Sorry Martin: I don't quite see the point you're making with that picture?
I assume this is a re-enactor or movie/TV costume... but is there any evidence of its authenticity?
This is a good article on vikings and laminate armour (with the conclusion that it was unlikely and when so imported from Byzantium or the East) and also a link to the
Wiki viking re-enactment site . The same site discusses
leather armour as per your illustration (again a 'no').
There have been a few
laminate armours found in a Viking context (scan down the dates) but most are related to Eastern/Rus sites (Novgorod etc) and reflect contact with the Byzantium Empire and/or the Eastern tribes, steppe nomads etc, all of whom are know to have worn laminate armour. Any in a Western Euopean context are most likely to be luxury imports from the East or possibly an ex Varangian Guard holding on to his kit when he retired back home.
Representations of
laminate armour from Birka: again believed to be an import from the near or middle east (
perhaps Turkey).
And, as it was found (and still is):
This is a reconstruction of the C7th (so Vendal rather than our period) Valsgarde splinted armour,
now believed to be incorrect with the splints being considered as cavalry arm and leg armour (vambraces and greaves):
But note the ornate helmet with spectacles and mail ventail... very much like the fig (though as with the Sutton Hoo helmet, outside this period).
Talking of spectacle helmets, both of the most complete ever discovered are of this type (Gjermundbu and Yarm) and the use of the mail ventail does seem likely (indeed the main purpose of the specs may have been to form solid eye holes and
support for just this). More on
helmets here.
There was also laminar armour amongst the
Visby/Wisby battlefield graves, but that dates from 1361, way after this figs period (and most other armour was actually coat of plates rather than laminar or scale).
Visby Grave 25 Laminar: found in hundreds of pieces- this is an early reconstruction and not necessarily accurate.
Visby Graves 1, 7 and 21: three of many coats of plate and the last another laminar from grave 24:
But let's not forget that Alrik is claimed to be a Saxon (whether mainland or Anglo is unclear but it probably makes little difference).
I can find no evidence of laminar armour for Saxons (but not impossible one or two may have been imported). The nearest I can find is
possibly scale (not laminar) armour depicted on the C8th
Repton Stone.
So Andrey's bottom line that you can 'design as you like' holds true.... as does 'buy as you like'.
