The Thorsbjerg Trousers - Olvik Thing

In the pictures to the left are rags foundcaulking a ship in the Hedeby harbor dig. Theway these rags were sewn together resemblesthe cut and seaming of the Thorsbjergtrousers. These rags prove to us that theVikings did indeed wear pants (Roesdahl &Wilson, p. 242).Sunnifa Gunnarsdottir (Charlotte Mayhew) crmayhew@comcast.net September 2011 11

Bronze panels from Björnhofda inTorslunda, Oland, c. 600. Stockholm,National Museum of Antiquities(Boucher, p. 155). The marks on thelower legs indicate close-fitting pants.Viking Age Trousers—The non-Fabric EvidenceWith fabric evidence being soscanty, it helps to look at theevidence for trousers on picturestones, tapestries, and othersources, such as the bronzepanels on the left. While each ofthese sources has its ownstylistic tendencies, it ispossible to make some educatedguesses. The straight-leggedpants to the right resemble theThorsbjerg find, while thosebelow show the baggy style.Gotlandic picture stoneshowing a man wearingstraight-legged pants.Detail of the Smiss, Gotland picturestone showing warriors wearingbaggy pants (Campbell, p. 145).Detail of the 9 th century Oseberg Tapestry (from the Osebergship burial in southern Norway) showing several people(presumed to be men) wearing baggy pants (Campbell, p. 150).As in the picture stones to the right, the baggy pants shownabove clearly stop above the ankle. These are all depictions ofthe baggy pants style that is gathered below the knee either instockings or in leg wraps. Practically speaking, this keeps thelower leg warm while keeping the pants out of the way.Gotlandic picture stone showing aman wearing baggy pants boundbelow the knee. Picture stonephotos are from an online archive.Sunnifa Gunnarsdottir (Charlotte Mayhew) crmayhew@comcast.net September 2011 15