Authenticity Home Page

Welcome to "The Vikings!" Authenticity Pages

These pages are intended to bring together information on all sorts of kit, costume, LHE equipment, arms and armour used by members of "The Vikings!" reenactment society so that members of the Society and our guests can find out what is appropriate to wear at any given event.

The aim is to provide unofficial complimentary information to the official race-specific kit guides published elsewhere, not to replace them. Links to the Society's official kit guides will be provided in due course.

Similarly, the information here frequently summarises or refers to longer reports published on the Society's DocStore. The wiki is intended to make some of this material more accessible, not to replace the detailed documentation.

While we know a good deal about the early medieval period, our understanding is far from perfect and continues to evolve, especially with new archaeological finds. A key purpose for this wiki is to allow new information to be presented. Discussion about the information given on a particular item should be kept to its "Discussion" tab, which anyone can edit.

The "Page" information, which gives details and advice emerging from both the Society's official position on the topic and discussion here and elsewhere, can only be edited by individuals who've been deemed worthy and given the appropriate permission.

Official Society rules While the wiki is intended to provide a wide range of helpful information, it also includes formal authenticity requirements which apply to members of the Vikings Society and any guests attending our events. These are indicated in text boxes with the Society logo, like this.

Work in progress This wiki is currently under construction and probably always will be! The information presented may well need updating or correcting. If you feel that there are errors or evidence we should include, please do leave comments using the "Discussion" tab on the relevant page. There are some particular pages that have been highlighted as incomplete where suggestions for addition/improvement will be extra-welcome.

Index

Authenticity and the Vikings Society Authenticity Home Page The authenticity team Authenticity at Society shows Society kit guides Kit checks Official Society rules Unacceptable items

Getting started My first kit Realistic characters Names

Context and background

Intended to foster a better understanding of the early mediaeval mindset, and enable a better quality of general presentation.

Scope Geographical scope Chronological periods	Social position Social status ”Estates” – the social order
Evidence Archaeological evidence Written sources Runic inscriptions Illuminations, pictures and carvings	Early mediaeval culture Religion Literature Behaviour Economy and trade Law and justice

Materials and decoration

Materials Antler Bone Fur Horn Leather Cloth and textiles Wood Metal	Decoration Artistic styles Colours and dyes Paint Embroidery Tablet weave and braids Decorating leather Decorating metalwork Decorating wood
Techniques Production of fabrics Sewing

Clothing

Basic costume Male clothing (general) Female clothing (general) Accessories Jewellery Personal appearance

Specialist costume and equipment Core kit types Specialised kit types Ecclesiastical clothing and vestments Highly specialised kit types Out of period kit types

LHE Equipment

Camp Equipment Cooking and eating Furniture Storage Tents

Craft Equipment Tools

Arms and armour

Arms Melee weapons Missile weapons

Armour Shields Body armour Helmets

Help

• Consult the User's Guide for information on using the wiki software.
• The MediaWiki FAQ is also helpful
• If you're taking part in a discussion, please follow the simple courtesy rules
• If you're editing page content, please refer to the styleguide and tips on writing for the web