or undergarments. The fitting of the strap dresses was quite close and the material they used was coarse. The dress was sometimes open and sometimes it was sewn together from the sides.

To give the dress some shape, gussets were also sometimes sewn. The strap dresses were fastened using a brooch which was usually shell-shaped. A string of beads could also sometimes be found between the bronze brooches.

According to some research, it has been concluded that Swedish Viking women preferred pleated undergarments contrary to Danish Viking women who liked to wear plain undergarments instead. At the time, Viking cloaks were also in fashion.

A brooch was used to fasten them and they were usually decorated using animal fur and borders. Viking women also carried small leather purses with them that held small items such as sewing needles, silver coins, and curved iron pieces that were used to strike lights.

A belt around the waist was also in fashion in the Viking period. Viking brooches have been recovered in various regions of Europe like England, Iceland, Russia, and Ireland where the Vikings were known to have settled.

Did you know...

The origins of the word 'Viking' are unknown. It came to denote Viking attacks by Scandinavian pirates or raiders in the Middle Ages.

The Anglo-Saxons considered the word 'wicking' to be equivalent to pirate, and wicking is translated into Latin as 'Pirata' in various Old English sources. It was not thought to be a reference to nationality, as Normann (Northmen) and Dene (Danes) were used instead.

The Danes are referred to as Pagani (pagans) in 'Asser's Life of Alfred', although this is commonly translated as 'Vikings' in modern English, which some consider to be a mistranslation.

The first mention of wicking in English texts comes from the 'Épinal-Erfurt Lexicon', which dates from around 700, while the first known attack of Viking raiders on England took place in 793 at Lindisfarne.

Some believe that wicking is a loanword from Old Norse mythology, while others believe it is a loanword from English.

Viking swords were rarely utilized in battle, most likely because they were not strong enough for fighting and were mostly used as symbolic or aesthetic artifacts. It was a common weapon or a primary weapon for young men in Viking culture. An axe, animal bones, or a wooden shaft were mostly used.

In the ninth century, Norwegian Vikings began colonizing Iceland. A papal letter from 1053 is the first record that mentions Iceland and Greenland.

They occur in Adam of Bremen's 'Gesta' twenty years later. It wasn't until around 1130 when the islands had become Christianized, that descriptions of the islands' history were published in sagas and chronicles from the perspective of the residents.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Viking clothing facts then why not take a look at Viking food facts, or Viking jewelry facts?