Sexy Viking Leg Wraps: A Quick Guide

Winingas! Puttees! Leg wraps! Whatever you call them, the Vikings, Saxons, Carolingians and Romans (and 2021 lockdown Jimmy) loved them. They keep your legs warm when you run, they stop bugs biting you when you camp, and they're super for ankle support.
But what evidence do we have for these fun Viking bandages? How did they keep them up? Who wore them? Join me for a sort of deep dive into the wonderful world of winingas!
And obviously I'll teach you a little Cymraeg for good measure.
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Books mentioned: Hagg, Inga (1984) Die Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu. Owen-Crocker, Gale (1986) Dress in Anglo-Saxon England.
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The Welsh Viking,
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YO1 0PY

[@bernadettebanner]

THE END omg I was not prepared 🤣🤣😵

[@scouttyra]

Same

[@TheWelshViking]

You did this to meeeee *tumbles down cliff*

[@chrispe82]

Same here! Did the leg wraps save your ankles there? (Serious question, I tend to twist my ankle if I stumble like that)

[@SirFrederick]

Glad I didn't take a swig of mead at the end of the video.

[@michellecornum5856]

@@SirFrederick Yeah, I've been saying, The Welsh Viking is a serious choking hazard!

[@winkleperiwinkle808]

Viking time traveler in the Scottish woods talking passionately about his people's traditional fashion to loud birds, is startled by passerbies who are more weirded out by a man sitting on the ground talking to a phone than by his very anachronistic fashion. (850 or 2021 AD, colorised)

[@suzz1776]

Lol. Great comment 👍 edit: I love the 'colorized' part 😀

[@davidcheater4239]

My replacement for 'old man yells at cloud'. Young man in leg wraps yells "Shut your faces" at birds.

[@eazy8579]

Viking man yells at birds

[@mackenziew]

My new philosophy: if it’s good enough for Charlemagne, it’s good enough for me.

[@Uffda.]

Idk, I reaaaly like indoor plumbing. (from experience, I am much happier going about my day without electricity than without running water. Cuz chamberpots/outhouses/cesspits are really not my favorite.)

[@AM-kr4pv]

@@Uffda. yeah especially as a disabled person, I can't fucking squat 😂. Honestly though even though the indoor flushing toilet is Victorian it's still super recent that most people have them (at least where I live which is the UK). I've had conversations with working class boomers in London where I grew up, where they've talked about how they had to go to their street's communal outhouse as kids to use the toilet in the night and how it would make them scared in the dark and it was cold.

[@CanadisX]

@@AM-kr4pv my father (Born in the sixties) had to go to the outhouse till he was ten or so. In Hamburg, the biggest city in northern German. Always found that to be unbelievable as now every house has some flush toilett

[@SnappyDragon]

Wait, you're saying I have historical precedent to wrap all my misbehaving limbs in Ye Olde Ace Bandages for support? [GRABBY HANDS]

[@LampWaters]

Lolol.

[@christafranken9170]

Right? I was thinking, maybe those Lithuanian women all had POTS, my cardiologist recommends the same thing, kinda

[@guineverecassidy4855]

Oh my yes! fabric petting is highly encouraged in all periods by all peoples... Wool smelling is also quite nice.

[@fiberfantasia1297]

Right?

[@SigneofHorses]

Yup! Same for linen.

[@laulutar]

I was about to comment about how fabric and/or yarn petting is a great joy in my life, but you fine people beat me to it.

[@HosCreates]

I like petting my wool clothes , soo soft!

[@rebeccaholcombe9043]

Umm. I tend to wear clothing that feels nice when I rub my palms on the cloth.

[@mayloomis9638]

Guys and legs tidbits: My brother swears by the leg warmers I made him - he's a pretty big guy and he's on his feet all day at work and has a lot of leg pain and he says the warmth helps a lot around his calves and ankles. My dad has health issues that make his legs swell and other veiny stuff happen, and his compression socks relieve pain in a big way. He'd wear them all the time if he was allowed. Ancient folks can't have been that different with health issues and stuff :). Maybe I should suggest leg wraps to them, start a new fashion! Also, very cool video!

[@wendynordstrom3487]

Ohhh, I'm on my feet a lot at the museum where I work. I might just have to try this!

[@lucie4185]

It makes sense that it helps blood flow too and from the feet and supports the muscles.

[@pavelstaravoitau7106]

I'll have to eventually get leg wraps too of they sound this good.

[@xanfsnark]

This might be the reason for evidence of arm wraps that he mentioned. If you have a condition that causes swelling in the arms, you could use them for compression therapy. Very similar to how you might use elastic bandages today.

[@zikasilver1]

@@xanfsnark swelling in the arms, or I was thinking support for repetitive stress like carpal tunnel or tendinitis

[@margaretbarclay-laughton2086]

In the 70s when I was learning first aid and home nursing the method you described for wraps was how we were taught to do leg and arm bandages

[@CollinMcLean]

The wonder of anti-embolism stockings!

[@Avari20]

Your channel was recommended to me via tumblr, and I jumped at the chance to indulge my love of this period of history without having to wade through miles of Nazi "hey look Viking co-opted stuff because we crave a tie to the past and therefore a shred of legitimacy" muck.

[@sisuguillam5109]

Yes! That made my day! It was this perfect persknby the way (who is on KZbin as well): vinceaddams.tumblr.com/

[@CollinMcLean]

I hate that so much... anytime I try to delve further into norse culture I always find myself clutching my pendant and praying to Tyr that I'm not about to wind up hearing from pro-Nazi assholes...

[@felixc543]

That's exactly how I found the channel too- I'm not *specifically* into viking and early medieval history but it's really interesting stuff and I love hearing ppl talk about their interests- and it's really excellent that he's vocally anti white supremacists and generally seems very chill

[@thecooldude3255]

Saw a post on tumblr about you calling racists racist, go to your Chanel, this was just uploaded, boy am I lucky

[@mysticforge369]

I do a lot of viking hiking and can attest that these are super functional they protect against bramble, stinging nettles, and most importantly ticks. They keep ticks from crawling up pant legs they also help keep mosquitoes from biting as much. Also they support the legs on long trips

[@deehappy43]

At this very moment I have a burn mark on one arm from pulling bread out of the oven incautiously, a purple splodge on the other one from making pickled beets and an ink stain from labeling the jars. I could probably use some arm wraps!

[@elextria5294]

About why they would be worn as arm wraps: I run a farm, and during summer I wear what are essentially elbow length fingerless gloves, to protect my arms from chicken and rabbit claws, as well as pokey bushes. During winter, I just wear a jacket instead.

[@JaleaWard]

The last 5 seconds of this video win the internet today :)

[@mackenziew]

Literally threw my head back laughing

[@canucknancy4257]

Completely agree!

[@jennifercourtemanche9793]

I didn't think anything could beat "Oh God I'm on fire!" I was wrong.

[@historiansrevolt4333]

It makes sense that they would both weave to size and cut the fabric. Utilitarian garments like that would be improvised if needed. Also, the birds confused my cats. :)

[@maleahlock]

I don't know about Lithuania but my Oma used to wear arm wraps to stack firewood when she was a girl. She doesn't remember much else about it, or she just wants me to stop constantly asking her about history. . . I'm not sure.

[@sisuguillam5109]

Dear Oma, please talk about the past (if you are okay with that)!

[@idasvenning3892]

Oh that makes so much sense! Was actually stacking wood the other day and I can imagine that kind of wraps being helpful to anyone without a sturdy synthetic jacket like the one I wore 😂

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

great for support and to stop bits scratching you!

[@ragnkja]

There is a find from northern Norway of a bog body - possibly Norse, possibly Sámi - from the mid-11th century with ankle or leg wraps that have braids on each end extending the wraps. This is also seen on Sámi traditional dress to this day.

[@Hrimadur]

As a nurse, we still wrap older people's feet towards the knees to provide a good blood flow back to the heart. The medical brand are called Rosidal.

[@nicelliott1175]

Adding a couple of extra wraps around the arch of your foot is also good for flat feet and/or plantar fasciitis because even with modern orthotics inside your period footwear (because reenactment is a far more enjoyable hobby if you aren't in constant pain) a bit more support is good. My dad always used a couple of safety pins hidden under the wrapping to help his winingas stay up, along with a lovely little pair of silver hooks at the top, but in our area, the most appropriate wool available fifteen or twenty years ago was almost felted and consequently had virtually no stretch even on the bias. They lasted at least ten years without any hems, the weave was so tight (probably a lot longer, I don't know if he is still using them).

[@charlotte4289]

As someone who does ride horses, I find ankle/lower leg support whilst riding very helpful (although reinforced riding breeches + short chaps or boots are still preferable). So I suppose the leg-wraps would provide something in that direction!

[@elisabethm9655]

Thanks for a great post - for some reason, I really liked this one! And about that ending - be careful, Jimmy - Bernadette is on your side of the pond now and she’s out of quarantine, too! 🤣

[@catherinerw1]

And the travel restrictions are being lifted on Friday.... ;-)

[@breec]

I love when birds sound like squeaky toys 😆 I want to weave myself some leg wraps now. About the arm wraps, in my own life I imagine they'd be very helpful in protecting the skin as well as provide wrist support during things like gardening, brush clearing, wood gathering, etc, and protection while cooking if you've got something fatty spitting over an open fire. An excellent video as always 👏

[@Threadbndr]

Also wonder what types of looms were in use then/there. Beating the cloth can put significant stress on the wrist and lower arm.

[@beth12svist]

Generally I feel like a lot of "women's work" does actually put a strain on the wrist so I have in fact contemplated what I could do about that... Handsewing, too! Arm wraps / wrist wraps actually sound like a neat idea for that.

[@siarhian10]

Honestly, I'm hoping more traditional / mediæval clothing becomes fashionable again in some form, even if it's just inspired and not 100% accurate. I think it would be very cool to be wearing stuff like this in public

[@wendynordstrom3487]

I couldn't agree with you more!

[@G1NZOU]

Even when it's not even medieval style clothing, I've recently been buying a lot more wool and linen clothing and avoiding most polyester. I've found wool tops to be much warmer but also way more breathable than the equivalent artificial fibre sweaters. And never ever going back to fake leather, disintegrates within a year of wearing it. More traditional fabrics and practical garments inspired by the past would be great.

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

Its starting to become a thing, its referred to as history bounding and it can be just a single piece of clothing such as a cape or cloak that gets incorporated into modern outfits or the whole outfit!

[@dianesawyerdooley4424]

The earlier stuff really isn't that hard to make. :-)

[@Pouquiloury]

I do wear mediaeval clothing or accessories whenever it suits me. Some admire my attire, some find me eccentric, some just frown. Couldn't care less, I wear what I like for my own reasons. My grandmother used to say: fashion is for people without imagination. Well I have got loads of that and like to use it.

[@lucie4185]

"If it's good enough for Charlemagne , it's good enough for you" - I need this on a mug.

[@katienewell7350]

I love my legwraps! They're so comfy and really do help with walking through tricky terrain such as brambles. I've also found that on colder days, they stop body heat escaping out the bottom of your trousers, as they create a little pocket of heat trapped around your thighs. Such a cool garment!

[@lucie4185]

Do they repel Nettles stings too?

[@katienewell7350]

@@lucie4185 I think they would pretty well! I wear mine wrapped over my trouser leg, in pretty much the same way as Jimmy shows here, so that gives me two layers of wool.

[@rshaart4810]

Even in Australia we still wear them in reenactment, but we generally try to get the finest wool available so that we don't sweat our arses off

[@jenniferbunge346]

IDK for the arms what kinds of sleeves were they wearing? Like I'd assume it would tighten the sleeves so they don't get caught when you are doing things. Especially fires.. don't want fashion to make you dead.

[@Loweene_Ancalimon]

Wool doesn't catch on fire nearly as easily as some modern fibres do ! Synthetics esp are super dangerous around fires, as a lot of them will melt on your skin. But I second the tightening sleeves for work thing.

[@lynn858]

Agreed! Wrapped wool would be infinitely better than any loose sleeve, and it’s a pretty good choice for protecting tender wrists and forearms from ovens, hot metal, steam, spitting grease etc. Wool kind of self extinguishes unless you hold fire to it for longer than an accidental brush with it. I wore a contemporary tube shaped wrist guard made of heat resistant fabric as a welder. Could have benefitted from one when I was a pizza cook too.

[@golbatgirl]

Jimmy to Birds: “Shut your face!” Birds to Jimmy: “No! I’ll be as loud as I want!”

[@Malekh]

A bit late to the party, but I've always thought of them mostly as protective items. As in protecting your more expensive clothes (of which you likely only had a few) from wear and tear. This makes sense for both legs (brush, mud and such) and arms. That also correlates well with the wraps made from two different pieces of wool, and some being hemmed. They'd probably often be made with leftover scraps, and perhaps the richer folk had the nicer weaved wraps. Maybe you only wore them during work, travel, war, and such.

[@dianesawyerdooley4424]

I find them really supportive on my calves as well, especially when I've been tromping around an SCA battle field all day.

[@ramblingseth]

Thank you for this! I have arthritis so I need all the joint support I can get, it's great to know how to use this option. I have a suggestion for the arm wraps: support for carpal tunnel or other joint problems! I find that spinning on a drop spindle, naalbinding, sewing, and a lot of other repetitive fiber tasks aggravate my joints. I generally wear a light weight brace, especially for spinning (winding the cop in particular is tough because it's a twisting motion with an amount of weight). If these women were spending a lot of their otherwise idle time with a spindle in hand then wrapping the arms would have helped prevent and treat repetitive stress injuries.

[@CroatiaSurvival]

I wear them every time I go hiking in wet or snowy weather. My calves and feet never got wet or cold. Awesome piece of kit.

[@SatCom]

Wickelbänder also known as Beinwickel, or 'die verdammten Dinger' (those damn things) Funnily enough, you are wrapping yours them like we do some medical leg wraps on patients. Start on the foot, work your way up! We usually cover the heel, though. Thanks for your videos :) rekindled my love for archeology. Signed, an ex-anthropologist that is now a nurse

[@MrHodoAstartes]

Something very similar is still used today in treating edema in the legs. Not sure how this translates to English but in German elderly care a common sight are Pütter bandages, which are wrapped around and up the leg in order to provide compression in order to prevent excessive water retention in the tissue. Stretchy compression socks are usually the first choice for ease of use, but when they cannot be used we use wraps to cause the compression. The individual rolls are still held together with simple hooks like the ones you showed off. One very pretty version makes for a cool fishbone look if applied deftly. For visual representation, just look up "Pütter-Verband" and you can find detailed instructions.

[@nemoignorat2443]

I am wearing arm warmers like ankle warmer every day on my wrists and lower arms just because I get joint aches when it is too cold. So maybe, just maybe, those Lithuanian women got cold joints as well and like to get them warm by wearing wraps :)

[@ellajando-saul2493]

especially if they were doing a lot of work that involved the arms, might put even more wear and tear on the joints

[@lucie4185]

Also they keep the fingers free enough to do delicate work without impeding touch and mobility. I have worn detacable lower sleeves for cosplay which were surprisingly warm and comfy.

[@silver5515]

This reminds me of two winters when it got really cold, and both my home and school was being renovated and had insufficient heating. I wore wrist warmers whenever I needed to use my hands, because that keeps the fingers warm while the hands are still bare. Lithouen gets cold too, and lithouenian women probably needed there hands to do things like knitting, sewing, shelling peas, cleaning fish etc. I have also noticed that women get cold hands more easily than men. That might account for why it was only women. However it might also be due to men having more heavy work, and thus not getting as cold as women doing the lighter precision tasks. Research needs be done.

[@Th3GreenMachine]

“I’m being very Viking and checking my phone” Me: 😱 I must be the most Viking person alive

[@MsSteelphoenix]

Ooh ooh! I know about how you use arm wraps! Tony Robinson was doing a program on Worst Jobs of a Medieval Peasant, and sedge-cutters was one of the jobs. They used arm wraps to protect their arms as sedge-grass (a type of reed used often for thatching) is very sharp and will give you cuts. So that's one way to use them!

[@Freya71]

The end where you mention Bernadette 😆

[@mountainmolly2726]

Almost identical to the way athletes tape their ankles and lower legs today. It would make sense that they were used for similar reasons.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Jimmy, you are so refreshing, and so often offer a practical slant!

[@veritateminquirendam2403]

I hold my leg wraps up by the fold and tuck method. Others that use hooks tend to unravel when running, but mine would stay in place all day even after running, falling, rowing etc. I love my leg wraps too 😍

[@januzzell8631]

I lug lev wraps too ... also ... I hope the wraps helped to save your ankles for those last few seconds

[@catherinemcnamara1141]

Definitely another wool-stroker here. My husband has a coat in a particularly gorgeous wool he wore on our first official date - I couldn't stop stroking his arm.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

😂 He must have been feeling VERY encouraged about how it was all going! Did you ever tell him?

[@Floreal78]

Legwraps and baggy trousers....is YES!

[@lookitsanotherpig9708]

Maybe as a sort of dress protection? in using arm wraps one could easily wash and dry them, much easier than a pair of gloves. It also avoids the need to wash the dress, just because the sleeves are dirty. They would be good if you needed to do do something precise (embroidery) or the kinds of work that might fray a sleeve (working a millstone). Maybe they were even used like oven mitts! It’s always fun to wonder.

[@deblipyanic6126]

Your phrase of the week is one of the first ones I learned years ago when I was living in Germany. A young welsh gal working as an au pair for a friend taught it to me. Thanks for that, it made me smile!

[@Mezza]

Your channel is my happy place!! Thank you for your videos, informative and fun. It’s like sitting with a friend and just letting them tell you everything they know! I love it

[@Angel_1394]

Jimmy just yelling at birds is great but freaked out by the people walking by. You're just fantastic.

[@Arabhorselver92]

I love watching your videos they always put a bit of happy in my day. Editing Jimmy’s commentary is always something to look forward to and also Jimmy yelling at the birds is gold 😂

[@lynn858]

I wear tube arm covers (often old socks with the toes removed) on my arms to keep them cleaner and free of scratches, cuts, exposure to itchy things... in a number of factories, home renovations, gardening... In the welding factory heat resistant ones were mandatory. I tended to wear those tube covers over my wrist wraps, or braces when I was working prior to my carpel tunnel surgery. Tensor bandages weren’t enough on their own. But, if you’re preventing injury, reducing fatigue, or that’s the best you’ve got, wraps would be a good option. It’s also easier to put them on or take them off as the temperature changes moving through a drafty building or warming up as I work, and I can just stuff them in my pocket, or shove them down just around my wrists. With wrapping I don’t think this would be as much of an advantage.

[@szasstam204]

I feel like I'm in a history lecture at university, I love it! You should have just kept talking when those people walked past, they totally would have thought the same. I actually appreciated the close up of the legs wraps, lol.

[@Nesi-Rose]

I'm so excited that they were using metal eyelets! I just learned how to install metal eyelets a couple days ago, and now I want to put them in everythingg

[@WireMosasaur]

Jimmy: Time to make a nice video about leg wraps Crows & jackdaws: *COME, COME WINGED BRETHREN, IT'S TIME TO JOIN IN GLORIOUS WAR*

[@angelcollina]

“Oh look! It is a human making a video! Let us scream!”

[@madsrasmussen5536]

How?! He did it again! He is a psychic who can see what type of video i need right now! Splendid job Jimmy!!

[@dlfon99]

Smol, smuuth brain: recommending the hot Viking man put music on in the background to help people with ADHD focus Big, wrinkly brain: putting Väsen on in the background and finding Ipa-Gubben works perfectly. Please don't judge me, it's been a long day and I just need the extra push to get the dopamine across even for thoroughly excellent content like Sexy Welsh Viking forgets to bring extra camera batteries while talking about leg wrap fashion trends dying out in the eleventh century.

[@canucknancy4257]

You make history fun (unlike the dry grade 11 Social Studies text that my kiddo is learning from right now). Nature doing it's thing...Jimmy losing his stuff...family with young children shying away. I could see this turning into a Monty Python skit. Thanks so much for the smiles and information. Take care.

[@CaitlynBianchi-ig]

We need more support and comfort accessories!

[@MacMoonie]

I am a needleworker and work on linen. I 'pet' my linen all the time thank you for introducing me to Cymreag (again) it is SO much easier than English

[@Pouquiloury]

I wonder if the straps for legs or arms were ever done in Nalbinding (needle binding), since that makes for flexible, yet sturdy fabric. And binded fabric doesn't unravel whenever it is damaged, so it is very easy to mend. There are wristwarmers, socks, mittens and such found at the historical sites you mentioned that are made by nalbinding. And some of the finds were previously said to be weaved, but in recent years they found that some fabric was actually made through nalbinding (or looping).

[@joelawrencepseudo-hibernia2467]

I love this so much. Viking age reenactors use them -> “These are really popular with at lot of people!” This sounds like something I would say.

[@TheWelshViking]

Haha! And WW1 in my defence

[@vincentbriggs1780]

They look fabulous, and I hadn't ever heard of those little hooks! How delightfully simple and practical! A bit like the buckle prongs on my 18th century breeches, which also just poke through the fabric without needing a specific eyelet hole or anything.

[@arcanaverte]

arm wraps are awesome for keeping your sleeves from interfering with bread baking and other cooking misadventures 😁

[@noelcoonce-ewing9474]

I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear the conversation between you and Ms. Banner having tea together. Although your video styles may be different you both are amazing researchers! And you both have that incredible childlike sense of wonderment and love throughout your humor . Great Video, but if you continue to yell at the crows you may anger Odin. ;0)

[@halu959986]

Other great use for leg wraps. They help protect against ticks. When going through tall grass. I use mine for larping and I've had others with me get bitten whereas I go unscathed.

[@sockchen2707]

I am a woman and I do freeze a lott. I love to wear gauntlets on my forearms because the wrists, especially the inside of the wrists, are one of the points on the human body which are loosing a lott of warmth.( Ankle, wrists, upper/inner leg (unter the bottom), neck, head, feet. ) Armwraps are incredible warm. Thank you for your nice and likable way of communication. I really enjoy your videos.

[@habibishapur]

Cloaks and leg wraps are the historical clothes that i wish the most would come back in style. I agree that they look goofy nowadays but theyre so good at what they do.

[@curiouslywoven9737]

I used arm warmers/wraps when doing field surveys in areas with dense undergrowth - saw-tooth palmettos, devil’s walking stick, briars, etc. They helped protect my arms but allowed for greater arm mobility than sleeves - also didn’t snag as much and were cooler during hot, humid summer projects. Was very sorry when I forgot to bring them along on a survey in Indiana which had us going through corn fields in an august heatwave - the plants dealt a million tiny paper cuts on the arms and added dried pollen to our sweat for added insult. I can see where arm wraps would serve the same purpose as the leg wraps as a working/protective garment. Think of carrying firewood, gathering prickly plants, or walking through dense crops/underbrush. I can definitely recommend them.

[@curiouslywoven9737]

The garments I actually use arm called cycle sleeves and are meant for cyclists. You can find plenty of pictures of cyclists using them.

[@persiswynter6357]

Leg wraps are great for people doing sedentary things as well. I'm a secretary, and my modern compression socks are fabulous! I can imagine clerics and copyists wearing them regularly. As well as weavers and spinners. Any occupation where you have to stay seated for a long while.

[@voidremoved]

I am not sure about this? compression socks add more even pressure. wraps are annoying to me when I am sitting still. ITs not bad when I am moving around. But sitting still they seem to start to dig in to my leg and get uncomfortable

[@lisaschaffnit2047]

Hooks like that, usually made of pewter, are still used on Norwegian sweaters.

[@WallebyDamned]

Arm wraps for repetitive motion and support of trays/heavy cookware and heat protection could be part of it. I needed arm support while working in donuts, and a benefit of it was that I could support the trays on the support layer itself. This was especially useful with some of the overly warm pans I would handle. I could use my whole arm and not just my mitted hands. And when working with heat sources I could see arm wraps being used to protect skin and keep sleeves from inteferring when stoking fires and moving stuff around. 🤷

[@ElanorKella]

Forearm wrapping might help when you are doing a lot of fine handwork too. At least I have to use compressive bandages and long wrist warmers after a day of handsewing or knitting. You don´t want your tendons in a wrist or forearm inflamed

[@paulaunger3061]

Love that ending! And I really liked the camera phone footage - you’re haloed by the trees in a beautiful sky and it looks great 👍

[@strawycape9693]

In response to the horse riding thoughts - yes leg wraps probably would have saved the inner calf as this is the part of your leg most likely to be rubbed raw while on horseback. the thigh rests against a fairly smooth area of the saddle but the calf rests over the edge of the saddle so can rub against the edge of the leather, the leather straps holding the stirrup and the buckles holding the girth in place. This is why riding boots in modern times usually come up to the knee, and why young riders with rapidly growing feet tend to wear ankle length boots combined with half chaps (leather that hooks under the foot and wraps around the calf secured with a zip) as this is usually cheaper than buying new long boots as a child grows, and often the chaps will fit for longer than the boots.

[@sugalofe4131]

Well, I think it'd be a dishonor to the costume history classes that destroyed my soul in college to not support you on patreon now. I've plans to send your rant about the costumes in Viking to my old teacher, as she'd get a hell of a kick out of it. Fantastic content!

[@warriorprincess1846]

Jimmy im fairly new to your channel but I have to tell you I absolutely love your videos! I could listen to you talk about viking history all day! Brilliant sense of humour, you're such a tonic 🤣

[@MorathiCain]

I definitely could have needed some of those several times in my life. Ankles are my weakness v.v thank you for the video. You always manage to make it interesting and entertaining! Also showing us all those small details which make stuff work (or hold up your leg wraps!). Definitely gonna save the knowledge I gain from your videos to teach to my pupils next time *_*

[@catsmeow5566]

I do love the history explanation. I think I'm allergic to wool but if I wasn't I'd probably be stroking the wool as well. I stroke some of my softer fabrics when I'm wearing them. Cue animals to be loud whenever you are trying to record something. LOL. Ankle support is absolutely something I need. Crows are neat birds. There was a woman on Twitter talking about how a crow came up when she was eating on a park bench. She fed it some of her sandwich and it brought her a rock and rolled it toward her with its beak as a thank you. Didn't they at one time have sock police who would check what sort of socks people were wearing and if they were wearing socks above their status they were in trouble? The wrap method is similar to wrapping an injured ankle when administering first aid.

[@sarahallegra6239]

I wear “leg wraps” in my arms frequently! In my case, it’s because I have fibromyalgia and any sudden burst in activity makes my tendons swell up painfully, so if I’ve spent an afternoon editing and didn’t gently ease my body into it (who has time for that), there’s going to be pain afterwards. The gentle compression combined with light heat trapping really does help. I use one of those new-fangled ace bandages, but I’ll have to give wool wraps a try! Or, when I worked at a vet clinic, I’d use the self-sticking bandages, which worked beautifully. I’m too lazy to buy my own. I can’t imagine I would have lasted terribly long in the Viking age, but there’s *a* reason to wear wraps on your arms!

[@ernststravoblofeld]

Bring me my fighting trousers!

[@knightsmarshall1]

Thank you! I love the leg wraps drawn in the 1020 Julius Works Calendar. They seem narrower and have an unusual finish by pointing in a downwards angle towards the ankle.

[@digitaldgirl4459]

Nice little video. Been binging Jimmy all day. I love that the birds were so talkative. Fresh Spring day and fresh mouthed birds. I started watching your channel after CoCoVid2020 and you are just a delightful speaker with great content. My father was a Jimmy, too and also of Welsh heritage. Came to the Americas 1650's in New England area. Keep up the great work and looking forward to seeing your 1800's stuff.

[@WireMosasaur]

also I'd like to add that I spent about 3 months wrapping my leg just like that every day because I had a minor surgery on my calf and the doctor didn't want the stitches or scar to stretch weirdly: Yes it was a faff, but it was also strangely meditative, and re-wrapping the bandage was a little ritual that was quite calming

[@lisaphillips3384]

I would love to see a video on different colors you could possibly see in viking clothing! I love the color of the leg wraps!

[@melima_]

Just found your channel! Truly a joy!

[@Jesscrayons]

The 1st pair of Viking trousers I made came out super small. Also I a lady person have worn leg wraps for Saxon re-enactment stuff as keeps my legs warm and safe from ticks and scrapes.

[@aprildriesslein5034]

As an aside, I am delighted to see the material of your coat! I am making my 6 yo son a pseudo Viking era outfit but using only materials from my all-too-extensive craft supplies collection. I had a piece of remnant twill that matched the trim nicely but I thought surely twill couldn't be period appropriate. Then, sure enough, I read about an extant find that actually was twill. I thought mine might not be the same sort, but went with it anyway, so it's reassuring to see that your jacket is the same material! Anyhow, thanks for all the fun videos. 🙂

[@supergroveraap]

Good to know my DIY compression socks are actually a thing 😌

[@Graham_Rule]

That was fascinating. I couldn't understand what you meant about ankle support until I saw that they started at the foot and crossed the ankle. This looks very like beginning the figure of eight bandage technique taught in first aid. But you didn't take the wrap back down to the foot so I would have thought the support given was minimal. Wouldn't crossing the ankle joint three or five times be better? If you didn't need ankle support then just winding it around the base of the leg above the ankle would surely do.

[@valdemarm6049]

Sewing, knitting, weaving, etc can be very tedious on the arms with the repetitive movements, so maybe the arm wraps were there to compress/support the tendons in the forearm or prevent something akin to carpal tunnel, like the compression gloves a lot of crafters wear these days

[@mistyrosemcconnell9586]

Honestly, I think these are so completely practical. Im in the woods to harvest all the time or leading families on hikes into the mountains to camp out so to me this would be helpful.

[@gab4186]

I had previously commented asking if you knew of any Roman Iron Age era leg wraps found in Northern Europe, but I have since deleted that comment (it had no replies, likes, or dislikes, so I did not feel that it was a dirty delete), as I felt that my wording in it did not appropriately reflect my understanding of the era and geography. I love your content, and thanks so much for all of the time that you put into it.

[@abysswarlock]

I do lug lev wraps! Really though your channel is super cool, and I like the welcoming energy you bring to your videos

[@joejoelesh1197]

I see why you needed some extra time to put this video out. I struggle every time I try and put those things on. I have nice wool ones, and if I don't struggle wrapping them, I have a hell of a time with my pin.

[@jennifercourtemanche9793]

I am jealous of the gorgeous, snow less weather. Looks lovely out! And the end is me trying to watch birds and walk at the same time. Had some sandhill cranes flying over the other day and that was very much what happened.

[@nesbits22]

The puttees around the arms make sense to me, especially if they went all the way to the wrist. I wear elastic bandages around my wrists and forearms because I overworked them while drawing a couple of times. Now having that extra support reduces wrist pain. If women back then did, say, a lot of needlework and cooking I can see how they could appreciate arm wraps. Anyways, thank you for the lovely content as usual! Your channel is a gift.

[@beethovenjunkie]

I could imagine armwraps being a good thing when you're washing things, especially in cold water. You can fold up your sleeves without getting cold, and the arm wraps van keep the water dripping onto your arms.

[@dexaria]

I knit and weave and stroking wool is definitely something I do on the regular. Especially when I go to wool shows

[@laulutar]

I'm quite convinced that most languages have at least one irregular letter, just to mess with people who are trying to learn it 😂 I hope no Jimmies were harmed for the post-credit sequence 😄

[@anthonythomas7167]

I picked up wool puttees this winter instead of trying to buy tall snow boots that met all my fussy requirements, and I felt very cool tromping around snowy woods in leg wraps :D and they kept the snow out of my boots and kept my trousers dry, so it's all good!

[@unrulycrow6299]

Yes, in January and February, I got my own leg warmers out for further protection from the cold - only had to remove them once at work. Now I'm considering going straight up for leg wraps for more support - especially since I have bad blood circulation. When I damaged both my ankles in January, I'd also wrap them exactly like that to be able to walk around still, without needing to overdo it, it was very efficient.

[@beatrizperola7646]

That thumbnail is just *chef's kiss*