Reenactorisms: Viking Fashion That Isn't Viking

[@TheWelshViking]

Hi guys! So this video kind of blew up in a way I was not expecting, and I got quite a few questions in the comments about some of the hairstyles content in it, especially with regards to what evidence we have for actual Viking Age hair. So I've done a response video which you can find here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZW0qZKgfp5gipo Thank you so much for all the amazing comments, views, support, and excellent questions. I hope the response to this video answers some of them, and clears up a few other things (including whether we call it the Ragnar, the Sokka, or both!). Thanks again so much for all the support and views, it means this channel is now my part time job, and I have the Patreon all set up and running after so many of you suggested it! *cough cough, shameless plug* www.patreon.com/jimmyjohnson

[@Chris_Montgomery]

"As I record this just shy of 700 subscribers..." Not even a year later and you're almost at 25,000. Your channel blew up quick. Congrats!

[@sekhmara8590]

@@Chris_Montgomery and now he approaches 36,000! Well deserved I think.

[@vikingwolfking3445]

@@sekhmara8590 now just shy of 46k!

[@sekhmara8590]

@@vikingwolfking3445 Pretty impressive! Deserves way more, such great content.

[@Angie2343]

The clothes in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise are more realistic!

[@CronusEnt]

No ones talking about how he said "Excuse me" and slaughtered those kids to continue recording without the nuisance

[@Randomdive]

Now that's viking

[@wren7195]

@@Randomdive I has professional HEMA. I learned slaughter of the kids means best fight book of fight. I has HEMA'd. Children did lived. Angry also, they were livid, but they lived.

[@volcryndarkstar]

Viking af

[@CrusixOfficial]

plot twist, the siren actually happened after that, but he edited it to put it before so he wouldn't be suspected

[@johnnyhealey4061]

im laughing so damn hard

[@thebratqueen]

"That one's Roman" - HA! Nice one.

[@naraoia4450]

I may have chortled there!

[@persiswynter6357]

Those Romans were something else. Making war AND love in equal measure. 🙄

[@1.1797]

@@persiswynter6357 aaaaand with each other......lol

[@ElJocko7873]

Was pishing my sen when you said that like. Brilliant XD

[@drnobody1908]

@@persiswynter6357 it's not love its forced as in it was common practice for a higher offcer in the Roman army to force himself on a disobedient soldier usually held down by two others from his platoon when it was done

[@danielaf1487]

I'm a middle-aged woman and remember back when Vikings were not depicted as having this undercut, top-knot 'do. Then sometime in the 2010s, this way of portraying Vikings became universal. I think it's just filmmakers trying to make them look sexier by giving them a fashion sense that appeals to contemporary audiences... and it's quite silly.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

And actually shaving was difficult! You'd have to have someone else do the back of your head!

[@Jan-gh7qi]

As a guy who wore the "Ragnar" for nearly two years, I can honestly say, it might be the most impractical hairstyle for a Culture like the Vikings. You have the worst part of short and long hair combined. You really have to take care of the long hair, keep it clean and comb it but you also have to cut the short hair like every three to four weeks if you want to keep the style. (I'm dark blonde, it might be even faster, if you have strong red or dark hair, like a lot of Vikings also did). Also shaving your Hair isn't that easy with it because you cant just go all over your head. You can certainly not do it allone. For a culture where men spent long timespans on journeys, I can imagine long hair, just worn in a bun or braid or very short hair simply cut alls two or three weeks, but the "Ragnar" ist kinda impractical. Looks cool tho :D

[@lorisewsstuff1607]

I hate to say it, but to me the Ragnar looks like an updated mullet. 😂

[@Jan-gh7qi]

@@lorisewsstuff1607 The Mullet of the Millenials. Tru dat. Still no regrets.

[@richard_4stringmf178]

Jason newsted from Metallica rockes Long undercut, he kept it pretty well altough he probably had people taking care of it

[@Hibernicus1968]

@@lorisewsstuff1607 Yep. And I suspect that a decade or two from now, most people will look back on this look with the same kind of amused distaste that mullets inspire now.

[@mma1st105]

I think I heard a baby being impaled with a spear in the background. Very authentic.

[@nicknad9165]

I had to take my like back because I was the 70th. I'm sorry.

[@Chris-mt4yq]

@@nicknad9165 a very hard but noble decision

[@lorisewsstuff1607]

I heard, "Dad! Dad! We're being invaded by a Welsh Viking!" 😂

[@chrisowens4550]

That haircuts is not the "Ragnar" its the "Sokka."

[@TheWelshViking]

My cAbBaGeS!

[@tamaoyukimura4596]

@@TheWelshViking ahh yes the true hero of Atla... THE MIGHTY CABBAGE MERCHANT!😂

[@flynnguest8323]

So tell me, can your ScIeNcE explain why it rains.

[@shadowsun5704]

Sokka calls it a wolf cut

[@misterwolfe1699]

@@shadowsun5704 wolf tail.

[@MsSteelphoenix]

Children screaming in the background: definitely historically accurate.

[@censusgary]

Yep.

[@billythecro2886]

😶😭😂

[@SaysThisCat]

What’s worse than reenactorisms? *GASPS* A Child.

[@master_illitrix]

I laughed harder than I should have

[@skullsaintdead]

One of my favorite Vines, much obliged for making me smile.

[@Agaettis]

NO

[@Wirrn]

"....kids." Followed by a camera cut and now no sound of children. Had ah....a but of an Anakin moment there did you?

[@TheWelshViking]

“Especially the younglings...” *everyone looks nervous*

[@sekhmara8590]

Laughing far to much at this.

[@s.maskell7134]

So you're really saying that Vikings were not hipsters? Bummer, dude. No man-buns, no Uggs. Ugh.

[@tesstickles2640]

They dressed other Vikings as hipsters and effeminate as a form of social punishment I believe.

[@sethdusith6093]

Hey, leave the Uggs out of this. I swore I saw Ragnar wear them (Jk)

[@rodrigodepierola]

Yup, total bummer. I'm unsubscribing even though I'm not even subscribed. What's next? Not useless deep cleavage mail for warrior women?

[@Slapnuts9627]

@@tesstickles2640 What do mean social punishment? They just gave them long hair because it looks cool, simple.

[@virgoviking2331]

@@Slapnuts9627 I think they mean to dress them like a woman. Take away his masculinity make him a joke in a sense

[@mirjanbouma]

He can draw, he can sing, he can sass, he can sew! Is there anything Jimmy can't do?

[@TheWelshViking]

I cannot nålbind for the life of me!

[@JudgeEomer]

As someone who own some bronze beard beads and wears them sometimes to look pretty, I can guarantee you people in the past would not wear such things, especially not as a day to day item. Because even such a small amount of metal hanging from your chin gets quite heavy after a while. And a long, braided beard wrapped in metal is all fun and games until you turn your head quickly and take out your friend's eye.

[@TheWelshViking]

A. Your avatar and name make me immeasurably happy. B. Love this, really good points all. I wore some for a bit on a long beard. Serious mistake in a mosh pit!

[@JacobMoen]

@@TheWelshViking it would be a cool weapon, though. Imagine Blackbeard taking out swatches of enemies with nothing but his beard! 😂

[@TheWelshViking]

@@benjalucian1515 If only we had evidence of their use in beards

[@EnRandomSten]

so I remember from school how they taught us that viking men usually spent a fair amount of time braiding their hair. they even braided in branches form trees in bloom making flower crowns! which honestly in my mind makes them more badass, not only are they ruthless raiders, they look fabulous doing so!

[@Schemez-16vhiphopbeatz]

Bunch of manly men making daisy chains is teffiying

[@williambrndgaard9349]

If you visit the museum in Silkeborg in Denmark there is a display of viking hair styles and iron age ones

[@TheWelshViking]

Yes, I've been there! It's very good :)

[@kenny5577]

Got any pictures?

[@AugustSideling]

As I'm watching the last Kingdom I've noticed that the Danes have been getting dirtier and dirtier every season until here in season 4 we have full on frizzy un-brushed manes and its driving me CRAZY

[@spmoran4703]

They should not have made them dirty . They , were clean and did their best to keep clean. I blame The Roman's. They thought all the true "civilised " people were dirty .

[@HavocParadox]

from one of my favorite channels on youtube.. History buffs... referring to the show vikings. "Do they act like vikings.. most likely.. Did they look like vikings.. No.. they look like Black leather bikers"

[@meginna8354]

I would say that they don't act like Vikings at all.

[@TealCheetah]

"That one's Roman" I cackled out loud.

[@TheWelshViking]

;)

[@valeriy8502]

Darn Romans and their phallic obsession 😅 To be fair, the Scandinavians did have the 'sacred white stones'

[@ufc990]

@@valeriy8502 Mjolnir pendants were also very phallic.

[@valeriy8502]

@@ufc990 True, but not quite as blatant as the sacred white stones 😅

[@drnobody1908]

@@ufc990 honestly anything that has a mass at the bottom and a long handle is phallic Try it at home grab a hammer from the tool drawer and set it down with handle up

[@Xalia2963]

Grow out that haircut at your own risk. My fiancé (who does viking-age reenactment) has had it since he was in middle school (way before Vikings was out) and he finds himself having to explain it constantly because people just assume he thinks it's an authentic viking style 😅

[@aprildriesslein5034]

"I like it" is a totally valid reason to have this hairstyle. I think it looks cool. 🙂

[@brianfuller7691]

As much as I mock Viking hair tropes, I also mock the clothing of Vikings on screen. Vikings did not wear biker gear. And let's mention that the most common Viking arms are spears and axes. Swords were expensive.

[@CorvusCorone68]

swords also take much longer to train in than spears in order to be proficient; i used to play a kung fu MMO and there was an NPC that had a saying about it takes 1000 days to master a spear and 10000 days for a sword to master you, basically meaning you become one with the sword; yeah i'm a sword fanboi

[@ryanfulton8199]

Its swords didnt make much of the "viking" weapons mostly for 2 reasons the metal used was not easy to come by so only someone with wealth and status would have it unless taken from someone they killed

[@bendover9813]

@@CorvusCorone68 sounds like you’ve never held a good mace

[@CorvusCorone68]

@@bendover9813 i've never held a good sword either, it's purely based on video games etc, maces are useful but i prefer swords

[@bendover9813]

@@CorvusCorone68 lmao, it shows, homie. Bet you think Katanas are good shit.

[@ThatOneMan830]

“That one’s Roman.” Well it’s time to sub

[@TheWelshViking]

Heheh. Peen beads are never not funny

[@JonathanS995]

@@TheWelshViking thanks for that made me spit my beer out. 10/10 big dog

[@alpenjon]

Aie, we are simple men.

[@tylerrobbins8311]

That "Ragnar" hair style is actually from the Asian step and as far as I know was from the Scythians. I know it is common among Cossacks as it was the traditional hair style for their warriors. Most famous example being Sviatoslav I he was the hand prince of Kiev who destroyed the Khazarian Khaganate.

[@GillRant]

Good shit, thanks for sharing the knowledge bro.

[@pavelstaravoitau7106]

Not exactly, the haircut for the (Zaporozhian) cossacks is a shaven head, except for a lock of hair coming down from the top of the head, so it's a bit different. I've heard it usually wasn't longer than eyebrow level too. It does have its origins from the steppe people, which the cossacks had a lot of contact with. That sort of scalp lock is also ascribed to Sviatoslav, prince of Kiev, but I have heard the interpretation that it's a copy-and-paste description taken from Attilla the Hun, as scholars from the time period liked to do.

[@ZeLeninovoMasoveRizoto]

It's sort of similar to what the Poles wore, but far as I know, they wore it in a bowl cut style rather than a manbun

[@ejokurirulezz]

the only thing i see about them is condom helmets

[@ashmedai7429]

If TV is to be believed...it's from the Southern Water Tribe

[@Berylliyum]

"That one's Roman.". That was the moment when I decided to subscribe.

[@josephstaggs4545]

I’m currently growing my hair out to try the Ragnar hair lol I’ll definitely admit I got it from the show Vikings. Later learned that probably wasn’t a thing. Oh well lol

[@TheWelshViking]

I'm definitely not doing exactly the same thing right now no way nuh-uh.

[@curtiscastart3572]

See my post, it appears to very much an Eastern Viking thing.

[@EMMYK1916]

@@TheWelshViking Don't my Welsh friend! You have lovely gruaige (hair in irish). Glad to see someone put these myths to bed. And i think those weird beardy beads look ridiculous & anyone who has one looks like a right pleb. You can have that one for free with your Roman gag!!

[@jimmyboynottknown7713]

If you like it do it fk what everyone thinks because of their society standards and expectations. Ive got a long shoulder blade length hair i tie it back, and the sides are 3 inc up from the ear shaved and same around to the back into a (v) , an thats where my ponytail kicks in . ive had my hair like it since before any tv show so technically in a way it was they who copied me

[@TJS3]

Funnily I have used this "Ragnar style" since 90´s, but it was grunge influence and the fact that under cut with ponytail when doing sports just looks that way. But I still noticed when Vikings series started that my 90´s hair became something that was on style...again!

[@Sinewmire]

The "Ragnar" haircut is a historical hairdo that can be followed back to the Water Tribe in the year 99AAG (After Air-nomad Genocide). Fact.

[@officert5147]

I was looking for this lol

[@hexwolfi]

Excuse you that is called a "warrior's wolf tail" huge difference

[@Sinewmire]

@@hexwolfi I didn't want to get all technical. As we know, the Warrior's Wolf-tail hairstyle was restricted to Warriors, signifying rank, status, and that they were perky and fun.

[@virgoviking2331]

Hey some of us are just bald 🤣

[@TheWelshViking]

See my hair? See all of that hair? See that? CGI.

[@virgoviking2331]

@@TheWelshViking Right! I think my hair has a buffer problem

[@TheWelshViking]

@@virgoviking2331 It's just loading? Maybe hit refresh? XD

[@virgoviking2331]

@@TheWelshViking 😂😂😂😂

[@Tempus23isback]

I'm a knitter and a hooker (someone that does crochet) Nålebinding is its own beast, it's more elastic and less estructured than crochet, also only could be made with animal fibers because they have to join a new piece of yarn every few inches.

[@s.maskell7134]

Yes, nålbinding is more of a sewing technique than a knit fabric.

[@rebelbiker9956]

I have tons of problem doing it! Can not connect 2 strands, Also needls, how wide they should be? I feel like mine ar too wide...any suggestion?

[@Tempus23isback]

@@rebelbiker9956 like with knitting the thicker the yarn, the thicker the needle should be. And for joining yarn without knots you have to unravel like 4 inches of each yarn, cut half of the strands, wet them, and felt them rubbing them together on your palms.

[@rebelbiker9956]

@@Tempus23isback I will try again then!

[@HeraldHealer]

Nålebinding sounds fun. Hooker learning how to knit.

[@TheError202]

The Bayeux embroidery depicting the events of AD 1064-1066, which led to the Norman conquest of England, yields an interesting witness as for the bare necks. Norman warriors look like the backs of their heads are indeed shaven, which may endorse the interpretation of the word ablered in Ælfric. However, one should keep in mind that what later became Normandy was founded by Rollo in AD 911, a century and a half before the Battle of Hastings. The same question as the one regarding Sviatoslav arouses: how much of the original Norse tradition could these people keep by 1066? At the same time, Ælfric’s testimony, if correctly interpreted, is the most valuable: he expressly points to the fact that the customs he describes are Denisc. People who were the source and the model for such practices believed they were Danes and were described as such by the Anglo-Saxons. But what exactly is Ælfric talking about? He mentions dressing, not hair (tyslian is a rare verb meaning ‘to dress’) and then points to the necks that are “bare of hair” (ablered). What is the logical connection between dressing and hair? It is to note as well that a bare neck is not the same as a bare back of the head. Any short haircut leaves the neck bare, one does not need to shave the back of the head for that.

[@unrulycrow6299]

Regarding the steppes haircut, another question to ask regarding Normans, especially by the time of the Battle of Hastings, is how they adapted to Frankish fashion - it would have been important, especially considering William the Conqueror's wedding to someone of such high rank as Matilda of Flandre.

[@2canines]

Something that I have noticed about Swedish that may relate to Old Norse and the word "Neck". Neck = (Nack in Swedish), only describe the back of the neck, while "Hals" refers to the front portion. I believe it is the same in Norway and Denmark. I wonder if Old English had the same distinction. English and Scandinavian was linguistically closer Back then if I'm not mistaken. So perhaps Ælfric's description was referring to the lower back of the head. Unfortunately you would need someone smarter than me for an actual answer.

[@Mulletmanalive]

@@marccolas7531 having tried it, you wouldn’t wear mail on the face without cloth and preferable padding between, so I’m not sure the beard would make and difference. If you were Viking (as in sea-raiding) if you were wearing mail, it would probably need a leather over layer to avoid I’d getting destroyed by the salt spray...

[@laamonftiboren4236]

@@2canines In Old English, hnecca (neck) did indeed refer to the back of the neck - the nape. Heals/hals was also a word, but referred to the whole neck (as did another word, sweora). The Old English word for the front of the neck, as it still is today, was þrotu (throat). Interesting to see both the similarities and differences between the two languages!

[@TheNimbrod]

@@laamonftiboren4236 As German I understood them also, Neck is Nacken, Hals is Hals ans Throat is Kehle it comes from kel/kela which has the same origin as the old english ceola. And the word Kiel like the City :D language is a funny thematic

[@olejoergenmalm16]

Reminds me of the fact that the most popular Roman Legion among reenactors is Legio Rapax because the name is often translated to 'Predators'... The beard rings come from the dwarves in LOTR... That hairstyle is probably based on a Suebian knot.

[@em-jd4do]

I thought someone maybe saw some festival girls with beads and decided it would look rad on a beard 😆

[@lipp1992]

The Germanic tribes would mostly wear a knot on the side of their head. I believe I have read that if you did not have a knot (Adult male) you were a slave/indentured to another family. The last one is from memory and I'd have to go look for evidence again to prove 100% accuracy. Stories from Roman writers about the Suebi and other Germanic tribes are quite scary, I'd fear them more than Vikings. Truthfully, I would rather not face either in hand to hand combat lol.

[@konradvonschnitzeldorf6506]

@@lipp1992 I dunno, they werepretty malnourished after a hard winter. Maybe you got a chance

[@quigleus]

We do wear heavy protective gloves, but only on the battlefield, and we announce at our events that the protection is not historic, but to prevent accidents from causing injuries. In 6 years our group has been operating, we have had two severe hand injuries from insufficient hand protection. I think that these gloves are OK, in the proper context.

[@nicelliott1175]

My dad did Viking reenactment for about fifteen years with a few different groups, and they all had very strict rules about hand and wrist protection. Most people started with a pair of metalworking or construction gloves in an okay colour, then added additional layers of sheepskin and leather to fully protect the hand and to disguise the base glove (I think someone actually started making custom gloves later on). My dad's primary focus has always been combat, and the groups he was in were all combat-heavy. Helmets were mandatory for everyone on the field, even the archers, and you would not be approved to fight without adequate hand protection. Too many people ended up with broken fingers when their group had simpler requirements for gloves, not because people were poor fighters, but because when you fight full-out in multiple demonstrations per day for a long weekend or more, accidents happen, especially when people are tired and their accuracy and reflexes are not what they typically are. You can also get some pretty bad knocks in a shield wall.

[@DanielleStJohn]

"... Found me!" Jimmy, what have we told you about grave robbing I don't care if it's for archeology PUT THAT THING BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM OR SO HELP ME

[@TheWelshViking]

NO. *scampers off*

[@PrettyShepherd]

Great video! Thanks for sharing all the insight! I love this kind of myth-busting 🌟 Funnily enough (at least to me 😅) a teeny-tiny bit different version of the "ragnar hair" was worn by Hungarian men since the conquest (9th century) up to the baroque age! Back when french men wore powdered wigs, Hungarians looked like wild and shaggy manly brutes 😁

[@hunervin]

Well I am a Hungarian but I didn't know that. 😮👍

[@kryokori]

that's why Hungarian are such good brothers to the glass and sabers 👍 not like those tights wigged ballerinas when we got Henry the III for a short time in PLC, he was a laughing stock at royal court for being not manly enough good thing he fled back were he came from, cause we got good manly Báthory in exchange

[@saurophaganax_0]

Buncha boomers in the comments. He never says he hates "hipster hair" (which btw makes no sense) he just says there's no proof for that being used by vikings.

[@HauntingSpectre]

I've had the "ragnar" hairstyle for like, 90% of my life (Im over 30) because I have THICC hair. I don't like short hair on me, but to have a full head of hair would cause heat exhaustion every summer. Hence shaving the sides and back. It's hilarious to see the boomers talking like this hair cut is a hipster starbucks thing that popped out of the 2010s. Probably just mad most of them are balding. I work with a bunch of guys like that in the factory.

[@HauntingSpectre]

@HAYAO LEONE Tough guy talking smack over the internet. I have 3 combat tours to Afghanistan. Fighting me is one of the last things you'd want to do. And a complete waste of my time no less.

[@robokill387]

"boomers" what have people born in the 40s care have to do with this?

[@eazy8579]

@@robokill387 The slang term, not actual baby boomers; it’s more a mindset of ‘this is how we always did it and new thing bad’, rather than an age thing; for instance my grandparents are baby boomers by age, but they like learning about new things and seeing how the world changes, so they aren’t ‘Boomers’

[@robokill387]

@@eazy8579 no, boomers = baby boomers, it's in the name. Just because idiots misuse it doesn't mean we change the definition.

[@Zalazaar]

I'm so sick of that "Viking haircut". To me it's as silly as the horn helmets

[@notamonkey42]

A Welsh Viking saying “Welcome to Edinburgh” with an English accent. Possibly one of the most accurate representations of a Viking on the whole internet 😃. This is not a snark.

[@nigelsheppard625]

That's not an English accent, it's a north Welsh accent and from his syntax I would suggest he's a fluent Welsh speaker.

[@kebman]

"Kids... Excuse me!" turns off camera. Pulls out Smith and Wesson viking gun.......... "Aaaand we're back!"

[@oz_jones]

Son of Wes

[@GnarledStaff]

Smith and Wesson has an M&P Shield. Real vikings always carry a sword and Shield.

[@martakay4602]

I laughed as ' they found me' more than it deserved. Well done as always!

[@alittlebitclassy1965]

him: So moving down from head hair, we`'re gonna look at..."pauses, raises eyebrows me: what kind of video is this going to be O.O him facial hair. me: oh, yeah, sure.

[@metalmaniac759]

Finally someone said it about the haircut. Just normal long hair, not cut sides.

[@andrewz.3432]

Yes, they only had long hair none of these dumb hipster cuts.

[@archer1949]

When the Vikings became Normans, they wore their hair like that. Kind of. It was actually a lot less cool looking. A mullet-bowl cut combo thing. Very silly.

[@lm1383]

What do you mean when the vikings became normans?

[@krankenhaus1991]

@@lm1383 In 9th century, a Viking leader called Rollo became French nobility and got Normandy as his fief. His and his warrior's descendants were Normans. The word "Norman" means Norseman.

[@lm1383]

@@krankenhaus1991 So it was only some vikings who "became normans". Makes more sense then.

[@lenraby5920]

I always smile on Viking shows/films at the abundant use of swords, these would be used by nobility primarily.

[@LordDamo]

I always hate that there are almost no Spears in such movies...

[@roderickclerk5904]

@@LordDamo the Vikings show does have a lot spears but there are still too many swords in each shot. At least the swords are somewhat historical.

[@GillRant]

Get you one of those German swords bwoi 😂

[@hungrydragon9402]

Its kind of an overcorrection to think only a few wealthy vikings owned swords. There were finds of viking ships that had more swords on board than men would have fit into the ship.

[@roderickclerk5904]

@@hungrydragon9402 I agree. Like there wasn't just one kind of sword. There were many quality grades with different kinds of cross sectional metallurgy. You probably had pure iron swords all the up to 6 maybe more of twisted rod pattern welded blades and every thing in between.

[@silver5515]

As a mom I can relate to whoever made the boot with extra clasps. Had we lived a millennia ago I would have been the mom going " Ragnar! Put that boot back on! You cant go barefoot in the snow!"

[@sarahgray430]

My late husband used to wander around shirtless and barefoot in subzero weather (he had an unusually high base body temperature and often complained it was too hot indoors) and my son is the same. I think it's a genetic adaptation to living in a cold climate.

[@mikochild2]

I don't care for shoes. I never wear them indoors and when I was a child growing up in the country, I never wore them outside either. I got it honest. My mom often went barefoot outdoors as well to enjoy the grass between her toes.

[@MMadesen]

Look up the Suebenknoten (knot of the Suebi). Its sort of like a sideway bun worn by many germanic tribes (not just the Suebi its named after) in central europe and possible some skandinavian germanic tribes too. It looks pretty metal too.

[@meginna8354]

There's no evidence it was ever a thing in Scandinavia, it was a short lived small regional thing, Tacitus said that the knot distinguished Suebi from other Germans.

[@MMadesen]

@@meginna8354 We need to take everything, Tacitus said with a grain of salt. He is a roman outsider after all and might have been a little biased or misinformed. Also, the Suebi were a huge conglomeration of tribes, encompasing large parts of Germania and quite possibly influencing other tribes, surrounding them. Tacitus himself wrote, that the Suebi were the main tribes, wearing this knot, but that other neighbouring tribes picked up this tradition, at least the younger males, while Suebi men wore it all their life. Also, archeological evidence in form of a preserved corpse was found in Schleswig, the most northern german region just south of Denmark. Schleswig was danish during the viking age, so it could be considered scandinavian or northern germanic. Schleswig is also where the remains of the trade city of Hedeby are located. And while there is no archeological evidence in Scandinavia proper, its at least more historically probable, than the Iro-Dreadlocks.

[@woodsplitter3274]

I believe that one of the Bog People had the Suebian knot.

[@onurbschrednei4569]

Same thing I was thinking! But I believe you need to have really greasy hair for the suebian knot to hold.

[@SigneofHorses]

Yes on your future hairstyle... My hair was about your length when I clipped my sides. Also very good video... Staying away from the sheepskin shrugs? Haha. Most reeanctors already know not to wear those I guess.

[@TheWelshViking]

I forgot about the Ikea rug shawls! Dangit! They are falling out of use finally

[@wintersking4290]

The hair is the one that I find most annoying. Hipster hair on vikings makes me sad.

[@c.kelley3309]

Hipster's ruin everything. I did my hair like that when I was teenager in the 90's, but I got the idea from Jason Newsted and Phil Anselmo.

[@tylerrobbins8311]

It is annoying as most Asiatic step nomads had the "hipster" hair styles. It makes sense they would shave the sides of their head keeps the hair out of your eyes on horse back. Keeping it in a bun or pony tail helps to keep the hair from flying in your face if you are in horse combat. For the Norse as far as I know they had either long hair or they cut their hair short if they needed.

[@angelwings6186]

Well this was refreshing! I'm a historian and I also make simple chainmail. Some of the "historically accurate" things people ask for never existed. And when you tell them that 😬

[@CorvusCorone68]

horned helmets...

[@angelwings6186]

@@CorvusCorone68 precisely lol

[@klausd.6285]

Yay for pop culture! I had so many people laugh at me when I said that Vikings cared about how they looked and were well groomed, to the point that they were even mocked for it. Pop culture has sadly muddy the waters so much so, that even trying to look up historically accurate things you still mostly find pop cultures idea of what it was. :/

[@angelwings6186]

@@klausd.6285 even historians argue lol source checking can be a nightmare. I just close my eyes and remind myself fact over belief. As long as we all do our best to stick to it and educate hopefully one day people will come around lol

[@MisterNiuf]

"I'm just shy of 700 subscribers" Looks at sub count, then at the date. Damn, he's grown fast 10k in less than a year. Congratz!

[@TheWelshViking]

Well thank you! I’m utterly flabbergasted!

[@Pippis78]

Around a month later March/April 2021 - 16 600 subs. So 6000 subs more in a month?

[@thunderbitez5063]

As some one who likes to do sword fighting I wear it in a pony tail as I have quite long hair and wish to not have it in my face I also have many Viking and just Norse stuff on my person people like to connect the two of them and I have to explain to them no I don’t use it so I look Viking and yes I know that they possibly never wore it like that it gets quite annoying

[@tedleighton5009]

There is an account of some Vikings having *almost* Ragnar hair: but spun 90 degrees. Longer at the front and shaved at the back (I think account says 'blind eyes and cold necks'). Some of the characters in the show Norsemen have it and it looks...so silly and not at all the hipster Viking look that's popular today.

[@mondaysinsanity8193]

Sounds like other vikings at the time even thought it was stupid lmao

[@diegoscarpati2612]

That look is not Viking but belongs to the Normans a couple of centuries later... The ones of William the Conqueror)... Although of Viking ancestors, Normans had different habits and language (Norman French) and fighting style (much more similar to the continental one)

[@tedleighton5009]

Found it! It is Danish. Aelfric the scholar complained in a letter about the English adopting the Danish fashion of 'bared neck and blinded eyes'. He was writing in the late 900s so before William's conquest

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

Near as I can remember the typical "viking" haircut was actually closer to a bowl cut, which doesn't look as badass as people want a viking haircut to look.

[@kingofthefleetians7569]

"Why is your accent a mix of a Scottish, English, and an Irish one" "I 'shag sheep' the legends say"

[@TheWelshViking]

I do not “shag” sheep. I make love to them.

[@Valholl191]

Because he's welsh

[@komori_fire]

@@TheWelshViking a proper gentleman

[@flogitandc3122]

welsh border accent??

[@cymro6537]

@@flogitandc3122 Due to a significant English immigration into Wales this past 40/50 years , it's getting increasingly difficult to pinpoint a Welsh accent these days- especially for those in their teens and twenties - being influenced by the incoming accents .But , being a Welshman who's lived in Wales all my life- I'd hazard a guess that the Welsh Viking is from North East Wales (?)

[@aprildriesslein5034]

This is why I sometimes like to do historically-adequate costuming and sometimes I like to do fantasy costuming. I'm working on a Robin Hood costume right now and it's fun to just indulge in "I'm doing this because I think it looks cool, that's why." 😄

[@dwdillydally]

Hi April 👋 How did your Robin Hood costume turned out... or is going? I'm just starting down a historical Robin Hood rabbit hole.

[@theyrefood]

"just shy of 700 subscribers" *looks at the 17k* hmm, haven't you done well

[@raym4064]

"i can draw too" they suffice well enough! I can tell what kind of haircuts you're talking about

[@user-pe9gz8si8k]

Two things missing in reenactment. Fleas and lice. Reasons people had short hair

[@brianfuller7691]

This is spot on and I've been making fun of Viking-isms for a while. All of your points were well made. I have long hair but I still mock "re-enactors" who try to sell me that Ragnar hair is Viking. It's funny that Vikings are such tropes now that even the utterly fake is accepted.

[@-nvmanyhow1436]

Kind of like the horned helmets that were made up during the 19th-century Romanticist Viking revival.

[@kittokittokoshiki8978]

You just say you had 700 subscribers almost when you made this video and you're already times that by like 3:00

[@Fecris89]

I found your channel through cocovid (the gentleman panel was hilarious!) And man.... I love your work now. You're very funny and interesting. I'm happy to be here and excited to see more videos. Keep up the good work!

[@TheWelshViking]

Fernanda, that’s lovely! Thank you, I hope my videos stay interesting for you! And I’m glad you enjoyed the panel. Welcome to the club :D

[@lenaeospeixinhos]

"Omg 700 subscribers, that's crazy!" At the time I'm watching this, it's 60k 😂

[@TheWelshViking]

Still mad. Totally bonkers.

[@astridafklinteberg298]

Those kids!!!

[@_vinterthorn]

Wasn't there some text about a meeting with a Varangian that claims the haircut was "of the Danes", basically a reverse mullet with bald sides?

[@TheWelshViking]

It’s a letter from Alcuin of the 11th century complaining about Danish haircuts becoming popular. Shaved neck and fringed eyes etc. Basically the Norman do from the Bayeux tapestry

[@Nessi-dances]

This is a fun video! As an owner of that hair cut, I love it. My top hair is now down to the small of my back and when I wear my hair down I look like I have a normal, long, "woman's" hair cut. (I have A LOT of fun messing with people's impression of me.) I will say, that you need to have a full head of thick hair to do this look (I'm mostly Dutch/Irish American).

[@ImYourOverlord]

A full head of thick, long hair > all.

[@buildinasentry1046]

What’s Irish American?

[@orev5035]

I never understood why people think that a "reverse mullet" (long in the front and short in the back) is at all the same as the shaved side, long top hair style.

[@mondaysinsanity8193]

Huh?

[@mondaysinsanity8193]

Who said those are the same

[@LixiaWinter]

Sounds like kids were reenacting French revolution back there

[@AnOldYoungPerson]

There is a Rus Viking group who I know and one of my friends is apart of (or was as he has left due to falling out with the group.) (I won't say the groups name or the members specifically cos I'm not a mean person.) But the group I know, alot of members in that group I know have Ragnar hair and use beard beads, some of them also have "Vikings" head tattoos along with the Ragnar hair. (In my opinion it's not very stylish and there isn't any historical proof or physical evidence to this it's existence). Also the head of said group is a "Vikings" mega fan and is a full on pagan. So he kinda preaches all this stuff as truth to his members. It's cool if they wanna do it then no ill will to them, but it there is no evidence in history or texts of history to prove your points. Don't try and say it's true.

[@bloodlinebrehon2595]

Old post now I know. I can't entirely disagree with folks that point out these hair/bead styles probably aren't accurate due to a lack of immediate evidence, and when you mention others that have obviously mimicked characters from the show... well... it does make me cringe, especially when taking into account how even Einar Selvik from Wardruna has stated how largely innacurate the show is - as fun as I'm sure it is for the fans! However when all that is said and done, when we look at ancient European tribes across the continent, tattoos, long hair/beards and high levels of grooming can be seen across the board. Even among the Romans and Greeks throughout different dynastic periods in more ancient history, they favoured beards, as one of the primary physiological signs and representations of manhood. Plenty of Islamic scholars during the late Viking period have descrined in detail how they came with long hair and beards, head to toe in green ink - we know this comes form the strain of Woad leaf found in Scandanavia, as opposed to the blue Woad found in Celtic Britain. You should also look into the depictions of Svatoslav The Great too.

[@Kyle-uo5bg]

Look into Ibn Fadlan's recording of the Rus' Funeral he attended, they were said to be tattoo'd from neck down to toe so at least slavic/rus peoples are much closer to the modern viking stereotype!

[@bloodlinebrehon2595]

@@Kyle-uo5bg That is the guy I was trying to think of in another reply! Rus was basically a mix of nordic and slavic, founded by the norse, maintained by the slavs lol. That's also why I mentioned Svatoslav The Great/Brave - he was atthe forefront of the eastern european defense against the onslaught of Abrahamic religions. He destroyed the massively influential Khazar Khaganate - an empire which is not talked about enough in mainstream history.

[@clawtooth35]

Is that the Meadows? I miss living in Edinburgh - not that I have anything against Fife which is where I was born and live currently.

[@TheWelshViking]

It’s over by Arthur’s Seat, good guess! Meadows was super busy :/ Ah! A Fifer. Howdy neighbour! *waves to the northeast*

[@meredithkenton]

I did a semester in Dalkeith with an internship at the National Museum and I did spend a good chunk of the video trying to place where this was filmed...... :D

[@joejoelesh1197]

And this was the last outdoor recording he will ever do

[@TheWelshViking]

Tempted! Unless I can find a no kids allowed park!

[@theluckyguy3263]

Well I don't associate the Ragnar hairstyle with actually Vikings in history. But I guess it's a modern Vikings haircut, I am wearing it by myself and not to be like Ragnar or shit like that because it has that warrior style. And it's has nothing to do with being a hipster, because I am clearly not a hipster 😂 but some people under the comments said that...

[@nocturnalis4885]

The way this man roasted the entire Viking community

[@jokingker2553]

Peter was part Viking from his Irish heritage. It's weird that you thought he was only Slavic.

[@kathyjohnson2043]

2 years later and there are now over 68 thousand subscribers and over 200 thousand view!!! Great news.

[@carolnagata4855]

I absolutely ADORE your critique of reenactorisms!!! You are hilariously entertaining and yet educational! Thank you!

[@technicoloryaya549]

Wait! Next your going to tell me there were no cow horns on helmets. Ppppffffttt... 🙄

[@lynn858]

I don’t even hang out with kids or people who have kids, and I’ve seen plenty of evidence of kids yanking off their footwear and dropping or throwing it. Toggles seem like an excellent solution, in a world where there aren’t fire hydrants and mailboxes for the next passerby to adorn with a child’s footwear in hopes of it being found.

[@73North265]

Believe me....I’ve considered nailing shoes and socks on my daughter! 🤣

[@TrollDragomir]

Eastern style early medieval reenactment combat is way too brutal compared to western style to forego hand and arm protection, and my favourite system is full body hit zone (Neustadt-Glewe festival), as it allows to use combat techniques and strategies closer to the real ones. Hands are one of the main targets there, so it's pretty important to protect them. Still, there are ways to avoid looking like a rider of Rohan (however cool they looked in LotR), all one has to do is hide the vambrace and elbow protection under the tunic (you can even use plastic modern ones then), and cover the combat glove with fabric to make it look like a simple winter mitten (actual warriors in the past would fight bare handed, but in battles like Wolin I know too many people losing their fingers even despite the leather glove). There will always be a tradeoff between sport combat and authenticity, or else we'd have to start using sharp weapons.

[@YggdrasilAudio]

In Sweden there is a small subgenre of music called Vikingarock...

[@DawnOldham]

I’m so glad you’ll be a part of Co Co-Vid! I’m looking forward to it. Thank you for clearing up the hairstyles, especially. The movie star ideal is not authentic, but you’re right, it’s a great look. Maybe someone could do a version of the hairstyle you showed in an ancient drawing. They were in a line with what looked like some sort of pony tail.

[@flabbergast_se]

According to the danish natural museum there were in fact a similar haircut according to a letter in old english. Called the "danish-fashion" instead of anglo-saxon manner. No picture on the site. "with bared necks and blinded eyes"

[@jarlsoars1150]

If there's any carry over regarding hair or other styles of appearance from the pre-Viking Germanic tribes, it might be of interest to make an investigation into those customs. The Roman Tacitus describes some of this in detail in his 'Germania'. For instance, the Chatti were known to let the hair and beard grow until reaching manhood...and from what I understand, until they kill their first foe. It goes on to say that the 'coward and unwarlike remain unshorn.' Of the Suevi it is said: 'A national peculiarity with them is to twist their hair back, and fasten it in a knot' and 'The chiefs have a more elaborate style; so much do they study appearance, but in perfect innocence, not with any thoughts of love-making; but arranging their hair when they go to battle, to make themselves tall and terrible, they adorn themselves, so to speak, for the eyes of the foe.' Germania or Germany And It's Tribes, is part of the complete works of Tacitus, for those who might not know. The works describes things that are as interesting as they are brutal.

[@kahn04]

Loved this video, for anyone into re-enactment who wears the Ragnar hairstyle (myself included) take a look at the Oseberg wagon, there’s at least one male figure with what appears to be the sides of his head shaved with the entire top (not the semi-mohawk) left long enough to almost touch the eyebrows.

[@TheWelshViking]

Yes! Such a cool source! But it’s been interpreted as a man with a cap on as well I believe

[@kahn04]

The Welsh Viking I’ve never heard that before, totally makes sense though! I’ll have to see if I can find more evidence to backup

[@MetalGamer666]

Did the Vikings dress any different from the Saxons and the other people in Britain at the time?

[@kinozo8049]

I am so glad you did not start with the horned helmet staff, that gets brought up by everyone as most common misbelief about vikings .

[@rodrigodepierola]

A Welshman in Scotland on a SUNNY day!!! Has the world gone mad?

[@17thcpikeman]

Was “Daddies” Panama authentic? Is sucking rum from a coconut authentic? Great video again 👍

[@TheWelshViking]

100% yes to both :p

[@punkm0nk3y2]

Is it safe to say that just because something isn’t authentically old norse and is a modern idea doesnt mean it cant still be norse and adopted into modern norse culture?

[@tiffanytomasino335]

You have a great sense of humor, thank you for sharing

[@TheWelshViking]

Thank you right back Tiffany, that’s a lovely compliment 😁

[@eazy8579]

Jimmy Roasting the shit out of a kid at the end is way funnier than it should be

[@EM-cg4iy]

I’m so gratified that I rewound the “that one’s Roman” part I had been looking down but wanted to see what he was referring to.

[@kennethgrow9391]

my great grandfather was full blooded norwegian he was bald

[@raym4064]

i also assume the armadillo (etc) gloves are made of metal and not leather, which places them more in knight territory than viking

[@2adamast]

And Roman gladiators

[@eriklares90]

With the vambraces, an interesting note from an archer. If you have proper form and practice it diligently, you likely don't need them, and I would assume that Vikings who did a lot of hunting probably had excellent form and seldom hit their forearms with the bow string.

[@imSwook]

Vikings were a part of the Norse history, not the history itself.

[@neilwilson5785]

09:16 Floki laugh. He knows.

[@TEO.187]

As a kid I got so frustrated that I kept hurting my arm during summer camp archery that I wove an arm guard thing and I think that says a lot about my apptitude for combat vs diy haha

[@Dissorganized_Craft]

Such a good video! Yes to long hair!! But keep all of it 😉 I think there are some discussions around the Sholdenhamn hood as to if it is viking or sami? I haven't looked too far into it yet but it is lovely to use ^^

[@rhyd1]

The Skjoldam hood is a weird beastie, it's kind of over represented because it's one of the only hoods we have from the archeology, but it could be either Sammi or Viking and we will probably never get a definitive answer

[@TheWelshViking]

Thank you! It is! I made one a few years ago, and I live in it in winter! Yes, there’s a raging debate there as it seems quite Sami, but tbh I’m on the fence. It doesn’t get used at public events much without a big explanation that it’s a slightly questionable piece Viking-wise

[@torypatterson9488]

That hair cut is for hipsters not vikings and not metal!

[@Meevious]

There's also plenty of visual evidence for short haired vikings - in fact, I think the majority of warriors on picture stones appear to have either very short or moptop length hair (some more clearly than others). As for "Ragnar hair", while I'm also not personally a fan, I have to admit that there is actually a large variety of viking hair shown in art and not all of it necessarily tasteful. Some hairstyles from the Oseberg burial have shaved sides with hair on top. Even the very stone that you show as evidence (Lärbro Tängelgårda I) has been enhanced with a new technique (well, published in 2000, I believe, so over 20 years ago now D= ) by Lori Eshleman and the new image shows lines in the hair that make it look more like they have fringes backing onto mohawks or topnots, rather than natural long hair. Is the enhancement accurate? If so, does it show a real hairstyle, or has it been styised to make for a more interesting picture? That, we'll never know for sure. However, we can look, for instance at Vendel era depictions, where there are very clearly some imaginative hairstyles and see that it certainly wasn't an idea that hadn't occurred to people in this region. We also have Ælfric's letter to his dear broðor Eadweard, chastising him for having a bare neck and blinded eyes, in the Danish fashion. This is often linked to depictions of Normans, on the Bayeaux tapestry, who have a similar style to the reconstructed Lärbro Tängelgårda I hairstyle, but without the ponytail or mohawk element - ie, just a fringe coming around to the ears. Regrettably, it's quite possible that these were all popular viking hairstyles. It's rarely incredibly hot in Norway and nobody has to cut their hair to work, if they can operate a hair-tie, but it is thought that completely shaved heads were the sign of a thrall - ie. vikings likely had the same misconception that long hair would get in the way of a thrall's work, but probably more importantly, found it very practical to force their thralls to wear a demeaning hairstyle, lowering their self esteem, as well as making sure that they would not, in any circumstances, be able to impersonate free people (eg. if they attempted to escape or to fool a guest into treating them differently). Imagine trying to live in a society where you were expected to cut your hair short! Pretty uncomfortable to think about. Thank goodness slavery isn't so common anymore. I think you're probably a lot closer to the money with the beard rings. I also don't know of any evidence for this, though viking beads are certainly not exclusive to female burials. Without having looked into it in detail, I'm not aware of any necklaces or neck-area finds from male burials. It's possible that they beads that males carried were typically collected as gifts for females, rather than a part of male costume. I would also point out, that while pointed beards are very commonly shown, we do have evidence that they weren't compulsory. Even figures thought to show heroes or deities sometimes represent these without facial hair or with just moustaches. The Valsgarde armour is not leather, but iron. This kind of armour continued use in eastern Europe throughout the medieval period, but fell out of favour in the west - though it's not really very different in principal to the coats of plates from the battle of Visby (1361 AD). I've seen it put forward that this kind of armour was not used by Vendel people, as it's been associated with a body with DNA characteristic of the Avars. Personally, I think that Scandinavia had an open door to the east throughout the period, so it's not really useful to draw such a distinction, even if the association (which happens to be a bit of a stretch) were accurate. The splinted armour is also part of a functional costume with a helmet that's very much like others found in Scandinavia and Britain - though it's worth noting that this style of masked helmet seems to be first seen in Sassanian Persia and probably did spread to Scandinavia from the east, maybe indeed through the Avars. Surviving viking art is not really detailed enough that we can determine what kind of armour is being worn, though we can see that the helmets are simpler and do not seem to feature an enclosing mail mask, as the Valsgarde helmet does. The only substantial pieces of viking-era Scandinavian armour are also a single costume, with helmet and in this case a mail shirt, the find place being Gjermundbu in Norway (have to call you out on your assertion that we'd find more archaeological record for viking era splinted mail if it were common, as the strictly archaeological evidence for viking mail is pretty pitiful - despite it also being a component of the Valsgarde type of armour!). The descriptions that we have of viking armour in the sagas are a little problematic in that it's not always clear which point in history they're remembering for a particular detail - they mostly suggest the same kind of armour that was in use in Iceland at the time they were written down and while it's likely that most of the material is indeed accurate to earlier times, not necessarily all of it and they don't really differentiate between the "Vendel" and "Viking" periods as we do - so, it's usually possible for a linguist to determine the context with a fair amount of certainty, but not necessarily easy for a layman. That said, among all of the mail shirts, there's also mention in sagas concerning the viking age of "band armour", which could refer to splinted armour such as that found at Valsgarde or to a more generic lamellar or scale, as seen in Byzantine and Frankish illustrations. Either way, they're not referring to mail shirts, so we can be fairly sure that some vikings wore armour other than the type found at Gjermundbu. The word used in the sagas is "spangabrynja", using the same root that we today use for the "spangenhelms" characteristic of the Vendel period, though afaik, the latter is a modern term.

[@PuppetVikings]

very good. will have to tell our Troll he can't have his mustache rings but they do stop him eating his own facial hair during his chats and he is a troll not a human so maybe its ok. but loved the chat very good.

[@TheWelshViking]

Oh, don't worry! This only refers to human Vikings, not puppet Vikings! Thanks so much!

[@giovannylinares2054]

Funny enough, that "Ragnar hairdo" is more in part with a Mayan and/or Aztec warrior hairdo, which made sense since it's an endless summer there

[@mr.banana4893]

Unfortunately, as a full on metal head, I think most of whats considered "Viking Fashion " is rooted in metal fashion. Especially North European metal. Didn't Dimebag Darrell of Pantera pioneer all that braided beards, and beaded beards. Look at Zack Wylde. Awesome guitarist, veeeery big , built, long haired, imposing, bearded man. Not a viking.

[@admiralkipper4540]

Pretty much, Germanic people would probably think modern people of any variety look pretty goofy

[@Raventooth]

Reverse mullet is more accurate... Business in the back, scary in the front.

[@PunkerTrottzEltern]

But for me it sounds a lot like the Ragnar hairstyle or the Bjørn as ja child hairstyle from the Vikings TV show.

[@EmilReiko]

Use modern hema plastic hand protection, because its possible for the audience to decipher them as not authentic, not Viking age, but there for a reason... These leather lobster armour gauntlets reenactors use, loads and loads of spectators think its an authentic thing...

[@wayneeddy3261]

As a reenactor, I never wore gloves... Rarely wear them for real work either..👍

[@EmilReiko]

@@wayneeddy3261 i never use gloves while working, i hate it... In me olde reenactment combat days, i did early northern reanniseance, so i was clad in plate armour - also on the hands :)

[@wayneeddy3261]

@@EmilReiko 😱🙈🙈

[@velazquezarmouries]

Well that haircut rememinds me of the heian period court man of japan or early samurai haircuts more than a viking hairstyld

[@briansmith303]

Yes! Thank you. I can't believe someone didn't say this earlier. I assumed the style was based on this, modified by a sort of "Norman - shave it somewhere!" aesthetic. But the Suebian knot mentioned earlier might be a good guess as well.

[@velazquezarmouries]

@@briansmith303 if you get that haircut as I do and use a hairpin to keep the knot up you get exactly the style of knot used by aristocrats and Courtmen of the heian period