Compiling a Viking Handling box for Schools

[Tengu]

Part of my placement at the Manx Museum.

(Boy am I happy here! But the education officer has rung my tutor back in Cornwall to reassure them they will give me back.)

Anyway, here is a fun opportunity to make stuff.

What would you put in?

So far we have;

Displeasing glass bead necklace. (We are getting better beads)
Cowrie shells
A drinking horn
A turned bowl
A turned plate.
I am making a copy of the pouch on the Pagan Ladys reconstruction. (Our local fancy female burial)
Also a Haithabu bag

 

[FKeate]

Don't forget a helmet with good big horns because, you know, they definitely existed...

 

[Tengu]

In the flipping iron age...

 

[Toddy]

Ring money, brooches, don't forget costume pieces either….leather shoes are pretty easy if you don't use heavy leather. I have patterns for size 3 and 4 to fit me that are fine for children if you want them.
Braids and some information on making them…. I have ends of warps that you are welcome to.
Bone needles and a bit of naalbinding and some instructions of how to do it.
Make up the instructions with loads of illustrations and then laminate those.
Make up a computer file with print outs and burn a disc for every school that gets the box. That way the teachers can print out what they need, and whoever keeps an eye on the box can edit future discs easily at source.
Scales and weights, and the hafntafle (can't spell that, sorry ) game and pieces too. The Chessmen are available as silicon moulds for making out of plaster or resin, so maybe make up some of those too ?

M

 

[Imagedude]

Lutefisk...

 

[Tengu]

...Not documented before the 15th century...

Those are good suggestions Toddy.

 

[Goatboy]

Toddy seems to be no distinct spelling but some suggestions are:- Taefl, tafl, cyningtaefl, hnefatafl or tavl). Or if you're in a Terry Pratchett frame of mind "Thud".
One of my favourite games though I rarely get a chance to play it and the computer versions no longer work on the new 'puter.


Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[tombear]

Soap stone oil lamp. I've made two by chucking away the lid from a charity shop trinket pot thing and filed a groove in the lip to take a wick, either a bit of twisted linen or linen rope. Wipe some codliver oil around the inside to make it suitable smelly!

ATB

Tom

PS, forgot this one, drop spindles. Could be faked from Daz clay or like this

http://www.stringpage.com/viking/spindles.html

The lids from the trinket pots make good starting points. I'm looking for a cheap Jacobs chuck with a No.1 morse taper mounting pin that I can slap on my wood working lathe to shape them. I've already drilled and fixed to a bolt one of the lids and have plenty of too rough to be worth restoring properly gouges and files to have a go with.

Did the Vikings, when over here or other ex Roman areas, do that recycling of Roman pots thing for making spindle worls? That stuffs ( broken flower pot bases are as near as damnit ) soft enough to turn using a power dril with speed control and almost anything abrasive. Use suitable PPE of course ( said before I get abuse !)

 

[Palaeocory]

I was going to suggest bone needles and some naalbinding too! It might be a (slightly complicated) lesson for the kids to have a go at making? And along with that you could put some sheep's wool, which they could card and wash etc. Even dye...?

 

[FKeate]

Funky mushrooms, bear skins and swords. Now that would be a day of school I would have enjoyed.

 

[Goatboy]

Please, Please, Please!... You'd be the best classroom visitor ever if you'd brought this to my school (as it was it was a chap who brought the first Roman armour I ever wore).

[video=youtube;MfWQo3uxnPQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfWQo3uxnPQ[/video]

 

[Mesquite]

I so want that game

Please, Please, Please!... You'd be the best classroom visitor ever if you'd brought this to my school (as it was it was a chap who brought the first Roman armour I ever wore).

[video=youtube;MfWQo3uxnPQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfWQo3uxnPQ[/video]

 

[tombear]

Sorry, it suddenly occurred to me that a suitably sized hole saw

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5PC-HOLE-SAW-SET-DRILL-BIT-CUTTING-CUTTER-CIRCULAR-1-1-4-1-1-2-2-2-1-8-/131525386836?hash=item1e9f862254

would do most of the work for you, either into soap stone or flat piece of terracotta. Then with the blank mounted on a bolt with something like leather or wooden washers to stop the nut and bolt cracking the thing you could finish them spun in a drill.

Come to think of it a old school hand drill, or even a Archimedes drill, held in a vice would do the job, it's just got to spin fast enough for the sand paper or file to round off the edges..

atb

Tom

 

[Tengu]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

We are getting a better Pagan Ladys necklace from Tillerman beads.

I am doing some leatherwork (will get pics up when I have time...very busy at the moment.)

 

[Imagedude]

Quern stones...

 

[Harvestman]

Cloak and cloak pin?
Perhaps a small hide or fur

 

[forrestdweller]

In the flipping iron age...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcbCu8G80pQ (sorry... could not restist...)

 

[mountainm]

Shin bone ice skates

 

[mountainm]

Bone comb?

 

[mountainm]

Sunstone. (Viking compass)