In the early middle ages, it was customary to wear cloaks outdoors to protect against the cold and rain. However, textile remains outside of Frisia reveal that another garment existed that served as a possible alternative for sailors: a woollen vest from Haithabu. We’re convinced a similar garment might have been worn by early medieval Frisians as well. This post will dive into the woollen vest from Haithabu.
Archaeology
In the early medieval emporium of Haithabu, now Schleswig (Germany), several fragments of textile have been found which, according to textile archaeologist Inga Hägg, together formed a vest. These are ten pieces of fabric with almost identical, characteristic properties, namely fragments 5, 7, 13, 30, 46, 53 A&B, 63, 81 and 85. According to Hägg, the vest consists of at least three parts: a back panel and two front panels consisting of two pieces sewn together (fragments 53 A&B). The garment fitted closely to the body and reached down to the hips. The lower hem of the garment was slightly curved (fragment 7). Fragments 13 and 53 A&B suggest that the garment was sleeveless and had wide armholes that allowed freedom of movement. According to Hägg, this made the vest ideal as workwear. Additionally, the size and shape of the pieces of fabric probably indicate that it was men's clothing. All fragments are made of dense and stiff felted wool fabric woven in a 2/2 twill weave, which in German literature is called “Loden”. From this specific type of textile, Hägg derives that the garment was mainly worn in cold and bad weather. Colour analysis showed that most of the naturally brown wool fragments were not dyed: however, fragment 13 also showed a reddish-brown colour, probably derived from walnut. No vests have been found at other early medieval sites.
Fragment 13
Experimental archaeology
To supplement Hägg's conclusions, we would also like to contribute a finding from experimental archaeology. One of our acquaintances, a fellow re-enactor and professional sailor from the Haithabu Sommermarkt in Schleswig, gave a lecture in 2023 about a sailing trip she undertook from Sweden to Borre (Norway) on a historical replica of an early medieval sailing ship in historically accurate clothing from the same period. Her sailing trip lasted six days, on which she was exposed to various weather conditions. On her trip, she wore various items of clothing, including a replica of the Rasquert cap and a replica of the Haithabu vest. Her finding during the sailing trip was that she preferred the Haithabu vest over a cloak, because the vest offered more freedom of movement for working on board and also kept her sufficiently warm in bad weather. In addition, she found that the flap on the replica of the Rasquert cap offered protection from both wind and sun, depending on how she wore the flap (see our previous post “Frisian hats”). Our acquaintance preferred not to be named, but was willing to answer questions about her journey and her findings.
Early medieval Frisian attire - reconstruction
Seafaring was a big part of the early medieval Frisians' way of life. Based on our acquaintance’s experience and findings, it seems likely that a seafaring people like the Frisians would have had and worn a similar garment that offered freedom of movement and warmth on board. For this reason, we have decided to include the Haithabu vest in our depiction, even though the garment wasn’t found in Frisia. We have made our reconstruction of the vest from reddish-brown Loden-type fabric, just as the colour shown from fragment 13. Interested in the sort of ships the Frisians sailed? Read our post on early medieval Frisian ships!
Sources
- Hägg, I., Die Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu (Neumünster 1984) 64-68, 183-184.
- Projekt Forlog – Vlněné vesty z Haithabu, https://sagy.vikingove.cz/vlnene-vesty-z-haithabu/ (geraadpleegd 26 januari 2019).
- Viking age Nordic history – Viking age fashion: wool vest / jerkin from Haithabu (Hedeby), https://projectbroadaxe.weebly.com/viking-age-nordic-history/viking-age-fashion-wool-vest-jerkin-from-haithabu-hedeby (geraadpleegd 19 januari 2020).
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