New & Noteworthy: June 16

Happy summer to our northern-hemisphere readers!

Blythe Gifford will be at the Romance Writers of America "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing on Saturday, July 29, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET, signing copies of her novel RUMORS AT COURT. More than 300 authors will participate. The event will be held at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in the Pacifica Hall. All proceeds go to literacy organizations. For more information, visit: https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=564

M.J. Neary announces the release of her newest title, SIRENS OVER THE HUDSON! Though the novel is set 10 years ago and may not technically be historical fiction, it deals with the 2008 financial crisis and taps into various historical issues surrounding Wall Street and the culture of New York society. Learn more at the book's Amazon page here.

June brings Michelle Styles a bumper crop of publishing news from around the globe:

• SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR is now available in large print in the UK and Australia 
• RETURN OF THE VIKING WARRIOR is now available in Portugal 
• SAVED BY THE VIKING is out in France as Un Guerrier aux Yeux Clairs (The Warrior with the Clear Eyes)
• TAMING HIS VIKING WOMAN is out in Germany as Die Wilde Braut de Wikingers (The Viking's Wild Bride)
• SUMMER OF THE VIKING is out in Italy as L'uomo Venuto Dal Mare (The Man Who Came from the Sea)

New & Noteworthy: April 21

If you feel the need for some thrills and chills with your spring thaw, check out Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine's April issue. J. K. Knauss has a short story, "The Lake," set during the youth of Edgar Allan Poe. There's something for everyone in this issue! J. K. is also preparing for two exciting in-person events for her novel SEVEN NOBLE NIGHTS. On April 29, she will read a brief chapter and sign books at the library in Saint Helens, Oregon, as part of its Spring into Art event. May 3 will find her in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reading, doing Q&A, and signing at the Harvard Book Store. Please stop by and say hi if you're near either one of these bi-coastal events.

RUMORS AT COURT, Blythe Gifford’s third Royal Wedding story, is a May release from Harlequin Historical in the US and the UK. The print copy is available now. The e-version will be ready May 1. RTBookreviews gave it a 4-Star review, writing “delights on every level, from the sumptuous settings to the whispered…rumors spinning through the royal court.” The story is set in the 14th century, in the court of Edward III of England. 

The first two Royal Wedding stories are SECRETS AT COURT, which was a finalist for the National Readers Choice Award, and WHISPERS AT COURT, which placed first in the Historical/Regency category of the Book Buyers Best contest and finalled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Historical category. For more information, visit blythegifford.com

RETALIO, the latest in Alison Morton's Roma Nova thriller series, is out on 27 April. The sixth in series, it concludes the trilogy started with AURELIA and INSURRECTIO. 

Early 1980s Vienna. Recovering from a near fatal shooting, Aurelia Mitela, ex-Praetorian and former foreign minister of Roma Nova, chafes at her enforced exile. She barely escaped from her nemesis, the charming and amoral Caius Tellus who grabbed power in Roma Nova, the only part of the Roman Empire to survive into the twentieth century. Aurelia’s duty and passion fire her determination to take back her homeland and liberate its people. But Caius’s manipulations have isolated her from her fellow exiles, leaving her ostracised, powerless and vulnerable. Without their trust and support Aurelia knows she will never see Roma Nova again. 

Look out for an excerpt on Alison's blog on 4 May, and an interview on 7 May. You can also watch the book trailer here.

Michelle Styles is taking part in the Conquer Me Instafreebie Giveaway, which features 12 Viking-themed adult romances. Her offering is a chapter from her novel SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR.

In addition, her novel SAVED BY THE VIKING WARRIOR has just been published in Italian this month as Fra Le Braccia Del Guerriero. Congrats Michelle!

New & Noteworthy: January 20

A beautiful cover has been released for Blythe Gifford’s RUMORS AT COURT, scheduled for release in print and e-versions in May 2017 from Harlequin Historical. The third Royal Wedding story, RUMORS AT COURT is set in Fourteenth Century England during the events surrounding the weddings of two of Edward III’s sons to two Castilian princesses.  For more on the story, see Blythe’s Unusual Historicals post of January 18.

Michelle Styles' latest book SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR was published in the US on 17 January and will be published in the UK and Australia on 1 February.

In her captor's bed! Women are not part of Sigurd Sigmundson's existence, and Eilidith should purely be a means to an end to gain access to a well-guarded Viking stronghold. He would have to be made of iron, though, not to be stirred by the warmly sensual woman beneath her ice-cold shield. Liddy has been made to feel ugly and insignificant because of her facial birthmark. Surely her captor couldn't physically desire her? But, oh, how the stifled, passionate Liddy yearns to experience unrestrained love in his arms… 

You can enter to win a copy of SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR at Goodreads from now until January 29.

In addition, two of Michelle's earlier books -- Hattie Wilkinson Meets Her Match and An Ideal Husband? -- have been reprinted in the UK as REGENCY BRIDES, available now. Congrats Michelle!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Sold to the Viking Warrior

by Michelle Styles

Giveaway ends January 29, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

New & Noteworthy: July 15

Kim Rendfeld will re-release THE CROSS AND THE DRAGON on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016. The heroine, Alda, must contend with a jilted suitor bent on revenge and the anxiety her beloved husband will die in battle. Ebooks are available for preorder on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. Print copies will be available on the launch date, and if you'd like a friendly reminder, email Kim at kim [at] kimrendfeld [dot] com.

M.J. Neary will re-release three of her novels with Crossroad Press in 2016. Founded by a bestselling author, Crossroad specializes in publishing new works of established authors and backlist for megasellers like Clive Barker. Congratulations M.J.!

Harlequin Historical has acquired Michelle Styles' latest Viking novel, SOLD TO THE VIKING. It will be out in February/March of 2017. Congrats Michelle!

New & Noteworthy: June 17

• To celebrate the release of her contemporary paranormal novel, AWASH IN TALENT, Jessica Knauss discussed its historical underpinnings with fellow U.H. contributor Kim Rendfield. You can read the blog post here. 

• Michelle Styles' novel SUMMER OF THE VIKING has been released in Norway, Sweden, and France. Also, her novel TAKEN BY THE VIKING has been re-released in the UK as part of the "Forbidden Nights" anthology. For more information, visit michellestyles.co.uk.  

• M.J. Neary's new novel THE GATE OF DAWN is now available for purchase at Amazon, and is receiving great reviews. Congratulations M.J.! You can get your copy at Amazon here.

• Heather Domin is preparing a blog tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for her novel THE HEIRS OF FORTUNE, scheduled to begin July 11. More information to come.

New & Noteworthy: April 15

• Michelle Styles' novel RETURN OF THE VIKING has just been released in French as LE RETOUR DU VIKING. Visit michellestyles.co.uk for more information. 

• Alison Morton recently celebrated the release of her new novel INSURRECTIO with an exciting launch day at the London Book Fair. Read all the details on her blog alison-morton.com. Congratulations Alison! 

• Blythe Gifford has several international releases this month: in French, IN THE MASTER'S BED has been re-released as Passion A Cambridge while WHISPERS AT COURT is out as Pacte Avec L'Ennemi; and in German, THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER has been re-released as Die Tochter der Dirne and SECRETS AT COURT as Das Pikante Geheimnis der Zofe.

New & Noteworthy: February 19

M.J. Neary's novel THE GATE OF DAWN has been accepted for publication by Penmore Press. Congratulations M.J.! You can learn more about THE GATES OF DAWN at M.J.'s guest post from 2015. 

Michelle Styles' novel VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE has been released in Portuguese under the title FORCA INVARSORA, available now in both print and ebook formats.

Lindsay Townsend's medieval historical romance novella AMICE AND THE MERCENARY will be published by Prairie Rose Publications on Feb 25th. The novella is a stand-alone sequel to MISTRESS ANGEL and features some of the same characters.

Heather Domin's recent novel THE HEIRS OF FORTUNE is now available in paperback and ebook through most major book retailers. French and German translations should be available later in 2016.

Unlikely Romances: Oswiu and Elanflead of Northumbria

By Michelle Styles

One of the more unlikely power couples of the 7^th century was Oswiu of Northumbria and his queen Eanflead.

There are several reasons why this couple was unlikely.

First Eanflead is Oswiu’s third wife.  She could be his second. His first marriage was to an Irish princess. Wedo not how or when she died. The second was Rhieinmelth who was the last daughter of the house of Urien.  Her name translates as Queen of Lightening. Again we are not sure if she die or if she went into a convent. Finally, Oswiu marries Elanflead who is considerably younger than he is.

Eanflead was the daughter of Oswiu’s suspected uncle Edwin, the man

7th century Anglo Saxon kingdoms source:wikipedia

who had caused Oswiu and his brother and sister to be exiled. Early in her life, Eanflead had to flee to Kent when her father was killed in battle.  Edwin was the brother of Acha who is the other of Oswald, Oswiu’s brother. 

Everyone assumes Oswui and Oswald were full brothers, but it  cannot be ruled out that they only shared a father. Oswiu had Acha memorialized at the Abbey at Whitby and traditionally Acha is held to be his mother.

Given the closeness of the suspected kinship, Oswiu and Eanflead should have had some sort of special dispensation to marry but none seems to exist.  Both Oswiu and Eanflead were Christian.  Oswiu followed the Irish tradition and Eanflead followed the Roman tradition of St Augustine. Neither tradition allows for consanguinity.  However, Bede does not mention the obtaining of the dispensation. This could be an oversight. Equally there is the Bebba question.  The Bernician royal city was renamed

Oswiu

Bebba’s burgh (Bebba’s city) late inking Aethelfirth’s reign. No one is quite sure who Bebba was. Aethelfrith’s first queen or a later one. And why is the name not changed when Oswiu takes the throne. Indeed we still know it as Bambrugh today which is a corruption of Bebba’s burgh. For a number of reasons before his marriage to Elanflead, Oswiu was not secure on his throne, particularly not in the south of his kingdom.

Oswiu and Eanflead married for purely political reasons. As far as can be determined they did not meet before the marriage was solemnised.  Oswiu needed to gain control of the lower half of Northumbria (that part which had Deira).  Oswiu’s father was the great pagan Bernician king Aethelfirth. Bernicia and Deira were known to be at each other’s throats prior to the formation of Northumbria.  Oswiu was the brother of King Oswald who was slain in battle by Penda. King Oswald or St Oswald is reputed to be Tolkien’s model for Aragon. Part of Oswiu’s claim rested on him retrieving St Oswald’s uncorrupted body.  However, he obviously needed something more and plucked Elanflead from relative obscurity in Kent.

The second reason is that women do not get that big of a mention in chronicles of the 7^th century. Most queens in Bede’s history are anonymous.  Neither St Oswald’s wife nor the wife of Redwald who interceded on Edwin’s behalf when Redwald wanted to murder him are given their names.  Bede, however, mentions Elanflead several times  and it is clear from what he says that Oswiu and Eanflead ruled together or at least he relied heavily on her.

Eleanflead was not the shy and retiring sort, nor was she a passive helpmeet. Bede mentions her rather too much for that. She uses her influence. Under her, there is a huge explosion of monastic endowment. When Oswine, the nominal under-king of Deira rebels and is defeated and then murdered, it is Eanflead who comes up with the compromise solution – having land given to the church to pray for the souls of both kings.

It is because of Eanflead that Oswiu calls the synod at Whitby. He disliked celebrating Easter at different time to his wife or so the excuse goes.  

After Oswiu’s victory at Winwaed, the couple give up their daughter  Aelfflead to the church. Aefflead is brought up by St Hilda of Whitby and in due course succeeds her as abbess at Whitby. After Oswiu’s death, Eanflead retires to the abbey and is co-abbess with her daughter. It is the man whom Elanflead championed — St Wilfrid who wins the argument and gets all of England for Rome. By now, like his father and brother before him, Oswiu has become high king of England. He is the only king in England in the 7^th century to die in his bed. He was interred at Whitby, having risen from a not-very-secure on the throne younger brother to the undisputed king of England and he did it with his queen at his side.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances in a wide range of time periods. Her latest Summer of the Viking was published in June 2015.

New & Noteworthy: January 15

Happy New Year to our readers!

Unusual Historicals welcomes not one, but two new contributors to start off 2016. Laura Rahme is an Australian-French author who has written stories set in Ming Dynasty China and medieval Venice. Alison Morton is the author of the popular Roma Nova series of thrillers set in an alternate-history 20th century Rome. Both are no stranger to writing stories set outside the mainstream. Welcome to U.H., ladies!

In other Unusual Historicals news:

• Michelle Styles' novel PAYING THE VIKING'S PRICE has been published this month in German as In den Armen des Barbaren (In the Arms of the Barbarian). Meanwhile, her novel TAMING HIS VIKING WOMAN has been listed as one of Harlequin's top reads in their Best of the Best list. Congrats, Michelle!

• Blythe Gifford's WHISPERS AT COURT was named one of the best "Not-Your-Usual Historicals" of 2015 by Wendy, the Super Librarian, writing for Heroes and Heartbreakers. Wendy writes, "I can always count on [Blythe's] stories featuring a very strong sense of place, and she always weaves in realistic for the era conflict."

• Heather Domin's new novel THE HEIRS OF FORTUNE is now available in paperback per reader request. It will soon be distributed through all major book retailers, but until then you can get a copy at Lulu.com. To celebrate, Heather is currently reformatting her other two novels, THE SOLDIER OF RAETIA and ALLEGIANCE, for re-release later this month.

New & Noteworthy: October 16

Michelle Styles has three new editions of two titles: SUMMER OF THE VIKING is out in Large Print in English and as El Verano del Vikingo in Spain, while A CHRISTMAS WEDDING WAGER is out as a three-in-one in Germany entitled Sinnliche Bescherung Für Miss Emma (Sensual Gifts for Miss Emma). See michellestyles.com for more information.

Heather Domin's Allegiance: A Dublin Novella will be released in French on October 21 by Sidh Press. Meanwhile her new novel THE HEIRS OF FORTUNE, the sequel to 2009's THE SOLDIER OF RAETIA, is scheduled for publication on November 30. See heatherdomin.com for more information.

Open Topics: The other great Viking Northumbrian raid --St Cuthbert's Storm

By Michelle Styles

There are certain headline events which echo through the ages, such as the raid on Lindisfarne which started the Viking Age and other events which were once known and have now been largely forgotten. In the second category are the events of 794 where the Northumbrians fought back.

The precise reason for the Viking raid has long been consigned to annals of forgotten history, but one thing is certain. Once one Viking felag (or fellowship of warriors) had successfully raided, others undoubtedly tried their hand.

12-century depiction of a Viking invasion source: Wikipedia

Sure enough, Symeon of Durham records that 794 brought yet another raid. Rather than returning to Lindisfarne, the raiders struck lower down at Jarrow. This time, however, the raiders did not have it all their own way.  First the raider’s chief was killed in a violent clash with English warriors. Then a great storm which became known as St Cuthbert’s storm struck, swamping the Viking long boats and making it impossible for them to escape. Symeon states the survivors were put to death.

The next time the Vikings are mentioned in connection with Northumbria is 800 when they lay waste to the monasteries at Tynemouth and Hartness. The six year interval is significant in my opinion. Other areas in Britain were attacked but not Northumbria. There is no recorded alliance or payment of gold to make them go away.  The Vikings tended to strike a weak target. In 794, Northumbria had shown that it wasn’t weak, but in the intervening years, Northumbria was riven with civil war. This jeopardised its alliance with Charlemagne (which may have been one of the reasons for the original raid as shortly before this, Charlemagne  had moved against the heathens to the North).  Apparently in 796 Charlemagne was so angry when he heard King Athelred had been slain near Corbridge that he took back his generous gifts. He considered Northumbria nobles to be worse than pagans, but Alcuin (a bishop from Northumbria) interceded on Northumbria’s behalf and he was pacified.  By 800, Northumbria had been through three more kings and had fought several wars, including at least one with Mercia.  The court was also riven with gossip and intrigue.

reconstructed Viking long ship source Wikipedia

It is interesting that the raid that gets remembered is the one which succeeded, and not the one which didn’t. One of the reasons might be that Alcuin did not feel the need to write emotive letters about St Cuthbert’s storm.  He seemed to be using his considerable writing skills as a call to action. Obviously because Northumbria had succeeded in defeating the Viking threat, his skills were not required. However, I suspect that Northumbria itself was not shy in making its success known.

When I wrote Summer of the Viking, I wanted to look at what the situation on the ground after the Lindisfarne raid. It was then I discovered about St Cuthbert’s storm and its aftermath.  Certainly the Viking raiders do seem to be aware of the Northumbrian strength as they stop raiding until after the third civil war. Symeon mentions with glee about how vengeance was taken on those who threatened innocent people. And of course Northumbria could not know if the Vikings would continue to raid or not.

Anyway, I thought it time that this success was better known.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods. Her most recent Summer of the Viking was published by Harlequin in June 2015. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Curses and Cures: Honey and bees

By Michelle Styles

Honey is one of the oldest foods. One of the oldest rock cave paintings is of gathering honey. We know that the first farmers kept bees. And that the bee and its honey has often had a place in religion.

8000 year old cave paint of honey gatherer source:Wikipedia

For example beeswax has been used  to shape figures and offerings as well as candles to provide light in holy places. Beeswax does not smoke in the same way as tallow. In Medieval Europe beeswax was considered pure because of the chasteness of the worker bee. 

The light was seen as symbolic of the awakened soul.The candles were made into specific shapes -- tall perchers  for altars and ceremonies and square Quarerres for funerals.  It was believed that the dead could be only at peace if watched over by the living. Beeswax candles were burnt in their memory, a custom which continues in many Christian churches today in the form of votive candles.

honeycomb source:Wikipedia

Honey was also used in many medicines. For example, the ancient Egyptians used a concoction of honey, herbs, oils and onion applied to a woman's vagina to stop miscarriages. And for contraception, they used crocodile feces, honey and saltpeter.

Honey has been used to sweeten many medicines and considering what the medicines were made of, is it any wonder?

However, one of the most effective cures  with honey was the use of honey on open wounds. When honey mixes with body fluids it produces hydrogen peroxide which in turn inhibits the growth of bacteria. Even today, certain hard-to-heal wounds do respond to honey dressings.

Honey is also useful with gut problems and with tooth ache. A mixture of cloves and raw honey can be used to cure toothache. Honey can also help with allergies and colds but it needs to be raw because ultra heated honey has lost its pollen.

Mead or fermented honey was also used a transformative. drink. Among other things, it was supposed to be a cure for impotence and the drinking of mead just after the wedding, gave rise to the term honeymoon. Drinking mead was also supposed to give a long life.

As well as honey, bee prooplis was used by the Romans to treat ulcers and tumours. Propolis is the glue  bees make to seal up their hives.  It was also used to draw out stings and foreign bodies.

Because of its importance in agriculture, both honey and the bee have long figured in medicince and cultural beliefs.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance. She also keeps bees. Her next book Taming His Viking Woman will be published in Feburary 2015. You can learn more about Michelle and her book on www.michellestyles.co.uk 

New & Noteworthy: October 17

• Piers Alexander's self-published debut novel THE BITTER TRADE to be sold through W H Smith Travel (WHST) stores beginning October 23. Congratulations, Piers!

• Kim Rendfeld recently completed her virtual book tour to introduce THE ASHES OF HEAVEN'S PILLAR, which garnered many positive reviews. You can read a roundup on the Reviews page of her website, kimrendfeld.com. Kim also contributed a guest post to Royalty Free Fiction, in which she discussed her inspiration for her novel about a peasant Saxon mother who will go to great lengths to protect her children.

• Michelle Styles' latest release, PAYING THE VIKING'S PRICE, will be released in Italian next month. The Italian edition is entitled LA CONCUBINA DEL VICHINGO. Congratulations, Michelle!

The Battlefield: Heavenfield, Northumberland 634

By Michelle Styles

It is amazing how battles can be forgotten. The seventh century boasts some of the most significant battles in terms of British history and yet most are forgotten. If you love Game of Thrones and its complexities, you will adore the 7^th century. The only it is missing is dragons… and sometimes you have to wonder…

I first discovered Heavenfield when my mother insisted we stop beside a sign. There was a lonely church in the middle of a field. Churches are generally easy access so this in itself was strange. Reading the sign, I learnt about one of the more significant battles on English soil – literally the battle which decided if England would be Christian or if it would continue to be pagan.

St Oswald's Church Heavenfield

Conventional wisdom seems to hold that St Augustine came over to Kent and started Canterbury and everyone became Christian. It wasn't that simple. Christianity had been a part of British religious life for centuries before then. In Vindolanda, there are the remains of a 4^th century church. Constantine was proclaimed emperor of Rome in York on 25 July 312. Constantine was famously the emperor who made Rome Christian. However in the years after the Roman legions left and the Angles  and Saxons settled, things changed and Christianity was not necessary the religion of choice of the ruling elite.

St Augustine’s mission became poised on a knife-edge because he was, according to British Christians arrogant. He expected obedience. The British church differed from the Roman church in the way they figured Easter, the way the monks wore their tonsure, the unique way of penance and how many bishops it took to consecrate another bishop. The last was surprising as  Britain sent three bishops to the council of Arles and signed up to that.  There were other differences but apparently the way monks wore their hair was a huge sticking point.

Another view of Heavenfield

In 632,the Northumbrian Bretwalda,  King Edwin who was nominally Christian in the Roman tradition (his wife had Kentish connections) lost a battle and his life to Penda of Mercia. Pagans then overran Northumbria.

In 634, the son of the previous Bretwalda Athelfirth and nephew to Edwin, Oswald made his bid for the Northumbrian throne. Oswald had converted to Christianity when he was exiled amongst the Dalriata in south western Scotland. He followed the Celtic tradition of Christianity.  He landed in the west and his war band which included warrior monks made their way to just outside the Roman town of Corbridge. There, in a field, Oswald raised his standard and a cross. This field became known as Heavenfield. He defeated the pagan Penda and drove his followers from the lands. Northumbria was restored to its previous prosperity.

St Oswald's Way

Unlike his late uncle who merely paid lip service to Christianity, Oswald decided his new kingdom would be Christian. He sent for monks from Iona. They started a monastery at Melrose and rapidly expanded to Lindisfarne (or Holy Island).  Oswald became the Bretwalda or High King of all Britain. Tolkien is supposed to have based Aragon on him.  After Oswald fell in battle, his brother Oswui became Bretwalda and was the only 7^th century British king to die in his own bed after 40 years of rule. It was Oswui who convened the Synod of Whitby which decided to follow the Roman rather than the Celtic traditions of worship.

These days, Heavenfield is part of the St Oswald’s Way – a long distance walk which takes in some of the most beautiful parts of Northumberland and stretches from Chollerford (near to Heavenfield) up to Lindisfarne (Holy Island). It takes about a week to walk it.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical. This month Harlequin historical are releasing 3 of her Victorian novels To Marry a Matchmaker, Compromising Miss Milton and Breaking the Governess’s Rules. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Everyday Fashions: The Vikings + flash giveaway

By Michelle Styles

To a certain extent, it is hard to know precisely what Viking women wore and how they wore their hair. The are no portraits of Viking women and very few representations of them in statues or on coins (the usual sources for such things).

However, unlike Christians in this period, their graves can be full of grave goods but textiles are rarely preserved. Enough scraps have been found to attest that the Vikings seem to prefer bright colours and good quality cloth. It is known that sometimes cloth was given as a high status gift, particularly silk. 

We know that women wore two broaches which fastened their apron dress to a long under-gown.  The apron dress might or might not be pleated. Sometimes the long under gown had a train. The under gowns always seem to have gone to the floor.  Given the types of cloth found, plus the fragments of looms, we know the gowns were often trimmed with  embroidery or gold or silver shot ribbon.

Reproduction of a Viking woolen apron dress

The shape and decoration of the broaches indicated where in the Viking world the women came from but most were oval. And when they are discovered in a grave, it is a huge indication that the grave belongs to a Viking woman.

Around their waist, they often wore a chain  or chatelaine where the keys to various trunks and items used for personal grooming such as an ear-spoon or tweezers. It is postulated that a Viking woman’s status is very much tied to the quality of her chatelaine and the various objects which hung from it.

We know from an Arab account about a visit to Hedeby, Viking woman wore eye make up to increase their beauty. There is some evidence that men wore eye makeup as well!

As necklaces of beads are often found in graves, we can assume that women wore beads. The beads are often imported, showing that they did help give the woman status.

On her head, she most likely wore a line head dress which tied under the chin.

In cold weather, she might a cloak with fasten on one shoulder. Depending on her status, it might be made of fur.

As the Viking Age progressed, there is evidence that women abandoned their traditional style of dress to ape the fashions of the Carolingian and later Ottoinan courts. Basically, the oval broaches start disappearing from the graves and more silver pendants are found.

Various items would hang from the belt as they did not have pockets.

For men, everyday clothing consisted of a long tunic, belted over trousers. They wore leather shoes laced up around the ankle. Any cloak would be fastened with a single broach.

The clothes were simple but functional. It was rare for cross-dressing but it could occasionally happen. For example a woman who was a shield maiden might wear masculine dress to emphasize her status. If the sagas are to be believed, when she stops being a shield maiden, she returns to female dress.

FLASH GIVEAWAY:

Michelle Styles is offering  a signed copy of her latest book SAVED BY THE VIKING WARRIOR to one commentator. The winner will be chosen from the comments on Friday 22 August. Void where prohibited

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods, including the Viking. Her latest SAVED BY THE VIKING WARRIOR is published today 19 August 2014.