Viking Fashion: Men And Women Were Vain And Very Clean During The Viking Age

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - There are many myths and misconceptions about the Vikings. One is that they were dirty and did not pay attention to their appearance. Few things can be further from the truth. Archaeological discoveries reveal that Vikings were cleaner than most and rather vain.

Credit: IMDb - Fair use

Personal Hygiene Was Very Important To Vikings

Scientists have discovered tweezers, combs, razors, nail cleaners, ear cleaners, and toothpicks inside Viking tombs. These artifacts show that people of the Viking Age took great care in personal grooming.
In his chronicle from 1220, John of Wallingford described the Vikings as well-groomed heartbreakers.

"They had also conquered, or planned to conquer, all the country's best cities and caused many hardships for the country's original citizens, for they were - according to their country's customs - in the habit of combing their hair every day, to bathe every Saturday, to change their clothes frequently and to draw attention to themselves by means of many such frivolous whims.

In this way, they sieged the married women's virtue and persuaded the daughters of even noble men to become their mistresses," Wallingford wrote.

Viking combs. Credit: Mariana Muñoz-Rodriguez

Bone pins, delicately carved from animal bone, were used to fasten clothing or as hair decorations. Vikings paid plenty of attention to their beards and hair. Bones and antlers were carved to create hair combs, which became prized possessions. Hair had to be styled right, and the beard could be short or long, but it was always well-groomed. Archaeologists have confirmed that several Viking combs were produced in Hedeby, a major trading center during the Viking Age.

Viking women, in most cases, had long hair tied into a knot on the back of the head. The knot was often decorated with colorful tape braided into the hair. The women also wore a bonnet or a scarf around their heads.

What Viking outfits looked like remains a mystery because knowledge of Viking fashion is based on fragments of clothes discovered in ancient tombs. Unfortunately, most Viking clothes have rotted away and disappeared when archaeologists excavated their tombs.

It is also important to remember that people living during the Viking Age never spoke of themselves as Vikings. To understand why ancient Scandinavians did not refer to themselves as Vikings, one must remember the meaning of the word Viking. In Old Norse, an old Scandinavian language, the word appears as "vikingr", which designates a person, while "viking" designates a practice. Therefore, it is better to say there are some things we do know about Viking Age fashion.

Our knowledge about Viking fashion is based on artifacts discovered in ancient tombs. National Museum of Denmark

Scientists have successfully produced clothes our ancestors wore by analyzing archaeological finds of textile tools, textiles, skins, and fibers from graves and settlements. For example, Viking Age women usually wore long dresses or skirts that went down to the feet. These dresses were held together with a strap over each shoulder. Men wore the same materials as the women. The inner layer usually consisted of a linen kirtle—a long shirt the men pulled over their heads. On the outside, the typical Viking man wore a wool coat.

Reconstructed woman's and man's costumes from Well-dressed in the Viking Age. Credit: Charlotte Rimstad

Like today's men, Viking men wore trousers. These could be either short or long, and they were usually sewn in the style of pantaloons. These trousers only reached down to the men's knees.

Vikings Loved Colors - Especially Blue And Red

Men usually wore a hat, whereas women could choose between a small hat and a scarf. What has also been discovered is that Vikings loved various colors. The most popular ones were blue and red.
Vikings were also familiar with luxuries such as silk and sewn-on ribbons with silver and golden threads. However, only a few elite members could wear these exclusive fabrics, which were imported worldwide.

Ancient Viking jewelry. Credit: Fitzhugh, William W. - Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga

Astonishing Norse jewelry discovered in hoards and burial sites reveals that Vikings were highly skilled craftsmen. Viking jewelry was beautifully made, and it's still reproduced today.

Vikings certainly paid great attention to beautiful garments and accessories. Based on all these archaeological findings, it's fair to say that Vikings were by no means badly dressed and dirty.

Written by Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com

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