These are the “Thorsberg hose”, found in a moor bog in Northern Germany, Thorsberg, near the bay of Angeln that’s close to the Danish border. They’re dated to the early 4th century, right when Germanic culture starts to pick up and the old Rome draws its last breaths. Pants + socks = tights = no more fuss with separate pants and socks! Brilliant!
And this fellow here is called “Bockstensmannen”, he was dumped in a Swedish mire bog some time during early 1300s. Not only did the low-oxide environment preserve his bones and dye everything red, it kept his bouncy hair and cool clothes in a tip top shape.
The remains are so good that he and his whole clothes ensemble have been documented, taken for safekeeping and reconstrued. And he had the coolest knee-high socks I’ve seen in a long while, complete with a cute bow at the front!
So the next time you think of viking fashion, think of nice socks. And tights.
Cheloneuniverse 