World of Myth
Old Norse WeavingNorse Textiles and Weaving
The plant-based textiles made by the Norse generally used hemp, flax, or nettle as the source of the fiber. Surviving textiles tended to be made of wool or wool/plant fibre blend. According to G. Skoglund, M. Nockert & B. Holst “unfortunately the preservation conditions in Scandinavia are such that plant fibre textiles normally do not survive well. There are some early remains of plant fibre textiles from Sweden from around 400–500 AD, from Fullerö in the province Uppland and from Augerum in Blekinge in the south.” Their analysis used polarized light microscopy to determine the twist of the individual textile fibres and was able to show that both hemp and flax were used.
The Norse used a warp-weighted loom to weave their textiles.
EXCERPT: The principle of the machine is that tensioned (warp) threads are suspended from a horizontal beam and weighted with clay or stone weights. A fundamental feature is that the frame supporting the cross-beam just be leant at an angle, so that while some warp-threads hang vertically (to the rear), alternate strands are hung over a rod (shed rod) near the base of the frame,to form the natural shed or separation through which the weft can be passed.
Norse Weaving Methods
Video from 1956 Norsk Folkemuseum demonstrating how to use a “warp-weighted loom”. (Norsk Folkemuseum YouTube)
Old Norse Villages
The Ribe Viking Centre tries to reconstruct the city of Ribe’s oldest history of buildings and the like from the city’s oldest three-four first centuries. The 1300 year old city came to be during the Viking Age with many seasonal craftsmen and merchants traveling from nearby and distant. At the time, it was common for the inhabitants to live in tents, although solid buildings also existed. During the late Viking Age, the city became increasingly built permanent.
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