Authenticity Guide

Our community seems to agree that most of us consider ourselves Viking reenactors – not “Vikings gone camping”. Sletten offers the space you need to make an awesome and ambitious authentic reenactment camp – thus this is a main part of our vision.

Through our community experts, we have collected a curated selection of our current knowledge to serve as the foundation for  The Sletten Authenticity Guide. The Guide is a living document to inspire and give direction to everyone concerning clothing, weapons, and gear. 

We have two approaches to the authenticity guidelines. We have some things we would like to encourage right away, those we call general encouragements. Those are meant to inspire you and have some targets to work towards.  The other approach is a phased approach where we implement new guidelines over 5 years. These guidelines are meant to help us set the bar 

As mentioned above, we will always welcome any and all sources and finds that contradict these guidelines, just send the finds or sources to us, so we can update the guidelines for everyone.

authenticity@slettenvikings.dk

General encouragement

These are improvements we would like to encourage at Sletten right away. They are not rules as such but encouragements.  These are areas where we feel the biggest improvements could be made.

  • We would love to avoid all visible plastics. Use jute, linen or similar bags to cover if needed. Use cups instead of cans, jugs instead of bottles. Let’s help each other stay in viking Narnia.
  • To help with keeping the transport of groceries and stuff, through the camp , we will aim to provide  authentic pull wagons for the camp. And encourage you to bring some, if you can.
  • We would like to see more head wear, that could be hats for males and caps for females.
  • Tunics in proper historical lengths are encouraged. The authentic length is a minimum length of knee to mid thigh.
  • All weapons should be based on finds and we encourage you to match them to the  culture of your kit. 
  • Lamellar armor follows the same rules as Sabers, we encourage you to present a whole culture, where lamellar is appropriate.
  • Viking age shields are big. We would encourage shields to be at 75 cm or more in diameter.
    If you’re under 175 cm,  another good guideline for your shield size could be; your height in cm – 100 cm.
  • Chainmail should be riveted, and rings 5-9 mm. Your chainmail probably already is, this is mostly for new vikings.
    If you want to be real nerdy, the finds we have (Gjermundbu & Ladoga) are dome riveted not wedge riveted. 
  • A suggestion; if you want to present a non-scandinavian kit, Frankish inspired gear and wear is very underrepresented in our scene.
  • Preteen kids are generally exempt from authenticity guidelines, we encourage authentic wear and gear of course.

Yearly Introduction of new Authenticity Guidelines

These guidelines will be our focus as a community year by year. To help us grow and improve.  We are here to help each other and we understand that, sometimes, it takes both time and money. We also understand that some reenactors have a shorter road, and some a longer road, to meet these guidelines. So where as we will be focusing on this, we will not be gatekeeping the community for new reenactors.

As mentioned above, we will always welcome any and all sources and finds that contradict these guidelines, just send the finds or sources to us, so we can update the guidelines for everyone.

authenticity@slettenvikings.dk

2024

  • Minimize  civilian wear in the camp, for both participants and guests. Try to use it  only in a straight line from the entrance to your tent. 
  • More authentic wagons for moving goods and firewood
  • Fur in clothing is good for trimming and lining. We would rather not see vikings wearing shoulder sheep and animal skins out of place. Ritual and archaeologically based exceptions are of course welcome.
  • We don’t have any sources or indications of drums in the period, so no drums should be used. Only archaeologically based instruments should be used. If you have a party or some special event where you have planned to use instruments from outside the period, just let us know.

2025

  • No visible plastics. Use jute, linen or similar bags to cover if needed.
  • No coloured linen, unless actually plant dyed.
  • Leather clothes are not allowed.
  • Shoes and boots should be turnout. Hobnails and rubber soles are allowed.
  • Sabers should be based on finds and the kit must match the culture of the Saber. Magyar, Volga-Bulgar, Kievan Rus, Kazar, Alan.
  • Lamellar Armor should be based on finds and the kit must reflect the culture of the Lamellar. Byzantine, Kievan Rus, Kazar are good examples.
    Frankish Scale Armour must also be matched by a full carolingian kit.
  • Chainmail should be riveted, and rings 5-9 mm.

2026

  • Tunics should be in proper historical lengths. The authentic length is a minimum length of knee to mid thigh.
  • Headwear is encouraged when outdoors.
  • Tents should be in natural colored wool or linen.

2027

  • We will continue improving authenticity.
  • Focus for 2027 will be more authentic camp -life and -equipment.

2028

  • We will continue improving authenticity.
  • Focus for 2028 will be historical games and activities.