Viking Shoulder Bag With Wooden Handles. Model Hedeby 9

The traditional Scandinavian bag with handles is a classic element in both men’s and women’s attire. This pouch is a very convenient option for carrying larger items that don’t fit into a belt pouch. It can be slung over the shoulder and won’t interfere with your movements at a festival.

The handles securely close, preventing the contents of the pouch from falling out even when you run fast or bend deep.

The largest number of slats has been found at the Hedeby harbor, with at least fourteen such items discovered. Their lengths range from 18.1 to 49.6 cm, thickness from 0.7 to 1.3 cm, and the width at the center is from 2.9 to 5.2 cm. The hole diameter at the ends ranges from 0.7 to 1 cm. The material used for these slats includes ash and maple wood. At least two of the slats form a pair. There were also curved horn slats found at the same site, with holes at their ends, which likely belong to the same category of items (Schietzel 2014: 265; Ulbricht 1978: Ill. 42.1-2). Overall, these findings from Hedeby can be dated to the 9th-11th centuries.

Due to the lack of completely preserved bags, a wide variety of reconstructed versions from fabric and leather can be seen today. Typically, short, often simplified slats up to 30 cm long are used, with longer slats (over 40 cm) being rare in reconstructions.

Bags are often decorated with embroidery and used for carrying mobile phones, wallets, bowls, spoons, and other personal items. In modern reconstructions, bags on slats are used as fashionable accessories, with the owner often showing them off at festivals.