Tattoos in the style of the Norse

Introduction

Baldur from God of War

Odds are that when you picture a really bad ass viking person, they’re covered in runic and knotwork tattoos. This image has become ingrained in our heads as clearly as it was thought a couple of decades back that they had horned helmets. You can find tattooed vikings in almost every form of media, from video games to movies and tv shows. It’s an intrinsic part of how we view this culture, and how many people try and create a connection to the culture modernly. This means that they have become quite common on people trying to appear tough. They’re starting to become the new barbed wire tattoo. This is just my opinion, mind you, and I say this as a person with a Valknut tattoo and a few more planned.


My opinion on tattoos, regardless of inspiration or stye, is that they should mean something to the
wearer. I have never been a fan of picking something off the wall. That isn't to say that I don't understand the idea of just wanting to have a cool design on your body, just that it isn't my way of doing things.

In this article I am going to talk about two somewhat separate topics within the broader umbrella of tattoos: what do we know about tattoos historically? And what are some good sources for inspiration for Norse tattoos?

What we know, what we don't know, and what we don't know we don't know

Tattoo from Ukok Princess

Tattoos are drawn onto skin, not a medium designed to stand the test of time. When we have proof of tattoos in any culture it comes from two sources: being lucky that a body was preserved in such a way that the skin remained intact such as bog mummies or Otzi the Iceman, or secondary sources like writings and art. In both cases it is difficult to determine the reason for the tattoos, and sometimes even the image itself is lost to time. However, there are exceptions: the Ukok Princess and other bodies found in the same area all have their tattoos amazingly well preserved. They show us examples of the art used by those cultures, and placement of tattoos. I find it interesting that throughout all the intervening years, we still put tattoos more or less in the same places. Certain things don't change, even after 2500 years.

Now with the idea that proof of tattoos is difficult to find, what proof do we have that the ancient Norse used them? Hard proof: none, I have not managed to find a single reference to a Nordic Viking-age body with tattoos. While discouraging, it isn't the end of the search. We have to then move onto other source: artistic depictions and writings. In both these sources, it is difficult to know if the images on the body were tattoos or body paint. We know there is some evidence that the Norse used body paint, check out my blog post about that (https://ulfhedinnjourney.blogspot.com/2014/04/warpaint.html). This makes it quite a sticky wicket. The main source of writings about the Nordic peoples having tattoos is our old friend Ahmad Ibn Fadlan; his writings in regards to the interactions he had with the people of the North are a great source because so few written accounts exist. Ahmad had this to say about the Northmen when he met them:

Each man has an axe, a sword, and a knife and keeps each by him at all times. The swords are broad and grooved, of Frankish sort. Every man is tattooed from fingernails to neck with dark green (or green or blue-black) trees, figures, etc.

It could be warpaint, it could be tattoos. The Viking Answer Lady made a good point that what he was describing as trees could simply have been art in the Nordic style, the lines and knots are often difficult to identify. This is the best secondary source we have. I am willing to use this as evidence that it happened in the cultures that I study.

Skarby Runestone

Next, I’d like to look at cultures that the Norse had contact with that also had tattoos, which would allow us to have a pretty solid idea that they were exposed to it even if not directly. We have direct evidence of Celts with tattoos; so much so, that Britannia comes from the Latin for Land of the Painted People, and the Picts were the Painted People. We also have evidence of Bronze Age tattoo needles throughout Europe including Byzantium, where we know the Norsemen spent a lot of time. Essentially, it’s very unlikely that the people of the Viking Age didn’t have exposure on many fronts to this process.

As an interesting aside, traditional tattooing methods remained more or less unchanged for millenia. It wasn't until the tattoo machine came about that the process was revolutionized. Even still in many places with long standing traditions, tattoos are done the old way: with patience and needles.

Designs

Now that we have determined the feasibility of tattoos for the Norse, let's discuss what we all want, which is getting tattoos modernly that show off the culture we are trying to emulate. I have said it many times on this blog when looking for designs for anything: the best source for Norse art styles are the Runestones. There are hundreds of them: look at them for inspiration, take them to the shop
you are getting your tattoo done, work with your artist to see what they can do.

Dwarf Ancestor Face

Another option that is very popular are bindrunes, both ancient ones and new ones that people create for themselves. I imagine that these would have been popular since the runes contain magic, and a bindrune is almost a prayer or ward for a certain affect. It is up to you how you combine runes to get the look and meaning that you want. I may do a future blog post on constructing bindrunes.

The next idea is one that is at least partially fantasy inspired even though it did exist in Norse art: ancestor faces. Similar to the Sutton Hoo mask or any of the idols we have seen of the gods, these ancestor faces can be images of the gods themselves or ancestors whose guidance you would find particularly helpful. You can find inspiration for the art style, and create your own with the help of an artist. In addition to ancestors, you can also use the tattoo to bring you closer to animal spirits that you want to get closer to.

Sutton Hoo Helmet

The last thing I am going to get into as far as design work is a touchy subject: religious symbols. These are things like the Valknut, Thor’s Hammer, Tyr's Rune, etc. These are likely good examples of things that the Norse would have gotten tattooed on themselves, but in many cases modernly they have been taken over by white supremacist groups. I am not saying don't get them, I have a Valknut tattoo. I am saying be prepared to clear up any misunderstandings that might happen. For inspiration in these designs, I again suggest looking at runestones and extant pendants. There are lots of good silver examples.

Conclusion

That about covers everything I have for tattoos. As always, these things are just my opinions based on what I have read and studied. If you want a tattoo off the wall, go for it! Your body is a temple, decorate it however you like! If you have any questions or comments please let me know down below! Also if you have any suggestions for future topics I could use them!

Sources

Smithisonian- Tattoos History- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-144038580/
Siberian Times- Siberian Princess Reveals her 2500 year old tatoos- https://siberiantimes.com/culture/others/features/siberian-princess-reveals-her-2500-year-old-tattoos/
Viking Answer Lady- Tattoos-http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/viktatoo.shtml
Hurstwic- Health and Medicine- http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/daily_living/text/health_and_medicine.htm

Every Day Carry

When away from home one should always keep their

weapons close at hand. You can never know what troubles

you might encounter on the open road

~Havamal Stanza 38

Introduction

Let’s do something different for the first blog post of October: a look at a modern habit through the lens of our ancestors and the Havamal, the Every Day Carry (EDC). You can find hundreds of articles online discussing everything from tactical to gentlemanly EDC. Each philosophy caters to its own set of needs and what the writer thinks is most important for what one should have on them at all times. I’ll be writing about three different EDCs: my personal one, SCA events, and what I believe might have been the likely EDC of a Norse traveller in period.

Before I get into the actual nitty gritty of what each of these sets of items are, I would like to touch a little on why this is so important to me. You guys have seen me discuss the Nine Noble Virtues in the past (https://ulfhedinnjourney.blogspot.com/2013/11/nine-noble-virtues.html); one of the most important to me is Self Reliance (https://ulfhedinnjourney.blogspot.com/2016/02/nine-noble-virtues-self-reliance.html). Without it, the rest become much more difficult: if you’re constantly asking for help or searching for the right tool, it is difficult to be industrious. If you lack the confidence that being prepared brings you, it can be difficult to be courageous. I very much feel like preparation and self reliance are a good place to start on any journey.

My EDC

I split what I carry on a day-to-day basis into two groups: what I have on my person and what I carry in my truck. The first are portable items that I might need on a moment’s notice, and the second are things that would be good to have without having to go to the store. Between the two, I’m prepared for a wide variety of emergencies and situations. This split reminds of Role Playing game character sheets, where you specify what's on your horse and what your character actually has on them.

On Me

• Pocket Knife- I carry a largeish pocket knife on me. This multi-function knife can be used for

  

  Many of my EDC items were gifts from my wife
  the Credit Card Knife was no exception

  opening boxes, cutting tape or rope, and more. I find myself using it several times a week, and have a hard time understanding how people get by without one. I am so much in favour of carrying a knife at all times that it is a common present from me.
• Wallet knife- In my wallet I carry a credit card knife. This is just in case something happens to my pocket knife, or someone needs a knife while I am using mine. 
• Pocket Ninja- This thing seems gimmicky as hell: it's essentially a credit-card-sized multi-tool. It's got a can opener, a saw, screwdriver, wrench, and a few more gadgets. I have actually gotten a fair bit of use out of this. Obviously having a real screwdriver is better, but this works great in a pinch.
• Hair ties- I have long hair, so I carry two hair ties on my key carabiner.
• Bandana- I keep one in my back pocket, as it works great to keep the sweat out of your eyes, or as a rag in a pinch.

Truck

• Hatchet- I’ve had one in the truck for years now, and it has actually gotten used more than I really thought it would. It has been used to help clear brush at camping events, and to clear fallen tree limbs after a hurricane. 
• First Aid Kit- I keep a small first aid kit in the truck with basic supplies, which I’ve been lucky enough to never need. If there is an interest, I can do a post on survival supplies where I go more in depth into what I’ve put in the kit.
• Rope- I carry 50ft of rope in the truck at all times, with the full understanding that it will likely need to be cut and replaced when needed. 
• Cargo Net- I find this an ideal way to strap down large loads of cargo, better than fussing with a dozen tie-downs.
• Tie Downs- Of course, the above doesn't mean I don't carry tie downs. Some ratcheting and some bungee cords are always good to have on hand.
• Basic Tool Box- A couple of screwdrivers, a hammer, a pair of pliers, box cutter, and a small saw.
• Auto care necessities- Jumper Cables, Spare Tire, Cross Tire Iron, Jack, etc

With these items on me and my truck, I can handle a wide variety of emergencies. I don't expect myself to need the stuff in the truck often, but when I do, it has made all the difference in the world to have them available, and it has definitely saved a ton of time and made things easier on me. The carrying and maintenance of the kits is a small investment for the benefits they provide: I gathered my supplies and stored them, and feel ready for anything within the normal scope.

SCA 

In the SCA, you spend a ton of time wandering around and on the move. I won’t be going into our camping supplies here; instead, keep an eye out for a future post on what I bring to events. This will just be what I carry on my person during an SCA event, with the idea of being able to tackle a variety of issues that might arise while I am about.

• Small Knife- ALWAYS CARRY A KNIFE. Seriously, they don't take a ton of space. They
  
  were absurdly common in period, and there's always something (maybe even someone?) that needs to be cut. 
• Hair Ties- Still have long hair. Carry two. Murphy’s Law says one will break. 
• Wallet- This includes the pocket ninja and the wallet knife.

In the SCA, I am surrounded by people who are also prepared for a wide variety of emergencies. I also have my campsite close by, which is essentially a home away from home as far as supplies. This means that aside from the absolute basics, I don’t need to carry very much on my person to be ready for things.

A Traveller in Norse times

A person travelling during the Viking Age would’ve had to carry with them everything they needed to keep them going along the road. This would include weapons, camping supplies, food, clothing, and more. In previous blog posts, I have discussed the weapons and armour that were required to be considered a warrior in the later armies of the Nordic regions, I’ll leave that part out of this. Instead, I’ll discuss what we have found as grave goods, or seen discussed, that would count as your everyday travelling needs. As always, these are my theories based on what I have seen and read, and my basic understanding of what a person needs to camp.

To survive a distant journey, one would need to carry enough food, or be able to hunt or fish for your own food. We have evidence that shows that the Norse hunted using bows; in fact, that was the primary use for them at the time. It would also be a good idea to carry rope for setting snares when making camp for the night, as this would be a good passive way of getting more food.

On their person, a traveller might carry a small knife, and we have found many examples of utility

Extant Blades fromYork.

knives in grave goods (SEE? KNIFE!). We have also found firestarters and small grooming kits, which would make sense for people to carry. I’ve seen it discussed that the items that needed to stay dry would be carried in seal skin or some kind of treated fabric to ensure protection from the elements.

For camping, we know that the Norse liked to use A-frame tents. I have some difficulty seeing how that might be carried on a horse due to the large size of the ridge poles, but it would be quite easy to use the fabric from an A-frame to set up a lean-to, which would allow them to not carry so much bulky lumber.

Conclusion

EDC is not a new concept, even if the term as “trending” is pretty new. We have always had the idea, historically, that we need to have certain things with us at all times to be ready for whatever might come our way. Modernly, this has somewhat fallen by the wayside as the convenience of stores and cell phones makes us feel like any help we need is within easy reach. While this isn’t entirely wrong, it’s also very easy to find yourself in a situation where those modern conveniences no longer work. A dead zone of cell service with a car problem, or a power outage caused by a hurricane are situations that can happen even in “developed countries”. My family and I spent over a week without power in a recent hurricane, and after the hurricane passed, large portions of my EDC were put to use clearing roadways in our HOA. My pocket knife finds use several times a week: need to open a box? Got it. Need to mark lumber or cut rope? Done. Would it be life changing to have to go and find a tool to do these things? No, but it does slow me down. That limits my industriousness.

What’s your EDC? Is there something you never leave home without? Let me know in the comments below!