The upcoming episode of ÆLive, airing on Saturday May 23 at 7 PM, will have a Norse theme.
To this end we want to have a segment in the show where we show pictures of Norse outfits that people here in Æthelmearc has worn or are wearing. So please send in pictures of yourself in Norse looking garb or armor.
A segment will be made where we feature these pictures, some or all of them as we see fit.
Take a look behind the scenes into the development and production of the Royalty Wardrobe for the summer reign of Duke Sven Gunnarsson and Duchess Siobhán inghean uí Liatháin of the Sylvan Kindom of Æthelmearc, AS 52 to 53 (photos provided by the Royalty).
Want more? Check out our collaboration in detail in The Research behind the Wardrobe, awash with illustrations and resources, and available to download here.
Our Challenge:
By Royal Decree, create three wardrobes which would be plausible in 950 to 1050 AD based on Norse culture and cultures with which the Norse would have been in contact; with minimal Kingdom heraldry. Additionally, for Pennsic Opening Ceremonies, one outfit which emphasized Kingdom heraldry within an overall Norse design.
Wardrobe I – an early Slavic outfit
This wardrobe was inspired by early Eastern European and Russian fashions, specifically as found in the grave field of the Volga region. As many of the typical designs and jewelry choices, like the half moon temple rings, are from a later period, the biggest challenge was to come up with a fashionable design without using the later-period flashy jewelry and elaborate gold-work embroidery.
The Wardrobe Team:
His & Her Garments – medium-weight linen, with silk fabric accents
Head Seamstress THL Lisette la bergiére
Her belt – wool tablet weave
Tablet weave by Lady Genevieve O’Connor
Her veil – lightweight linen, bronze spangles
Assembly by THLCristina inghean Ghriogair
Her belt & neckline – silk fingerloop braids, cowry shells, bronze bells, and spangles
Assembly by Elska á Fjárfelli, OL
Her headband – silk and gold thread brocade, with a linen band and spangles
His buttons – reproduction pewter Gnezdova buttons
Button mold and pewter casting by Artemius Andreas Magnus, OL
His belt & pouch – belt and tarsoley set from 10th century Birka
Designed and assembled by Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson
Both – a set of Slavic design knives.
Heft and sheath construction by LordSnorri skyti Bjarnarson
Both – 10th century embroidered turnshoes
Created by Lord Robert of Ferness
Research
Luceta DiCosimo, OL
THL Cristina inghean Ghriogair
Elska á Fjárfelli, OL
Wardrobe II – the Heraldic outfit
Even though heraldic imagery is not typically found in Norse context, as our Royalty would be presiding over Opening Ceremonies at Pennsic we felt that a little Kingdom pride would not be misplaced. To stay within the spirit of the age, the heraldry is artfully hidden within the patterns of the block prints. Her under tunic is carefully pleated around the neckline for that extra sumptuous look.
The Wardrobe Team:
His & Her Garments – medium-weight linen
Head Seamstress Baroness Sybilla Detwyller
His & Her block printing
Design of stamp, carving, and printing by Baroness Sybilla Detwyller
Her heraldic brocaded apron dress trim in red and white silk
brocade design and tablet weave by THL Hrólfr á Fjárfelli
Her pleated under tunic
Design and construction by Chrestienne de Waterdene, OL
His belt & pouch – belt and tarsoley set from 10th century Birka
Design and construction by Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson
Research
Baroness Sybilla Detwyller
Chrestienne de Waterdene, OL
Álfrún ketta, OL
Wardrobe III – the Anglo-Saxon outfit
Unlike the Slavic outfit where all the cool accessories are from after our chosen timeframe, in the case of Anglo-Saxon fashion the well-known designs and jewelry — like the shoulder fibulae — are from a much earlier period. To emulate the (ecclesial) opulence of the period this outfit depended heavily on copious metal brocade and embroidery.
The Wardrobe Team:
His & Her Garments – medium-weight linen
General construction by Etain ingen Ruaidri
His & Her silk and metal brocade trim
Brocade tablet weave by THL Silvester Burchardt
Her woolen belt with carved bone buckle and end piece (not worn in picture)
Tablet weave by Lady Genevieve O’Connor
Bone carving by Cynwyl, OL
His belt & pouch – belt and tarsoley set from 10th century Birka
Design and construction by Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson
Research
THL Silvester Burchardt
Elska á Fjárfelli, OL
Wardrobe IV – the Norse Rus outfit
Everyone likes block-printed fabrics and we are no different. This design was ideal to highlight the amazing art of one of our artisans, and also to provide the Royalty with single-layer summer weight Pennsic garments.
The Wardrobe Team:
His & Her tunic and dress
Head seamstress Noble Rhys Penbras ap Dafydd
His & Her klappenrock and Birka coats
Seamstress THL Abigale Kelloge
Help with assembly by Michelle DeBuyser
Help with assembly by THL Moniczka Poznanska
blockprinting coat trim by Fredeburg von Katzenellenbogen, OL
His & Her block-printed fabrics
Printed by Freiherr Fridrich Flußmüllner
Her glass bead and embossed silver necklace (not shown in photograph)
Glass beads by Artemius Andreas Magnus, OL
Embossed silver pendants by Rob ‘Rayleon’ Podkowa
His kaftan posaments (not shown in photograph)
Made by Lady Alita of Hartstone
His belt & pouch – belt and tarsoley set from 10th century Birka
Design and construction by Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson
Sourcing period correct ball buttons (not shown in photograph)
Countess Anna Leigh
Research
Álfrún ketta, OL
Elska á Fjárfelli, OL
Bonus! Wardrobe V – the Mammen outfit
While the connection between embroidery and Norse culture is not quite as clear as one might hope — with the embroidery remnants more likely being an Anglo-Saxon textile pillaged from a British Isles monastery — the highly embroidered museum-recreated Mammen outfit is too good to be true and makes for an excellent Royal wardrobe.
The Wardrobe Team:
His & Her garments
Head Seamstress Lady Syele Pfeifferin
His & Her Embroidery
The Stag by Lady Aurelie of Nithgaard
The Acanthus Leaves by THL Renata Rouge
The Tree of Life by THL Cristina inghean Ghriogair
His & Her weaving of trim
Tablet weaving by Lady Genevieve O’Connor
Her embroidered turnshoes
Created by Lord Robert of Ferness
His block printing of Large Faces
Fredeburg von Katzenellenbogen, OL
His belt & pouch – belt and tarsoley set from 10th century Birka
Design and construction by Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson
Research
Elska á Fjárfelli, OL
The Royal Wardrobes Project was set up in the less-traditional way of utilizing up-and-coming artisans from around the Kingdom. The Wardrobes Project was created as a collaboration between many different artists whom were part of both the initial design discussions and the practical constructions as much as they desired. The Project is set up to be a learning opportunity for all involved and to be a source of additional information, to take home and use for our own personal wardrobe projects. And I hope it will inspire you, too!
By Baroness Katja Davidova Orlova Khazarina (Chris Adler-France)
Have you ever dreamed of living and studying overseas? Of deep-diving into an aspect of the art or culture that burns a fire in your belly?
Two Æthelmearcians are about to make their dream come true.
Baroness Orianna Fridrikskona and Baron Fridrikr Tomasson av Knusslig Hamn, longtime residents of Thescorre, teachers, autocrats, and artisans who stepped down last year after a term co-serving as the Kingdom’s Ministers of Arts & Sciences, are about to study in Scandinavia for the next two years and took time out of their busy last-minute preparations to talk to The Gazette about their plans.
Q: Please tell us about what you will be doing for the next two years?
A: Starting in mid-July, we will be living in Iceland (and elsewhere for a bit) while we return to university. Fridrikr will be pursuing a Masters program in “Viking and Medieval Norse Studies,” while Orianna will be pursuing a one-year Certificate program in “Icelandic as a Second Language for Practical Purposes.”
Q: Why did you decide to do this?
A:(Fridrikr) I heard about this program while I was doing a four-day weekend workshop in Old Norse at Worcester Polytech about three years ago. It sounded like a great program to extend my personal work in Old Norse poetry. We looked into it and set ourselves the goal of doing this after we had both retired. It has become our Great Adventure.
(Orianna) When he started talking about it, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun and definitely something to do while we had the ability to do it. Iceland is a very interesting country and I think having the opportunity to live there and learn more is pretty neat.
However, I told him there were two conditions:
It had to wait until I retired (which happened late last year), and
It had to be for only two years.
Fridrikr mentioned the Icelandic language class as an option for me to increase my ability to be accepted to live in Iceland with him, plus since we will be there it makes sense to learn the language.
Q: Please explain your degree programs, what kind of classes you’ll be doing, and what you hope the end result will be?
A:(Fridrikr) My program is an intensive 120-credit-hour program taken over two years. It culminates in a Master of Arts degree. The first year is spent in Reykjavik at the University of Iceland, taking basic graduate level courses and electives. I’m not sure yet, but I’m reasonably certain that there will be at least one semester-long project the first year, second term.
The second year is devoted to research, seminars, and thesis writing. First semester of the second year will be “study abroad” in either Oslo, Copenhagen, or Aarhus, Denmark. The location is decided based on my research interests. I believe that I’ll end up in Copenhagen, as I want to work in saga studies and the Arnamagnaen Institute’s sister collection is there. Oslo is the second choice (history). Aarhus is more geared toward archaeological studies. The end result will be an MA from the University of Iceland.
(Orianna) My program is a one-year certificate that covers all of the usual classes you need to take to learn a language. I am a little nervous about it since Icelandic is a difficult language and the last time I took classes in another language was in high school. But hopefully immersing myself in the language in the country of origin will help.
Q: Tell us about Reykjavik?
A: We’ve already been there a couple of times on vacation. It’s a smallish city (125,000 people) and the central area, where we’re living, can be walked across in about 20 minutes. The public transportation system is all bus and is excellent. We’ll be living near the harbor, in a fully furnished apartment that is about 700 square feet. Small, cozy, and excellent.
Q: How long did it take to prepare for this and what steps did you need to do?
A: A lifetime? Or, more realistically, about two years of talking about it and about a year of really doing it.
The three big steps were:
getting accepted at the university;
arranging housing and bureaucratic stuff (visas – still in process, medical insurance, etc.);
making sure our house here is cared for.
These days, about a month out, we’re getting packing lists done, packing boxes to ship over, getting clothes and other necessities together. It’s starting to get hectic now.
Q: What was the most challenging step? What was easiest? What surprised you?
A:(Fridrikr) For me, the most challenging step has been the application to the university. Creating my Curriculum Vitae (an academic version of a résumé), gathering copies of diplomas, transcripts, and writing a “statement of intent” detailing why you are applying, why you are a good fit for the program, what you will do with your career after you graduate, and so on.
The easiest step was medical insurance (fill out a very general form and give them money and you have insurance for six months. After that, you’re on the public insurance system).
A surprise (though it shouldn’t be) is the slowness of the Visa/Residency Permit system. We applied in May (passport, photos, criminal background check, “proof” of ability to support yourself) and have heard virtually nothing since. We’re hoping to hear before we leave, but probably won’t.
(Orianna) I think for me it is the practical — where will we live, what about money, shopping, getting around the city, health insurance, medications. I suspect there are a few things we haven’t yet thought of but if we got this far with the process, we can figure out the rest as needed.
Q: How did you find a place to live? What resources helped you accomplish this?
A: We were lucky. Finding housing is the hardest part of living in Reykjavik. Many students end up “camping out” for a few weeks after they arrive. I posted on Facebook, describing us and our need (retired couple, students, looking for a furnished apartment). A fellow saw my post, put us in touch with his cousin who lives in New Hampshire and has a furnished apartment in Iceland. He was looking for folks to occupy it for a year. We got in touch and, voila!, we have an apartment. Really, it was all by networking!
Q: What will happen to your home and pets here in the US while you are living in Iceland?
A: Our daughter, Brigid; her husband, Justin; their two cats; and their baby (expected in September) will live in our house while we’re gone. Our cats will learn to deal, we hope.
It is a good deal for them since they will only be covering the general utilities while we will cover the homeowner’s insurance and taxes. Plus, we are downsizing a car since there is no reason to have two cars sitting idle in the garage while we are gone.
We do plan to be back in the United States off and on during the next two years. Orianna will be back in September for the grandbaby birth, plus we hope to return home for Christmas. There will likely a short trip next summer while we plan the transition from Iceland to either Denmark or Norway.
Q: Do you have any plans to attending any local SCA events or seeing any specific tourist attractions while you are there, and if so, what are they?
A: We’d like to go back to some favorite places while we’re there, especially Reykholt (the home of Snorri Sturluson), and see parts of the island we haven’t been to yet. While we’re in Europe, I’m certain we’ll do a lot of touring about. The local group in Iceland is very small, and we’re hoping to get to know them a bit. The amount of free time we’ll have is uncertain, but it will be filled with adventure!
It would be fun to attend a Drachenwald event — especially the ones they hold in real castles! Their Majesties Sven and Siobhan have offered to provide any advice or help we might need in connecting with the folks in Drachenwald.
Plus, there are some places in Scandinavia and The Netherlands that we would like to visit given our proximity while we are there.
Q: Do you expect to use these degrees for anything specific when you return to the US, or are you pursuing them simply as part of lifelong learning?
A:(Fridrikr) If I’m good enough, have the health and treasure left, and can find a fit, I’d like to get a Ph.D. after I finish, maybe at Cornell or Binghamton. If not, I plan to continue my personal studies for as long as I can.
(Orianna) I am not sure what I will do with my language classes, but maybe it will be useful in clothing or general historical research. Who knows?
Q: What advice would you give to a SCAdian who wants to study overseas for a year or more?
A: Have a plan, stick with it, be ready for some hefty sticker shock, but go for it! Whether you succeed or not, you’ll get to know wonderful people and you’ll find doors opening up for you that you could never have imagined.
You can follow their ongoing journey at their blog here.
Each month, Aarhus University Press in Denmark offers a free e-book, downloadable in pdf format. In December, that book is Woven into the Earth by Else Østergård. Mistress Hilderun offers a review:
Book Cover by Jørgen Sparre
Else Østergård’s Woven into the Earth is a comprehensive analysis of medieval textiles excavated from Norse Greenland, including Poul Norland’s finds in Herjolfsnæs.
Østergård presents an absolutely complete picture of these Norse garments, detailing not only the textiles themselves, but delving into the raw materials (sheep and goats), the processing, spinning, and weaving of the wool, and the cut and construction of the garments. She further describes tools and implements used, and accessories as well. Beyond the comprehensiveness of the data, she writes in an extremely readable, accessible style, and you leave each section feeling like you truly comprehend the material (pun intended!). Her book is rich not only in information and analysis, but also photographs, maps, charts, diagrams, and drawings…and even measurements and patterns of some of the finds!
Woven into the Earth is an essential book in the library of anyone interested in period hand sewing, weaving, spinning, dying, patterns or garb construction. Its robust scope will also delight anyone interested in Norse, 14th century, or medieval European culture.
Aarhus University Press has provided a fantastic opportunity for us to add this indispensable book to our collections, and I recommend downloading the free e-book version this month (link).
For those interested in a companion volume that’s a practical guide to making tunics, hoods and hose based on the Greenland finds (includes patterns and instructions), I also recommend Medieval Garments Reconstructed: Norse Clothing Patterns by Lilli Fransen, Shelly Nordtorp-Madson, Anna Norgard, and Else Ostergard (ISBN-10: 8779342981)