Textile Production in the Viking Age

What kind of wool would have been used?

An appropriate ancestor for a Viking Age sheep is one of the first challenges that I will need to overcome to complete this project. Ideally, I am trying to find a raw fleece that is as close to what Dagny Sveinsdottir might rear and shear in 9th Century Norway.

Why not Norwegian wool?

I've found it really difficult to pinpoint the origins of some modern wool roving advertised as "Norwegian wool". Although wool from Norway is one step closer to something historically appropriate than my local Merino, there is still too much ambiguity. Norwegian White, Dala, Steigar and Spælsau all produce "Norwegian wool" as native breeds, however they each have a distinct lineage and history. A quick Google Search and skim read suggests that a relative of the Spælsau might be the winning breed. It is a hardy sheep with a coarse outer hair and a fine, soft inner layer - perfect for weaving!

Spæl refers to three heritage breeds of short tailed, dual coated sheep from Norway; the gammelnorsk sau, the gammelnorsk spælsau and the spælsau. The gammelnorsk sau, Old Norwegian Sheep, is the oldest of the spæl breeds. It is a small, short tailed breed that lives happily outside all year and produces an average 1kg skirted fleece. Conservation efforts in Norway have prevented the extinction of this breed over the last century. The gammelnorsk sau is likely to be the closest modern relative of the kind of sheep used to create woolen fabric in Viking Age Norway.

The gammelnorsk spælsau is a slightly larger version of the gammelnorsk sau. They were bred with an emphasis on meat and pelt production rather than a focus on quality fleece. The third spæl, the Spælsau is a modern breed slightly bigger than the last two and ever so difficult to source from this side of the world. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, I have not been able to source any raw fleece from breeders in Australia.

Want to learn more? Please check out what the experts have to say! I am not an expert. Click here or here :)

What kind of tools would have been used?

Textile tools are very common archaeological finds from Viking Age Scandinavia. Loom weights, whorls and needles are incredibly common grave finds and provide us with a clear picture about the culture of textile production during the Viking Period in Norway.

From sheep to cloth, textile production took time, effort and skill. The flock would have been sheared with snips or hand plucked in the spring time as they shed their winter coat. After removing vegetable matter and severely matted locks, the tog (long, outer hairs) would have been separated from the þel (fine, inner fleece) by hand. Hand combs may have been used to align the fibres and sort the tog from the þel. The long, coarse fibres were spun with a weighted spindle to create strong warp threads for use on the warp-weighted loom or woven into bands or for use as sewing thread. The short, fluffy fibres were also spun with a drop spindle to create thicker, coarser yarn for nalbinding, weaving heavy duty or winter wear fabrics, or cordage. Sometimes, a distaff may have been use to secure the unspun fibre in an orderly manner whilst the spinster works.

After spinning, the yarn may be plied together to make a stronger thread for tablet weaving. This process was also completed with a spindle whorl. A variety of whorl weights were required to produce a range of yarn types for use within cloth production. The weight and shape of the whorl (the centrally pierced weight suspended on the spindle stick) determined the characteristic and quality of the yarn produced. Low-whorl spindles, where the whorl is secured towards the end of the spindle, were quite common in Viking Age Central Europe. High-whorl spindles are often pictured in use outside of Europe, however this is reliant on illustrative or testimonial evidence as spindle sticks rarely survive the burial conditions.

Flax and other bast fibres were also used in the domestic production of fine cloth and threads in Viking Age Scandinavia. Want to learn more about textile tools in Viking Age Norway? Click here!