10th- 11th century Linen Early Medieval/ Viking Tunic

Description

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Colors and Fabrics

Size Chart

Our Design

Historical Inspirations

One of the most ubiquitous garments for new reenactors is the so-called T-tunic. But in reality, a proper, early Medieval tunic is a far more sophisticated garment, with full skirts and a tapered sleeve. At times, the distinction between shirt and tunic blurred, with the latter being most notable for being made of undyed linen. In cooler weather, tunics could also be layered for warmth, with a wool tunic, often covering a linen shirt and a linen tunic.

We have based our Viking Age tunic on a number of 11th century sources, showing the growing influence of southern European dress. Examples include the shirts pictured in Anglo-Saxon Tiberius Calendar, the Bayeux Tapestry, that worn by Cnut in the Liber Vitae and Thorkell in the Eadui Psalter The Revival Viking Tunic is cut straight through torso with many gores to create a full skirted bottom hem. The neck hole is a distinctive, square shape with a front center-slit, while the sleeves are cut straight for a more fitted line around the wrist and forearm.

"AD. 793. This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets of light rushing through the air, and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons flying across the firmament. These tremendous tokens were soon followed by a great famine: and not long after, on the sixth day before the ides of January in the same year, the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy-island (Lindisfarne), by rapine and slaughter." - The Anglo Saxon Chronicle

In the late 8th century, Scandinavian sea-pirates sacked the island monastery of Lindisfarne, heralding in the so-called Viking Age, a term applied to the eighth through eleventh centuries, in which Norsemen traders and raiders, explored Europe, and settled in Normandy, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and Vinland. To the east, they set themselves up as the rulers of Russian Kiev, pressed into Anatolia and took service as the famed Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Emperors.

Our new Viking Age product line will be continuously growing with representations of the fashions of the Norse, Anglo-Saxons and Normans civilizations of this period. Regardless of which of these cultures one portrays, there are a number of common truths for Northern European fashion in this period. Linen was the most fabric for clothing, followed by a variety of different weight wools used for overtunics, cloaks and overdresses. Silk, as an extremely rare, luxury fabric, was only used for small trim or accents.

The period leading to the Viking Age was a conservative one, with localized cultures and limited trade. Consequently, many similarities of cut and fit exist between late Roman era Germanic dress and Viking era, Scandinavian clothes, until very late in the period.

Read more about Viking culture in our From the Pen of History article: The Gift of a Shirt

Our Linen Apron Dress in Slate Blue worn with our Linen Kirtle in Oatmeal and viking hood(right) and our Mens Viking Tunic in Dark Brown worn with Viking Pants in Oatmeal and Leg Wraps in Blue Tweed (left)

Our Viking Tunic in Sage worn with our Viking Pants in Slate Blue, Leg Wraps in Olive and Viking Turn Boots

-our linen Viking tunic in Brick Red worn with linen Viking Pants in
sage, wool Leg Wraps in brown tweed and Viking turn boots
-our linen Viking tunic in sage worn with linen Viking Pants in slate
blue, wool Leg Wraps in olive and Viking turn boots
-our linen Viking Apron Dress in Brick Red worn with linen Kirtle in
dark brown, Viking hood in white and Viking turn boots
-our linen Viking Apron Dress in oatmeal worn with linen Kirtle in
dark green and Viking turn boots
-our linen Viking Apron Dress in sage worn with linen Kirtle in gold
and Viking turn boots 

Dark Brown -a darker chocolate brown
Oatmeal -a natural color similar to the color of undyed fabric
Sage -a lighter green in the olive family
Slate Blue -a soft medium blue
Burgundy -a deep burgundy red