Piercings

Piercings for ear-rings, studs etc are not evidenced in the early medieval west.

Piercings Any member of the Vikings Society is asked to remove any modern ear-rings, studs and other visible facial metalwork while they are in authentic kit.

Ear-rings

Earrings are very rare in the Viking period. A few small twisted pieces of wire (eg a gold piece from York) have been interpreted as earrings, but this is not proven.

The only true earrings are those from much further east, generally Slavic in origin. These differ from modern earrings in that they hang at right angles to the head. Often made of very elaborate filigree work, they represent a very eastern fashion.