So I discovered several months ago that my dominate ancestry was Scandinavian (Viking), so I began researching this ancient culture and watching History Channel’s “Vikings” and I became hooked! I decided I wanted to be a Viking Shield Maiden, Lagertha from the show, this Halloween! Thus began my 2-month long journey to create my viking costume! Now, I’m a stay at home mom of 2 kids, under the age of 5 so the only time I got to work on this thing was at night, after they went to bed.
So, I began with a vest I bought on ebay. First, I cut and altered it to look like the costume on TV. Then, from there, I HAND SEWED all of it! I used 299 washers, 325 clothing studs, 75 yards of leather “thread”, about 14 yards of faux leather for cuffs, belt, and boot covers, all of which was made from scratch, and bought a chain mail piece from which I cut and pieced together for the rest of the vest!
I spent about 2 hours every night on this thing for about 2 whole months. My fingers and thumbs were a mess from the pain for weeks!! It was very frustrating at times, but I’m VERY proud of how it turned out! This was made with lots of sweat and tears and yes, even some blood!!!!
As for the rest of the costume, I also made the shield, which was from an old round bedside table top. I etched in the grooves to make it look like planks of wood and then hand painted it. The sword was a cheap plastic one I also bought on ebay. So, I painted the blade with some silver metallic paint to make it look more like real steel. Then, I wrapped the handle in some suede, again in an attempt to make it look more real and authentic. The shirt was an ebay purchase and the pants I bought from Walmart.
Reactions to my Viking Costume
People have been VERY impressed at the detailing and how amazing it looks! I believe I might have been the ONLY Viking in my town this Halloween! I’m proud to represent a woman from this ancient culture. In many ways, it was WAY ahead of its time, especially when it came to a woman’s place in this society.
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