Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this document is to act as the official guide for Reenactment Authenticity within the Vikings of Bjornstad. In the case of any potential conflict with the published Authenticity Guide of Vikings North America, our parent organization, the rules of the parent organization take precedence. All standards and guidelines will remain in effect until officially edited and a new Authenticity Guide is published; the exception being in the case of safety, or conflict with the Vikings of Bjornstad, Vikings North America Constitution, Local and National Laws and Ordinances.

This guide will act as the basic standard for all individuals participating in Viking reenactment within The Vikings of Bjornstad.

General Guidelines

The goal of this guide is to encourage and improve historical authenticity at reenactment and public events. Please consider this to be a living document. If you find any items not listed or as not acceptable it is because of a general lack of sources. If you have a source which supports any item not allowed or listed, please contact the Authenticity Officer with your pertinent information. We are more than happy to change the guide accordingly. Each change will be judged on a case by case basis, by the Authenticity Officer and The Vikings of Bjornstad Group Leader, using this guide and extant archaeological / historical finds.

As we strive towards a more accurate and historical appearance, we require our participants to minimize modern elements such as starkly dyed hair (which should be covered), piercings (taken out or covered, if visible), tattoos (which should be covered, if visible) and excessive make up (which should be avoided). Other items such as medical equipment (hearing aids and insulin pumps, etc.) should be covered to the greatest possible extent. We ask our participants to use contact lenses whenever possible, or at least wire or no frame glasses. We require our participants to re-enact the social gender of their choice and not to mix the two, other than in ways indicated in historical and archaeological sources. The Viking Age of 793-1066 AD was also, as far as we know, a hierarchical one. An individual’s clothing and personal items reflected that individual’s status and class. We therefore require our participants to keep their appearance in concert with their intended status. In other words, no peasants with swords and no richly dressed persons without shoes will be acceptable. If your re-enactment focuses on any other region than Viking Age Europe, please contact us directly as these guidelines center on the “Viking” ethos.

A note on clothing in the Viking Age...aside from what is listed below, keep in mind that there are geographical considerations to what you are wearing. Is your clothing from the same area or are you mixing and matching? If you are, be prepared to tell how you might be wearing a Rus kaftan in Ireland. Also, there are 6 styles of Viking art that correspond to different time periods within the Viking Age. If you’re portraying an 8th century Viking you shouldn’t be wearing jewelry from the end of the Viking Age. Please be consistent with your Viking kit, jewelry and clothing items.

The art of the Viking Age is organized into a loose sequence of stylistic phases which, despite significant overlap in style and chronology, may be defined and distinguished on account both of formal design elements and of recurring compositions and motifs:

Primary Art Styles: Oseberg Style Borre Style Jellinge Style Mammen Style Ringerike Style Urnes Style

Some Useful Links:

General clothing: http://vikingageclothing.susannabroome.se/
Female headdresses: https://ciarsstitchintime.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/viking-age-head-coverings/
Smokkrs: http://urd.priv.no/viking/smokkr.html Trousers: http://urd.priv.no/viking/bukser.html
Leg wraps: http://miklagard.nvg.org.au/articles/legwraps1.htm
Shoes: http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/shoe/SLIST2.HTM
Tablet-woven bands: https://www.pinterest.se/susannabroom/viking-age-clothing-tablet-woven-braids/
Fabric colors: https://www.pinterest.se/susannabroom/viking-age-clothing-colours-and-dyes/
Embroidery: https://www.pinterest.se/susannabroom/viking-age-clothing-embroidery-finds/
Tents and household items: http://www.vikingage.org/wiki/wiki/
Household Furniture: http://www.olvikthing.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Viking-Age-Furniture-16-223.pdf
Chests: http://www.olvikthing.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Viking-Age-Furniture-6-152.pdf
Wargear: http://www.vikingage.org/wiki/wiki/Wargear

Authenticity Guideline Chart

Legend
(C) – Common - recommended.
(UC) – Uncommon - not recommended.
(HS) – High Status - only for wealthy portrayals.