Over the years, there were many things that made us tune in to watch Vikings. From the incredibly choreographed battle scenes to the political intrigue and the insane romances, there was something to love about every single detail on the show. One of those things was, of course, the stunning work the design department put into the costumes. Whether we're talking about the Vikings themselves or their sworn enemies, everyone had a particular style we couldn't help but admire.
The end of the show is upon us now that the sixth season has premiered. So why not look back to all of the amazing outfits and hairstyles the characters displayed throughout the course of the show? Here are ten details you never noticed about the costumes on Vikings! Who knows, maybe you'll find some inspiration for the next Halloween.
10 Animals Are Everywhere
It's very easy to dismiss the original Vikings has nothing other than savages, something which the show does an incredible job od demystifying. In reality, they were incredibly evolved people, cleaner than most in ancient times - so much so that Viking men even took a change of clothes to battle with them.
They worshipped several gods, many of them related to nature. This is why it's very common to see them use animal skins such as leather and fur in their costumes, something that costume designer Joan Bergin made sure to include on the outfits she created for the show.
9 Who Knew Color Was A Viking Thing?
Curiously enough, Vikings loved color very much. Obviously, way back in the day you couldn't exactly make your way into the nearest mall and buy a red dress or a nice green cloak - although picturing Lagertha and Ragnar on a shopping trip to a boutique is actually extremely entertaining.
The Vikings made a point to dye their clothes bright colors with the means they had at their disposal - oftentimes, this meant using berries, flowers, and other plants. This is exactly the technique that was used on the outfits for the show.
8 The Bedazzle Is Real
Viking clothes were anything but simple. This was a culture that prided itself in looking good and weren't just interested in shedding blood and going off to battle. As a matter of fact, many of their outfits were embellished and adorned, something which may come off as a surprise.
This is why costume designer Joan Bergin included several details into the costumes that include silver lines, metal, and even fabric that would resemble hair, alongside pieces of jewelry and embellishments that would represent the Viking culture accurately through the clothes worn by the characters.
7 Old School
We've already mentioned that the outfits were dyed just like they were in the original time of the Vikings. This was done in order to stay as faithful as possible to the time period depicted. A true labor of love, since it demanded the costume department to dye the pieces by hand using fruits and plants.
Another aspect that was kept faithful to the old school ways was the way the fabric themselves were made, with the help of places in Asia and Ireland were rough fabrics are still made in the exact same way they were hundreds of years ago.
6 Metal Is No Joke
The amount of work that went into every single piece worn by the characters is actually astonishing. Remember we're not talking about simple pieces here, and the team went into great lengths to ensure historical accuracy.
Perhaps the most commendable part is the intense work put into the ironwork of the battle garments, which was all handmade by a crack metal team that was present on location. The level of detail is simply incredible!
5 Symbology Is Present
Coming from such a rich and fascinating culture, it would be expected that the Vikings would ingrain the symbology of their people and their believes onto the very clothes they have on their bodies. The best example of this comes in the form of Ragnar, the leader of the Vikings himself, and the raven.
Many of his outfits, particularly the ones he uses in battles, have an emblem with a raven on them. This is supposed to signify his connection with the god Odin since the ravens are the messengers of the god in Norse mythology. Furthermore, the raven is a symbol for Ragnar's supposed blood ties with the Norse god.
4 Projecting Leadership
Once upon a time, Earl Haraldson was the one ruling over Kattegat and the Vikings. It's hard to remember a time when Ragnar wasn't the one true leader of his people, but back in the first season of the show, that was exactly the case. Haraldson was weak and nowhere near as good of a leader as Ragnar.
However, he did have a position of power, and he attempted to project his leadership and solidify his role through his clothes. Just notice the black leather vest and grey tunic the costume designer made a point to create for him - quite the outfit, indeed! Too bad the clothes don't make the man - especially not in this case.
3 Notice The Bones
The Vikings were pagans, a religion that predates even Christianity. Faith wars and discussions are a common and recurring theme on the show, which is why the priests and religious leaders of each side were dressed in such a way that it represents exactly who they are and what their role is.
For instance, the elite Viking priest, also known as Seer, is seen wearing a gigantic piece of fabric that makes him more godly than anything else, with the added detail of bones. The use of animal and human bones as an accessory was common back then, including melting them and consume certain parts of it.
2 Iron Survives
Is there anything more epic in this world than the battle scenes in Vikings? Who can forget the brilliant cinematography behind the entirety of "To The Gates!" or the incredible sequences of "Ragnarok"? Battle and bloodshed were common for the Vikings, which means their armor played a significant part in the way they dressed.
In order to take Ragnar's reputation as a fierce warrior up a few notches, the vest he wore to battle was purposefully aged and torn in order to make it seem like it survived dozens and dozens of battles.
1 Black Means Death
In another pretty curious detail, in comes Earl Haraldson once again. For someone who had such a short run on the show, quite a bit of thought was put into his costumes. But this is a pretty cool one - according to Norse history, one would usually only wear black if one was about to kill someone.
Well, remember that neat black tunic the Earl wore back in season one? He just so happened to be wearing it when he was getting tired of Ragnar's antics...things didn't exactly turn out for the best for the poor Earl, though!
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/36ZEt1s
0 Comments