10TH C. VIKING

Well…here we are…21st century, California, USA. And, how did I wind up emulating an individual from a culture that’s more than a 1,000 years old in my spare time? I guess it all began when I took my first trip to an SCA tourney, then later to England to participate in a reenactment of the Battle of Hastings, then meeting a group of folks, The Vikings of Bjornstad, who would become dear friends on a journey to the Viking Age. It also took a love of history, an interest in crafting things and the willingness to suspend my 21st century beliefs.

The images below are roughly in chronological order. They depict my first, and relatively uneducated attempt at pulling off an impression of a Viking warrior, wearing a historically inaccurate helmet and a fur mantle. Both of which I would not be caught dead in now. I began an evolutionary path in my portrayal of a Viking, culminating in a persona that you may be interested in reading about HERE. It and the garb and kit I am currently wearing are the results of more than 17 years of research, and criticism by my peers on the reenactment community. Oh, and my new highly accurate reproduction of the Gjermundbu helmet should be here shortly. In general, it’s taken a long time to go from 2022 c.e. to 950 c.e.

Enjoy the photos!