The Kragelund Tunic

The Kragelund Man was found in 1898. the man wore a kirtle of coarse woolen cloth, the legs were bare but on his feet he had short leather boots, laced over the instep. The boots are not preserved. Because of the boots, the find has been dated to the 12th or 13th Century, a recent examination dates the tunic to circa 1100.

The garment has two gores in the front, two in the back, and two on either side, all of them gathered into the points. The front and back gores appear to have been left split, but as there were no seams preserved you can't tell. The edges were simply sewn down with an overcast stitch.

The neck is unusual, pointed in front and back and hs a 7cm long slit in the front. The sleeves are also interesting in their construction.

Bibliography: Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials, Margrethe Hald, The National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen 1980

Personal communication, Else Ostergaard, at a visit at Brede in September 2002.