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Odin’s Wife : Mother Earth in Germanic Mythology by William P. Reaves © 2010
http://www.germanicmythology.com/original/earthmother/odinswifeprehistoriccontext.pdf
Odin’s Wife
:
Mother Earth in Germanic Mythology
by William P. Reaves © 2010
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3D reconstruction of Viking Royal residence.
Trans: Hal=Hall
Bolig= Home
Kulthus =Cult House/Temple
Våbenoffer = Weapon Offerings
(Source: vimeo.com)
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The Varangian Guard (Greek: Τάγμα των Βαράγγων, Tágma tōn Varángōn) was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army in 10th to the 14th centuries, whose members served as personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors.
The guard was first formed under Emperor Basil II in 988, following the Christianization of Kievan Rus’ by Vladimir I of Kiev. Vladimir, who had recently usurped power in Kiev with an army of Varangian warriors, sent 6,000 men to Basil as part of a military assistance agreement.Basil’s distrust of the native Byzantine guardsmen, whose loyalties often shifted with fatal consequences, as well as the proven loyalty of the Varangians, many of whom served in Byzantium even before, led the Emperor to employ them as his personal guardsmen. Over the years, new recruits from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland kept a predominantly Norse cast to the organization until the late 11th century.
So many Scandinavians left to enlist in the guard that a medieval Swedish law from Västergötland stated that no one could inherit while staying in “Greece”—the then Scandinavian term for the Byzantine Empire. In the eleventh century, there were also two other European courts that recruited Scandinavians:Kievan Rus’ c. 980–1060 and London 1018–1066 (the Þingalið).
Composed primarily of Norsemen for the first 100 years, the guard began to see increased inclusion of Anglo-Saxons after the successful invasion of England by the Normans. By the time of the Emperor Alexios Komnenosin the late 11th century, the Byzantine Varangian Guard was largely recruited from Anglo-Saxons and “others who had suffered at the hands of the Vikings and their cousins theNormans”. The Anglo-Saxons and other Germanic peoples shared with the Vikings a tradition of faithful (to death if necessary) oath-bound service, and after the Norman conquest of England there were many fighting men who had lost their lands and former masters and looked for a living elsewhere.
The Varangian Guard not only provided security for the Byzantine Emperors, but participated in many wars involving Byzantium and often played a crucial role, since they were usually used at the critical moments of a battle. By the late 13th century Varangians were mostly ethnically assimilated by Byzantines, though the guard operated until at least mid-14th century and in 1400 there were still some people identifying themselves as “Varangians” in Constantinople.
(Source: warandgame.com)
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Varangian Guard
Detailed description of arms and armour.
In Byzantium the members of the Varangian Guard were famous as men with red hair and beards, “as tall as date palms”; they were also said to drink too much. But the main symbol of the Varangians was the longhafted Danish axe with its crescent-shaped edge. This guardsman wears ringmail, a mail coif and splint limb armour, and apart from his axe is armed with a sword and a knife.
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Angles,Saxons and Jutes in Britain around 600 CE
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Anglo-Saxon Clothes
As an answer to a question. More info can probably be found at some of the more Anglo-Saxon oriented sites linked to in the archive and at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_dress (as a good start). The Anglo-Saxon clothes seems related, though not identical, to Norse clothing. However some things , like the tunic, the cloak and tight trousers (for men) seems to have been common in many medieval cultures.
My apologies to the ones of Anglo-Saxon and other Heathen traditions.
It would seem (me being Swedish) that i have been a bit Ethnocentric in my ways of portraying things. Sometimes i´m so focused on my own folklore/culture that i forget that there are many rich traditions of Heathenry and culture out there.
If this is not enough or if there are more specific questions i will consult the a friend of mine who is an Anglo-Saxon Heathen and hit the (more academic) books.
Anglo_Saxon scolars, feel free to correct me.
http://whotalking.com/flickr/Anglo-Saxon
Materials
Anglo-Saxon clothing usually utilized only three types of fabric. Wool was a coarse material which was used for most garments. Lower-class people, such as slaves (theow) and poorer peasants (gebur) could only use wool for their garments, even garments worn against the skin. Linen, harvested from the flax plant, was a finer material which was used for garments that were worn close to the skin by better-off peasants (kotsetlas and geneatas) and those above them in the social hierarchy. Silk was an extremely expensive material, and it was used only by the very rich, and then only for trim and decoration.
King Edgar I from the New Minster Charter, 966
The primary garment consisted of a knee-length woollen tunic. For the poorer theow, this would be the only clothing worn, although some may have been given woolen trousers and shoes to wear. Gebur would be able to afford woolen trousers and leather shoes, and would also carry a knife (called a seax), which signified their freedom in the eyes of medieval Anglo-Saxon society. A linen undertunic (worn under the outer woollen tunic) and linen braies (reaching to the ankle or knee) would be worn by richer peasants and nobility, along with woolen hose which would be held up by garters or decorative embroidery around the top.
Fifth and sixth centuries
Men of the northern tribes of 5th and 6th century England dressed alike regardless of social rank. The fashions during this time consisted of the cloak, tunic, trousers, leggings, and accessories. The short, fur-lined cloak was designed so that the skin of the animal faced outward and the fur brushed against the undergarments. However, woolen cloaks have also been found. The garment opened either at the front or at the right shoulder. A single brooch, usually circular in shape, fastened the square or rectangular cloak. Other means of fastening the cloth together included tying, lacing, or using a clasp, often made of natural materials such as thorn, bones, wood, or horns. The less prosperous wore woolen cloaks.
Seventh to tenth centuries
Clothing of the seventh through the 9th centuries was similar to that of previous centuries and again all classes generally wore the same clothing, although distinctions among the social hierarchy began to become more noticeable through ornamented garments. These common pieces consisted of tunics, cloaks, jackets, pants, and shoes. As in the 5th and 6th centuries, a linen shirt acted as an undergarment. Men generally wore a knee-length linen or woolen tunic, depending on the season, over their shirts. The sleeves of the tunic were long and close fitting and excess material was pushed up the arm from the elbow to the wrist so that “rolls” were formed in the material.
A cloak, worn over the tunic, fastened on either the breast or a shoulder with the assistance of a brooch. Once in place, the brooch was left attached to the garment so that the cloak was slipped over the head. The cloak, knee-length and rectangular in shape, was fastened so that it appeared to be pleated or folded. Hoods and collars began to appear in the 9th century, and around the same time, the cloak began to be curbed by the same belt that was worn over the tunic.
Reconstruction of female clothes 5:th - 7:th century by: http://thespidersweb.webs.com/anglo.html (Recommend a look see).
Women’s clothing
The main garment for a woman was a woolen gown of ankle length. Occasionally two gowns were worn, with the inner gown having longer and tighter sleeves, and the outer gown having shorter and looser sleeves. Under this might be worn a linen underdress. A mantle might be worn over the outer dress, along with a cloak. Like men, free women would also carry a seax as a sign of their freedom. After the introduction of Christianity, all women (except for very young girls and occasionally slaves) would wear some kind of headcovering, usually a draped couvrechef called a headrail, the ancestor of the later wimple.
7th Century Angle nobleman.
The tunic is a simple one-piece T-pattern, with brocade trim on the hem, neckline and cuffs, fastened at the neck and wrists with glass buttons.
The Virgin Mary in Anglo-Saxon dress,New Minster Charter, 966
http://www.tha-engliscan-gesithas.org.uk/education/anglo-saxon-clothes-women (HIGHLY recommended).
5th to 7th centuries
Women wore an under-dress of linen or wool with long sleeves and a draw-string neck. Sleeves were fastened with clasps for wealthier women, or drawn together with braid or string for poorer women.
The outer dress was a tube of material, rather like a pinafore, and often called a ‘peplos’. A pair of shoulder-brooches or clasps held this onto the under-dress. A belt was worn, from which various accessories were hung. There is some linguistic evidence that shawls were worn, as well as cloaks, which were fastened either centrally or to the right shoulder with a brooch. Shoes were as for men, and woollen socks were probably worn. Rings, bracelets and beaded necklaces were popular.
7th to 9th centuries
Shoulder-brooches and wrist-clasps went out of fashion, and the sleeves of the over-dress now came to just below elbow-length on the arms and calf-length around the legs. The under-dress was cut longer than the over-dress. Veils held on by headbands or fillets became more popular as Christianity spread. Centrally-fastened cloaks replaced the earlier styles, often reaching to the knee and sometimes with a hood.
10th to 11th centuries
The under-dress was now often pleated or folded, while the sleeves of the over-dress tended to flare towards the wrist. Dresses were edged with tablet-weave, and head-dresses became larger, covering the head and neck and hanging over the shoulders. They were held in place with pins. Belt accessories became far less popular, while a slight pointing of the shoes became more fashionable. Cloaks were now rectangular with a hole cut out for the head, and held in place with a belt.
5th and 6th centuriesMen wore wool or linen hip-length undershirts with long sleeves, and probably loin-cloths. Woollen trousers were held up with a belt threaded through loops. A tunic was pulled over the head, and reached down to the knees. It was usually decorated at the wrists, neck and hem, and was long-sleeved. A belt was worn at the waist, often with a decorated buckle and strap-end. Pouches, knives and other accessories might be hung from the belt. Shoes were made usually from a single piece of leather, but perhaps with an extra piece to form a sole. They were fastened with laces, toggles or loops.
7th to 11th centuries
Tunics tended to have extra pleats inserted at the front, and sleeves became fairly tight-fitting between elbow and wrist. Bands of cloth, like military ‘puttees’ were often wound around the leg from knee to ankle. Belts tended to become thinner, and money may sometimes have been carried in pouches. Cloaks, where worn, varied in length, but were rectangular in shape and fastened at the shoulder. There is evidence that shoes were sometimes fastened with buckles or buttons. Jewellery became increasingly popular. Socks were probably worn by some from earliest times, but there is hard evidence for them in the later period.
The costume of a Christian Anglo-Saxon noble woman of the ninth century.
The overdress is ankle length, wide, overdress with fairly wide sleeves reaching to mid forearm and a round neck opening. The cut of this dress resembles the tunics worn in the Late Roman and Byzantine times, like the tunic dalmatica. Beneath it a less wide, ankle length under dress is worn with long tight sleeves. The sleeves are longer then my arms to create the wrinkles on the lower part of my arms.
The veil could be colored and voluminous and it could be fastened with fillet or ribbon.
The fabrics commonly used in this period where wool and linen because of it’s rarity, silk was reserved for the very wealthy.
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Anglo-Saxon clothes – women
5th to 7th centuries
Women wore an under-dress of linen or wool with long and a draw-string neck. Sleeves were fastened with clasps for wealthier women, or drawn together with braid or string for poorer women.
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Regia Anglorum-Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman and British Living History
A thousand years ago, people like you and me lived, loved and died here in the Islands of Britain. Their lives are far away in time, separated from us by thirty generations. Yet they were very like us, just as cheerful, just as sad, just as generous, just as mean- spirited, just as skilled and just as fumble-fingered as we are today.
