Viborg Viking Bag Handles Model 13

• Length: 21 cm
• Width: 4 cm
• Thickness: 6 mm
• Material: Acacia treated with wax

The most promising finds of  the bags themselves are leather pieces from Lake Yuzhny (Senderse) in Viborg (Petersen 2005: 407-409, Fig. 24). The bag (which may have originally been a pillow) is now represented by six large fragments. The upper part of the bag consists of leather strips 40 cm long, 9 cm wide at the edges and 13 cm in the center. The edge of the neck is turned inwards and sewn through holes 0.2 cm apart. Loops are located at a distance of 9 cm from the edges. Two rectangular leather pieces were sewn to the bottom of the neck bands, currently represented by four fragments measuring 22×29 cm, 37×25 cm, 17×25 cm and 19×42 cm. Thus, the total height of the bag was at least 55 cm. This find can be interpreted as a craftsman’s bag. The rounded neck suggests a combination with curved slats found in Hedeby and Viborg. The dating points to 1018-1030. The inventory number of the find is x1337/K392.

Due to the lack of fully preserved bags, modern reconstructions vary greatly, using fabric or leather. Typically, shorter and simplified slats up to 30 cm are used, while slats over 40 cm are rarely seen in reconstructions.

Bags with slats are often decorated with embroidery and used for carrying personal items like mobile phones, wallets, bowls, spoons, and similar belongings. In modern reenactment, slat bags primarily serve as fashionable accessories, allowing the owner to show off at festivals.