Size Matters

Size Matters

A perennial statement we hear from members of the public, is the belief that folk long ago we smaller than we are today. Most are very surprised to learn that our Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian ancestors were no smaller than us and that some of the warrior class were tall and strong, even by today's standard. In the light of this it is worth briefly examining how we are so certain of this fact and why there is such a widespread misconception regarding stature.

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Shield-Maidens and Cross-Dressing

Shield Maidens and Cross-Dressing in Anglo-Saxon and Viking Times

Viking Warrior Queen. Unkown source*

Since the dawn of time, men have hunted and, armed with weapons, undertaken the task of warfare. Women gathered food from the land, had babies and stayed at home. By the time of the Migration Age, the gender roles were well-established: the symbol for a male being the spear, while the symbol for a woman was the spindle. This distinction is essentially biologically rather than culturally based and across the world is true of virtually all societies, until the modern day. It was certainly true in early medieval England and Scandinavia for the vast majority of the population but the real situation may well have been slightly more complex. Modern archaeology has uncovered grave evidence which challenges traditional assumptions about gender roles.

Migration Age graves from England, Scandinavia and the Low Countries have revealed men buried with traditionally female grave-goods and women found buried with weapons. What are we to make of this? Perhaps it is time to examine the evidence critically.

 *Image source unknown. Retrieved via tumblr.com under fair use.

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Daroð - Light Javelin

Daroð -  The Light Javelin

In an earlier article concerning spears, I wrote that the javelin could be thought of as a light spear meant to be thrown as a missile weapon. While the already discussed 'Angon' heavy javelin fell out of use by the later period, lighter javelins seem to have seen longer use. The Old English name for such a weapon was "daroð", from which the modern term ‘dart’ derives. Such a universal weapon deserves a more in-depth review.

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Combs and Lice

Combs and Lice in the Anglo-Saxon Age

Today, for most in the developed world, ectoparasites are a thing of the past. In fact, the war on lice was only relatively recently won. In other species, such parasites are significantly detrimental to individual fitness, but human beings and, to a lesser extent, other primates, have demonstrated a unique ability to rid ourselves of such irritations. Much of the progress made by man has followed from one humble and ancient invention; the comb - an object that, by the Anglo-Saxon period, was in extensive use. The manufacture of Anglo-Saxon combs appears to have been quite a complex process, emphasising the importance of such objects, and it is worthwhile examining the significance of this tool in Anglo-Saxon society, along with other strategies used by our 'Dark-Age' ancestors for tackling infestation.

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