Viking Sweatshirts

The Viking sweatshirt takes over from the T-shirt when the longships come back to port: the same Norse designs — knotwork, runes, Mjölnir, Odin's ravens, the wolf Fenrir — on a thicker fabric, to wear from the campfire to the couch. In sizes XS to 6XL. Almost all are hooded, with a few exceptions worth a look: a zip-up model, a jacquard-knit Christmas sweater, and trompe-l'œil designs that imitate armor.

Three price points, three constructions

As with the T-shirts, the price reflects the way the garment is made, not a marketing position.

The hoodie printed in a range of colors. A single design — the Vegvísir and its column of runes — offered on a wide range of background colors, from black to turquoise by way of pink and yellow. It's the entry point to the section, and the only model where you really choose your color before your design.

The all-over print hoodie. The most common format: the design covers the whole garment, hood and sleeves included, with no edge or join. Intertwined ravens, skulls and Yggdrasil, a valkyrie with a sword, gold and turquoise knotwork.

The most elaborate pieces. Facing dragons in red and black, a golden raven and gold runes, the wolf Fenrir in a medallion, a tattoo-style Yggdrasil. This tier also includes the chain-mail trompe-l'œil and the zip-up model.

All-over print, jacquard knit: not the same thing

Two techniques coexist in this section, and they are neither worn nor cared for the same way.

The majority of the sweatshirts are all-over printed polyester, done by sublimation: the ink, heated until it turns to gas, penetrates the fiber and sets there. The design is part of the fabric instead of sitting on top of it — it doesn't crack or peel, and it stands up to repeated washing without losing sharpness. That's what allows a design to run over the hood and down the sleeves with no visible join, something a screen print can't do.

A handful of models follow a different logic: jacquard knit, in acrylic, polyester and elastane. Here the design isn't printed, it's knitted into the fabric — the colored yarns alternate between the right side and the wrong side to form the pattern within the thickness of the textile. You can recognize it by touch: you feel the design under your fingers. That's how the Nordic Christmas sweater and the trompe-l'œil models are made, and it's also the warmest construction in the section.

The two trompe-l'œil models

The trompe-l'œil models deserve a closer look, because they do something the rest of the section doesn't: they imitate a piece of gear rather than display its symbol. One reproduces laced leather armor, the other chain mail — rings, rivets, folds of metal on the shoulder.

A word of truth in passing: in the Viking Age, chain mail was an extremely valuable object. Each ring was formed, closed and often riveted by hand, and a full byrnie represented weeks of smithing — out of reach for the ordinary fighter, who protected himself with a wooden shield and, at best, a thick leather garment. Chain mail is what you find in a chieftain's grave, not in that of a farmer off on an expedition. Our article on Viking armor details the real equipment and sorts it from TV-series imagery.

Choosing your size

The rule is the same as across the whole clothing section, and it matters even more for a sweatshirt: take a sweatshirt you already wear and that fits you well, lay it flat, measure from one armpit seam to the other and multiply by two. Compare with the chest measurement given on the product page.

The pattern runs small: narrower in the shoulders and above all shorter in the body than a European cut in the same size. On a T-shirt, two centimeters of length go unnoticed; on a sweatshirt you wear with your arms raised or over another layer, they show. If in doubt, size up — and always do so if you plan to wear something underneath.

The full size guide, with measurements in centimeters, is available from each product page.

The designs

Odin's ravens are the most frequent figure in the section: Huginn and Muninn, thought and memory, who fly across the world every day to report back to Odin what they have seen. Here you'll find them as a facing pair, in golden flight against a background of runes, or intertwined into a single symmetrical design.

The Vegvísir appears on several models. It bears repeating, because few shops say it: this eight-armed circle is not Viking. It comes from the Huld manuscript, a collection of Icelandic sigils compiled in 1860, eight centuries after the Viking Age. A fine Icelandic magical tradition, but not an ancient Scandinavian one — the sources are in our article on the Vegvísir.

Yggdrasil, the ash tree that links the nine worlds, appears in a graphic version and a tattoo version. No medieval depiction of it has come down to us: these trees are modern reconstructions true to the texts of the Edda, not copies of a carved original.

The wolves are split between Fenrir, the bound wolf who will devour Odin at Ragnarök, and the pair Sköll and Hati, who chase the sun and the moon until the end of the world. The Ægishjálmur, the helm of awe, shares the Vegvísir's origin: it is Icelandic and late, not Viking, even if it is the more visually striking of the two.

A valkyrie with a sword rounds out the range. In the texts, the valkyries are the ones who choose the dead in battle and lead them to Valhalla — their name literally means “choosers of the slain.” Our article on valkyries looks at what the sources really say about them, far from the romantic image of the 19^th century.

Care

For printed sweatshirts: wash at 30 °C maximum, inside out, without fabric softener. Air dry. No dryer — its heat shrinks the fabric and strains the hood seams long before it damages the design. Ironing is unnecessary and not recommended on an all-over print.

For jacquard knits, the rule is different and stricter: cold wash, delicate cycle, and above all dry flat. A heavy knit hung damp on a hanger stretches at the shoulders within a few hours, and it doesn't recover. Fold it for storage rather than hanging it.

In both cases, the hood is the part that suffers most: it's the part that rubs against the drum, and its drawstring is what frays. Tying the drawstrings before washing keeps them from slipping back inside the casing.

Frequently asked questions

What size Viking sweatshirt should I choose? Measure a sweatshirt you already wear, laid flat: the width from armpit to armpit multiplied by two, to compare with the chest measurement on the product page. Since the cut runs small and short in the body, size up if in doubt, and always if you wear something underneath.

Are the sweatshirts cotton? No. The all-over print models are polyester — sublimation only bonds to synthetic fiber — and the models with a knitted design are an acrylic, polyester and elastane knit. The exact material is listed on each product page.

What's the difference between a print and a jacquard? On a print, the design is set into the fiber by sublimation and the fabric stays smooth. On a jacquard, the design is knitted into the fabric with colored yarns: you can feel it under your fingers, and the garment is thicker and warmer.

Does the design hold up in the wash? Yes. Since sublimation ink is set inside the fiber, it doesn't crack or peel. What damages a sweatshirt is the dryer, which shrinks the fabric and strains the seams.

Do you carry big sizes? Yes, up to 6XL on most models. The sizes actually available are listed in the drop-down menu on each product page.

Are there sweatshirts without a hood? The section is mostly made up of hoodies. It also includes a zip-up model and a jacquard-knit Christmas sweater. The type is specified in the title of each product page.

What are the delivery times? Allow 10 to 20 working days in total: 3 to 5 days of processing, then 7 to 15 days of delivery to mainland France, 10 to 20 days within the European Union. Free tracked shipping from 49 €, whatever the destination country.

Explore further: for warmer days, our Viking T-shirts and our tank tops; to round things out, our caps and bandanas and the whole clothing section. For jewelry, see our Viking necklaces and our Viking jewelry for men. For reading, our guide to Viking armor and our guide to the 17 Viking symbols.