We have now come to the outdoor garments in our calendar. Let’s start with the rectangular cloak, which is seen as typical for the Viking age men’s clothing. There are very few archaeological finds which can be connected to the rectangular cloak. It is simply very hard to identify a garment which is not more than a rectangular piece of fabric.

On the other hand, the rectangular cloak is clearly seen on depictions, both before and during the Viking age. You can often see how the corners of the cloak hang down both in front of and behind the depicted men. Sometimes the cloak looks shorter and wrapped around the body so that the corners don’t hang down. Or maybe that is a completely different kind of cloak where we haven’t identified the cut yet.

The rectangular cloak was fastened with a fibula on the right shoulder, thereby leaving the sword arm free. These fibulas can be found in graves an they are of couse some kind of archaeological evidence, even if it is not possible to prove that they always belong to this type of cloak. The cloak fibula can be of several different types. One common type is the ring brooch, sometimes with a very long pin. Another common type, which is not really a fibula, is the ring pin; a large pin with a smaller ring at the blunt end. Yet another type which at least has been found in several graves in Birka is a type of bow fibula.

In a few cases textiles has been preserved on the fibular, or rather hair, because at least in Birka animal hair has been preserved here. This shows that the cloak, whether rectangular or not, could be edged or lined with fur. Another type of rectangular cloak known mostly from texts is the varafeldur which is a cloak with a long pile made of unspun wool, or possibly lightly spun wook which has unwound during use. At least one fragment which should have belong to such a coat was dyed purple with orchil. With a varafeldur it is easy to understand that the cloak could have been used as a blanket or sleeping bag too.

The photo is taken by Iduna Pertoft Sundarp.

You don’t need a pattern to make a rectangluar cloak. Cut a rectangle in a thick, but not heavily fulled, fabric. Use the whole width of the fabric if the selvedges look good.