CHAPTER XVIII. DRESS OF WOMEN.

Previous
Paul B. Du Chaillu

The gown—Festive dress—Outer garments—Under garments—Head-dress—Mode of wearing the hair—Ornaments—Buckles and fibulÆ—Numerous jewels of gold.

The most important piece of clothing worn by women was the kyrtil (gown). It was made very wide, with a train, and was usually provided with long sleeves reaching to the wrists. It was fastened round the waist by a belt, often made of gold or silver, from which a bag was suspended for rings, ornaments, housewife’s keys, &c. Sometimes this dress was narrow at the waist, and had a close-fitting jacket. Over the kirtle was wore a kind of apron (bloeja), which sometimes had fringe at the bottom.

The sloedur, mentioned in RigsmÁl, was a festive dress for women as well as for men; it did not reach so high as to entirely cover the neck and bust; therefore a separate piece of clothing, called smokk (collar), was worn with it, and a dÚk (neckerchief) was also wrapped round the neck. The neck and bust were frequently left bare, and ornamented with a necklace and other ornaments. A kind of shoulder ornament is also mentioned, under the name of dvergar.

And the housewife
Looked at her sleeves,
She smoothed the linen,
And plaited them,
She put up the head-dress;
A brooch was on her breast,
The dress-train was trailing,
The shirt had a blue tint;
Her brow was brighter,
Her breast was more shining,
Her neck was whiter
Than pure new fallen snow.
(RigsmÁl, 28, 29.)

“Gisli could not sleep, and said he wanted to go from the house to his hiding place, south of the cliffs, and try if he could not sleep there. They all went there (Gisli, his wife Aud, and her foster-daughter Gudrid); they (the women) had on kirtles, which left a track in the dew” (Gisli Sursson’s Saga, p. 67).

From the four representations here given, we get an idea of the dress of women, and the peculiar manner in which they arranged their hair. The long trailing dress reminds us of the descriptions in the Sagas. Three of the figures are presenting drinking-horns to some persons unseen. On the HallingbrÖ stone[220] a woman, dressed in a somewhat similar way, is presenting a drinking-horn to a warrior on horseback.

Fig. 1160.—Chain of silver. Real size. Found in the interior of a sepulchral chamber in a tumulus. Earlier iron age.—Norway.

Fig. 1161.—Silver (11th century); real size. Found with Arabic, German, and old English coins.—Öland.

Fig. 1162.

Fig. 1163.

Fig. 1164.
Real size.—Sweden.

Fig. 1165.

Fig. 1166.

Hanging ornament. Real size.—Sweden.

The women’s outer garments were more or less similar to those of men. The principal were the skikkja and mÖttul, a kind of cloak worn by high-born women, without sleeves, usually fastened on the breast with a fibula, and the tygla mÖttul (strap-cloak), used by men and women, sometimes with costly borders (hladbuinn), and lined with fur; but the term kvennskikkja (woman’s cloak) implies some difference between theirs and those of the men. When travelling they wore overcoats, like men; the Ólpa, with hood of felt, and hekla.

Fig. 1167.—Pin of iron. Earlier iron age. Real size.

Fig. 1168.—Pin of silver. Real size. Found inside a sepulchral chamber about 9 feet long, 3 feet wide, and over 3 feet in height, with the remains of an unburied body, the head turned towards the north; a basin of bronze, a clay urn, a glass cup, three finger rings of gold, one silver fibula, a pair of shears, fragments of a wooden bucket, &c., &c. Earlier iron age.—Norway.

Fig. 1169.—Pin of bronze. Real size. Found in a round tumulus with charcoal and pieces of a clay urn, an iron blade of a knife, &c. Earlier iron age.—Norway.

Fig. 1170.—Silver pin, with gold head. Probably for the hair. Earlier iron age. Real size.

“A beggar-woman who died left a hekla, which was embroidered with much gold. The men of King Magnus (Erlingsson) took the cloak and burnt it, and divided the money among themselves. When the Birkibeinar (Sverris men) heard this they called them heklungs” (Sverri’s Saga, c. 41; Fms. viii.).

Fig. 1171.—From Bayeux tapestry. Woman with long dress.[221]

Women wore the skyrta or serk (chemise), either of linen or silk, next to the body. It was so made that the breast was partly uncovered. They slept in night-shirts, as we find from the frequent occurrence of the word nattserk, which in earlier times had long sleeves.

When the house of the chief Gissur at FlugumÝri was burnt by enemies, IngibjÖrg, daughter of Sturla, escaped out of the fire.

“She was dressed only in a night-shirt (natt-serk), and was barefooted; she was then fourteen winters old, tall and fine. A silver belt was round her legs when she jumped out of her bed; a bag containing many of her precious things was hanging on it” (Sturlunga, ix., c. 3).

King Hakon went to tell his queen the news that her father, SkÚli, had assumed the title of king.

“He went to the bed, and the queen stood in a silk shirt, and threw over herself a red mÖttul; she received him well, and he was kind to her. She took a silk cushion and asked the king to sit down; he said he would not. She asked for news. ‘There is little news,’ the king answered; ‘there are two kings in Norway now.’”

Women’s socks or hose were called skoklÆdi (shoe clothes); they are still worn in Soetersdal in Norway, and are often richly embroidered.

Married women generally had their head covered with a hÖfudduk (head-cloth). High-born women wore a gold band, or diadem of gold, round the head, a fashion occasionally adopted by men.

“One day Án met Drifa, Karl’s daughter, and with her three women. She was handsome, and well dressed in a red kirtle with long sleeves, narrow below, and long and tight at the waist. She wore a band (hlad)[222] round her forehead, and her hair was very fine” (An Bogsveigi’s Saga, c. 5).

One kind of head-dress was called fald (fold); others were sveig, motr, and krÓkfald. The last word probably means a crooked head-dress, perhaps somewhat similar to those now worn in Normandy and Iceland. It must be concluded that the so-called fald was often made of linen, and it was considered stately to wear this head-dress high.

Skupla was another head-dress, which fell down over the face.

“Once when the famous chief and Saga-writer Snorri Sturluson was travelling, he met a woman who wore a blue jacket (Ólpa) with a felt hood, which was fastened round her head; she wore it instead of a hat” (Sturlunga, iv., c. 36).

Girls wore the hair, when long, wrapped round their belt; widows also wore their hair hanging down. Long yellow hair, and a delicate complexion, were considered essentials of beauty.

Bui once went to DofrafjÖll (Dovrefjeld) on an errand for King Harald Fairhair, and there met a woman of large stature.

“She was fair to look at, and dressed in a red kirtle, ornamented all over with lace; she wore a broad silver belt; she wore her long and fine hair loose, as is the custom of maidens; she had beautiful hands, and many gold rings on them” (Kjalnesinga Saga, c. 13).

Fig. 1172.—Bone comb, a little less than ? real size, found in a round tumulus, with an iron kettle, glass beads, charcoal, and burnt bones.

Ermingerd, a queen in Valland, at a feast which she gave to RÖgnvald jarl,

“came into the hall with many women. She had in her hand a drinking-vessel of gold, and was dressed in the finest clothes; her hair was loose, as is the custom of maidens, and on her forehead she had placed a golden band” (Orkneyinga Saga, p. 280).

“Helga was so beautiful, that wise men say she was the most beautiful woman in Iceland. Her hair was so long that it could cover her whole body, and was as fine as gold; no match was then thought equal to her in the whole of Borgarfjord and many other places” (Gunnlaug Ormstunga, c. 4).

“Then Hallgerd was sent for, and came with two women. She wore a blue woven mantle (vefjarmÖttul), and under it a scarlet kirtle with a silver belt; her hair reached down to her waist, on both sides, and she tucked it under her belt” (Njala, c. 13).

When Gunnar went to the Althing he met the widow Hallgerd, daughter of HÖskuld, who

“was dressed in a red ornamented kirtle, and over it a scarlet cloak ornamented with lace down to the skirt. Her long and fair hair reached down to her bosom” (Njala, c. 33).

Fig. 1173.—Fibula in silver gilt, adorned with niello and two green glass pieces. ½ real size.—Gillberga, Nerike, Sweden.

Fig. 1174.

Fig. 1175.

Beads of bronze, real size, found in a stone cist, Sojvide, GÖtland. There were 500 of these used to be fastened on a garment. Found with buckle.

Fig. 1176.
Ring and ornament of bronze, with rivets of iron. ? real size.

Fig. 1177.—Necklace of gold, weight about 1½ lbs., Thorslunda, Öland, consisting of tubes fastened one above the other and ornamented with filigree work. Two other of these have been found in VestergÖtland—one on the slopes of the Alleberg Hills, near FalkÖping, the other near MÖne Church, about seventeen miles from the former. A similar one was found in Southern Russia, now in the Hermitage Museum, with upper and lower end, ending in well formed long head of snake.

Fig. 1178.—Back of the necklace. Real size.

Fig. 1179.—Belt buckle of bronze. Real size.—GÖtland.

Fig. 1180.—Belt hook of bronze. ½ real size.

Fig. 1181.—Bronze ring for belt, real size, found with a pincette of bronze in a round tumulus inside a sepulchral chamber.

Fig. 1182.—Heavy gold arm-ring; weight, 1 lb. 7 oz. ? real size. Found in a very large tumulus, with fragments of a two-edged sword, with a magnificent scabbard of wood and bronze mounted with silver gilt, and partially ornamented; a gold ring, six small rings of gold, a gold pin, fragments of bronze kettle and vases, pieces of a bronze sieve, ornaments of silver of drinking horn, fragments of spear-heads of iron, &c.

Fig. 1183.—Bracelet of silver plated with silver gilt with the exception of the heads of the small nails.—Norway.

Fig. 1184.—Spiral bracelet of gold. Real size. Weight, over 1½ oz. Found in the lower part of a stone cairn with a gold spiral ring. A little below the soil of the cairn were found charcoal, pieces of bone, and fragments of iron destroyed by rust.—Norway.

Fig. 1185.—Spiral bracelet of gold, ? real size, found in a mound inside a cist. Weight, nearly 3 oz.—Norway.

Fig. 1186.—Ring of gold. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1187.—Gold ring, found in a mound with a bronze vase, pieces of a large spiral gold bracelet, &c.—Norway.

Fig. 1188.—Finger ring of gold with a cornelian. Real size.—Karneol Sneda, near Ystad, Scania.

Fig. 1189.—Spiral finger ring. Real size.—Bohuslan.

Fig. 1190.

Fig. 1191.

Gold ring, real size, found in a tumulus with fragments of a two-edged sword with its bronze mountings, &c.—Norway.

Fig. 1192.

Fig. 1193.

Gold ring, real size, found in a round mound with four other gold rings, &c. The stone in the middle is a flat cornelian, the one above a piece of convex glass; the lower one is missing.—Verdalen, Norway.

Fig. 1194.—Ring of gold. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1195.—Ring of gold. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1196.—Necklet of gold, weight over 4 oz., found under a large stone.—SÖdermanland, Sweden. ? real size.

Fig. 1197.—Diadem of gold, found while digging potatoes; weight slightly over 6 oz. ? real size.—Öland.

Fig. 1198.—Diadem or necklet of gold, weight 6½ oz., found in a ditch near the city of Abo, Finland. ½ real size.

These types of diadems in spiral bracelets have been found in bog finds of the Thorsberg, and also with Valoby graves.

Fig. 1199.

Fig. 1200.

Button of gold, front and reverse, with garnets enchassÉs.—GÖtland.

Fig. 1201.—Gold bead. Real size.

Fig. 1202.—Glass bead. Real size. Found when ploughing.—VestergÖtland.

Fig. 1203.—Necklet of almost pure gold (99·5), weighing 6 oz. ? real size.—Öland.

Fig. 1204.—Spiral bracelet of gold; weight, 7 oz. Real size.—Öland.

Fig. 1205.—Filigree bead of gold.—Vestmanland.

Fig. 1206.—Charm of gold. Real size.—VestergÖtland.

Fig. 1207.—Human figure of gold on the necklace of MÖne, found in a stone-heap; double real size.

Fig. 1208.—Necklace of gold, ornamented with filigree work and Roman and Byzantine coins of the 5th century; ? real size.—Scania, Copenhagen Museum.

Fig. 1209.—Bracelet of bronze, found in a mound at Husby, Erlinghumdra,
Upland. Real size.

Fig. 1210.

Fig. 1211.

Fig. 1212.

Figures of animals, real size, in amber, found in a tumulus.—IndersÖen, Norway.

Fig. 1213.—Diadem of gold. ½ real size. Found under a big stone in a heap of stones; weight, 8 oz.—Norway.

Fig. 1214.—Probably a diadem of gold melted with silver; weight over 2 lbs.
½ real size.—Medelpal, Sweden.

Fig. 1215.—Diadem of gold; weight just over 6 ozs. ? real size.—GÖtland.

Fig. 1216.

Fig. 1217.

Fig. 1218.

Charm of gold, three different views.—Vestmanland.

Fig. 1219.—Figure of gold; real size.—Scania.

Fig. 1220.—Neck-ring of gold. ? real size. Found under a big stone. Weighs 11¼ oz.—Norway.

Fig. 1221.—Pendant of gold, found in a field. Real size.—Öland.

Fig. 1222.—Neck-ring of almost pure gold, forming part of one of the largest finds of gold ornaments ever made in Sweden, which weighed over 27 lbs.; weight, 2½ lbs. ? real size.—Thureholm, SÖdermanland, Sweden.

Fig. 1223.—Necklace of gold with a bracteate in the centre. Found in a tumulus in Norway with two gold rings. ¾ real size.

Fig. 1224.—Necklace of silver. ½ real size.

Fig. 1225.—Pendant on necklace as seen from below. Real size. Found in a tumulus, in a deep hole, made on purpose, with a fragment of a silver gilt fibula, a small spiral ring of gold having been used as money, five clay vessels, a glass cup, fixtures of iron for two wooden buckets, one lever balance of spindle in clay, &c.—Norway.

Fig. 1226.—Real size.

Fig. 1227.

Fig. 1228.

Fig. 1229.

Bracteates of gold found with other bracteates. ? real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1230.—Bronze fibula having the form of a tumulus; the pin of iron has been destroyed by rust.—HelgÖ, Smaaland. Collection Wittlock, Vexio. ½ real size.

Fig. 1231.—Fibula of iron, found with burnt bones in a clay urn.—Tanum, Bohuslan. ¾ real size.

Fig. 1232.—Fibula of iron, found in a stone cist by the side of a skeleton, with a clay urn and an iron sword, &c., &c., in Stora Dalby, Öland. ? real size.

Fig. 1233.—Fibula of silver, plated with gold, found in a stone cist with a skeleton seated. ¾ real size.—VestergÖtland.

Fig. 1234.—Fibula of silver, plated with gold, found under a stone with several glass and silver beads. Collection of Captain Ulfsparre, Stockholm.—GÖtland. Real size.

Fig. 1235.—Fibula of bronze plated with silver gilt. ½ real size. Found in a large sepulchral room built of slabs, with a bronze kettle, two clay urns, &c.—Aak, Norway.

Fig. 1236.—Fibula of silver found in a mound with a gold bracelet, bronze ring gilt, bronze knife, and a broken urn, etc. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1237.—Silver fibula. Real size. In a mound with burnt bones and charcoal.—Norway.

Fig. 1238.—Fibula of silver gilt. ? real size.—Scania.

Fig. 1239.—Silver gilt fibula in tumulus. ½ real size.—Hagby, Öland.

Fig. 1240.—Fibula of bronze. Real size, found in a mound with a wooden bucket ornamented with bronze, pieces of iron scissors, a flat ring of gold, &c.—Near Stavanger, Norway.

Fig. 1241.—Fibula of bronze found in a clay urn with burnt bones near the border of a tumulus. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1241A.—Fibula of bronze inlaid with silver. In a mound with shield boss, spear-point and arrow-points of iron, belt ring, and knife handle of bronze, and an ornamented leather belt. ? real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1242.—Fibula of bronze. Place of find unknown. 3
7 real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1243.—Fibula of bronze inlaid with silver, found in a tumulus with three other bronze fibulÆ, fifteen gilt buttons, &c. ? real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1244.—Fibula of bronze, ½ real size.—Nordland, Norway.

Fig. 1245.—Fibula of bronze in a tumulus. In a mound with other fibulas, a silver ring, &c. ? real size.—Near Stavanger, Norway.

Fig. 1246.—Fibula of silver gilt. The most elevated flat parts are niellÉs. There are many blue stones here and there, some fastened with gold. ¾ size. Found in a mound, with three gold bracteates, a spiral ring of gold, three small fibulÆ of silver gilt of the same type, a bronze key, pieces of a two-edged sword, a small spear-head, &c., &c., unburnt bones and teeth of a cow and other animals, &c., and a quantity of burnt grain (rye).

Fig. 1247.—Fibula of bronze plated with silver work, found with a bronze kettle filled with burnt bones, and covered with a slab; a gold chain, and a spiral ring. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1248.—Fibula of bronze. Real size. Found in a funeral chamber of stone, with two clay urns with burnt bones, a belt, ring, &c.—LÖdingen, Norway.

Fig. 1249.—Earring of bronze with glass beads. Real size. Found in a round mound under a bronze kettle, glass beads, &c. The kettle contained burnt bones, and was in a bed of charcoal and calcined earth.—Norway.

Fig. 1250.—Fibula of silver gilt, partly niellÉ. ? real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1251.—Fibula in bronze. Real size. Found when ploughing over an ancient tumulus. Nearly similar in form to the fibulÆ found at Camirus, Rhodes. Not very archaic pottery.

Fig. 1252.—Fibula, real size.—Bornholm, Denmark.

Fig. 1253.—Fibula, real size.—Bornholm, Denmark.

Fig. 1254.—Fibula, plated with gold, only a little of the metal remaining. Real size.—Southern Jutland.

Fig. 1255.—Buckle of a belt in silver and bronze, ornamented with garnets enchassÉs. Real size. Earlier iron age.—Norway.

Men and women loved to adorn themselves with jewels and objects of gold;[223] the ornaments for both sexes seem to have been somewhat similar; rings, bracelets, fibulÆ (used to fasten together on to the right shoulder the ends of cloaks), brooches, clasps and buckles, pins, hooks, pendants round the neck, bracteates, diadems, necklaces, beads of silver, gold, and glass, &c., and gold rings worn round the legs, were most common.

The numerous illustrations of jewels and ornaments seen throughout the pages of this work show the taste of the people, and the different forms worn by them, even in very early times.

To gold the poets gave many figurative names which are derived from either the myths or history of the people, and which often show in their metaphors the different uses to which gold was applied:—The fire of the hand, or arm; the beacon of the hawk-seat (the wrist); the fire of the top of the masthead, &c.

Some of the rings and necklaces were of such remarkable workmanship that they had special names, and their fame was known far and wide. Among the more celebrated rings were the Sviagris,[224] Draupnir, and Hnitud; and among the necklaces that of Freyja made by the Dvergar.

“Ulf the Red was always accustomed to be with King Olaf during midwinter. Ulf brought the king many precious things which he had acquired during the summer. And one gold ring he had got called Hnitud (the welded). It was welded together in seven places. It was of much better gold than other rings. This ring had been given to Ulf by a bondi named Lodmund” (Thatt of Norna Gest).

Beads are often mentioned.

Bardi, a good champion, was going to a fight, and when his foster-mother took leave of him

“she took out of her shirt a large necklace of beads, and put it round his neck over his shirt.[225]

“ThorbjÖrn ran at Bardi and struck his neck; a very loud crash was heard; the blow hit the bead in the necklace, which had moved when Bardi gave his knife to Njal’s son. The bead burst asunder, and blood gushed out on both sides of the necklace, but Bardi was not wounded. ThorbjÖrn said: ‘Thou art a trÖll, as irons bite thee not’” (Viga-Styr and Heidarviga, c. 23).

Towards the later centuries of the Viking period the brooches, fibulÆ, &c., become coarse and heavy.

Fig. 1256.—Fibula of bronze, ornamented with gold and silver.

Fig. 1257.—Fibula of bronze, ? real size.—Zeeland, Denmark.

Fig. 1258.—Fibula of bronze, ? real size.—Bjornhofda, Öland.

Fig. 1259.—Fibula of gilt bronze, ornamented with walrus tusk and garnets (later iron age). ? real size.—Othemar’s, GÖtland.

Fig. 1260.—Bronze ornament gilt, found with glass beads, fragments of an axe, spears and arrow heads, &c., &c. Real size.—Norway.

Fig. 1261.—Bracelet of massive gold, ¾ real size, found in a field at Vallakra, Scania.

Fig. 1262.—Silver fibula, ? real size, with filigree work and ring for a chain.—Öland.

Fig. 1263.—Buckle of silver; ? real size; weight, 13½ ozs.—BjÖrkÅs, Tanum parish, Bohuslan.

Fig. 1264.—Silver buckle; ? real size; weight, 9 oz.; found in 1739.—Vible, GÖtland.

Fig. 1265.—Silver chain with Thor’s hammer. ½ real size.—BredsÄttra, Öland.

Fig. 1266.—Bracelet of gold, real size. Middle iron age.—Gudme, Svendborg Amt.

Fig. 1267.—Amber beads, ½ real size.—Denmark.

Fig. 1268.—Gold bead, ? real size.—Denmark.

Fig. 1269.—Ornament of silver, real size, found in a grave mound, with a large hoard consisting of two neck rings, five bracelets, two finger rings, two fibulÆ, &c., &c., of silver, three hanging ornaments of bronze, one representing a human face, three silver and fourteen glass beads, &c., &c. Earlier iron age.—Tuna parish, Helsingland, Sweden.

Fig. 1270.—Silver brooch. ? real size. Found in a tumulus. The sepulchral chamber was about 13½ feet long, 3 feet wide and high, made of slabs and lined with oak planks and birch bark. There were remains of several other brooches, a large bronze vessel with three handles, remains of a silver-gilt fibula and two small silver fibulÆ. Earlier iron age.

Fig. 1271.—Fibula ornamented with filigree work and chain of silver; length, 10½ inches. Found in a field at Ekelunda, Öland.

Fig. 1272.—Bronze pin. ½ real size.—Aronstorp, Öland.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Clyx.com


Top of Page
Top of Page