The Gragas Vararfeldr
This reconstructed cloak is based on descriptions found in Grágás, a collection of Icelandic law codes recorded in the 12th and 13th centuries. Although first written down during this period, the laws themselves reflect earlier oral law traditions from the Viking Age and the Icelandic Commonwealth (c. 930–1262).
Grágás governed many aspects of daily life in Iceland, including trade, property, and standards of value. In a society where coins were rarely used, the law codes played a crucial role in ensuring fair and regulated trade. Grágás specifies that a standard vararfeldr cloak should be rectangular, measuring approximately four thumb-ells by two ells, with thirteen evenly spaced rows of locks per row. One ell measured approximately 49.2 cm (later increasing to around 55.6 cm), while a “thumb-ell” likely represented an ell plus the width of a thumb.
My vararfeldr is made closely to these rules, using long tufts of Icelandic wool. The result is not as dense and luxurious as many of the recreations I have made, but the spacing of the locks and the natural softness and springiness of the wool makes for a lightweight yet cosy garment with even coverage.
The cloak is included in my Vararfeldr exhibition, which is currently touring across the UK and Europe.
