Threads of History: An Icelandic Varafeldur in the South Highlands

A Cloak Fit For a King

A varafeldur, literally translating as “trade cloak” is a heavy, rugged cloak woven from loose locks of wool, giving it an impressive wild and voluminous look. Used by seafaring Vikings, they provided serious insulation in high winds as well as natural waterproofing due to the lanolin left in the locks. No doubt they would also have added to the imposing image of a Viking raider, adding bear-like breadth to the shoulders and a look of the rugged North.

Such cloaks are mentioned in the 13th Century Icelandic law text Grágás, or “The Grey Goose Laws”, which gives specific regulations for how they ought to be made, including appropriate dimensions. This strict ordnance sheds some light on the name “trade cloak”, suggesting that a standard-sized varafeldur was used as a ready unit of trade.

The varafeldur’s much earlier migration from its native Iceland to Norway is described in the saga of the 9th Century King Harald Gráfeldar, which further emphasises the importance of the shaggy cloaks as trade goods. The saga explains how Icelandic traders came to Norway to trade their fleeces and skins, but had little luck. One canny trader made a gift of a varafeldur to King Harald – and upon seeing the King wrapped in the great grey cloak, all of his followers decided they needed to buy one for themselves. Harald went on to establish a bloody rule by land and sea, but throughout his deeds he was known by the name Gráfeldar or “Grey-cloak” in reference to his trademark varafeldur.

The popularity of the varafeldur certainly expanded beyond Iceland and Norway, with remnants of the woven and knotted cloth having been found in Sweden, Russia, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Of particular interest are the fragments found in graves at Birka, Sweden, which are attached to fine cloak pins alongside high-status weapons and jewellery, suggesting that as well as being a practical item these cloaks would have been worn as symbols of rank.

Weaving the Weird

Having consulted the Icelandic Grey Goose laws as to the appropriate length and width of a varafeldur, I estimated that mine would require four fleeces. Traditionally the cloaks are made from hardy Icelandic wool, though other breeds of northern European short-tailed sheep have since been used. I wanted my choice of materials to tell a story in itself, so I set about sourcing fleeces that chronicled the journey of the Vikings from Iceland and Scandinavia through the Scottish Isles to the West Coast of Scotland. I used white Icelandic wool, black Gotland wool, grey Shetland wool, and a grey fleece from The Isle of Colonsay.

I separated each fleece into longer outer locks to be used for the shaggy texture, and denser wool from nearer the sheep’s skin for spinning the weft and warp from. I spun the weft and warp threads using my Ashford e-Spinner Super Jumbo and wove the varafeldur in two long pieces using my 28” Ashford Knitter’s Loom. This would traditionally have been done using a warp-weighted loom, but using the smaller knitter’s loom allowed me the flexibility to work on this complex project in increments. I knotted the locks onto the warp as I wove, following the traditional method outlined by Icelandic and Norwegian weavers who have studied original fragments.

The final stage of the process added a little something of the sagas into my project. I left the lanolin in the wool so that the cloak would be waterproof, but it still needed washing. Historical accounts describe washing these garments in clear mountain streams, and being lucky enough to have a maze of burns on my doorstep, I endeavoured to carry the finished varafeldur up into the hills with help from my husband, and wash it in a pool. This was cold work in December, and the wet cloak nearly doubled in weight for the long walk home. However, the trial turned my mind once again to the journey of those Vikings pulling their heavy boats across the isthmus to Loch Lomond.