Items For Your Re-Enactment Period Encampment:

Many of the items in this section are reproductions of articles found in the Oseberg Ship, a Royal Viking burial ship, while several others are of general Norse origin. The rest of these items are of more generic period origin.

Cooking Equipment

• Oseberg Tripod : Large enough to easily be used with the Brazier when ground fires are not allowed. The Tripod is shown with the Oseberg Cauldron, and three S-hooks. Of course, the Tripod may be collapsed for easy storage and packing.
• 1800's H-set : This handy item may be used as either a spit (as shown with a Trammel Hook), or as a Cooking Tripod (shown with three S-hooks).
• Oseberg Spiral Grill : An excellent device for grilling meats or other foods. I use mine primarily for steaks in the evening and bacon and toast in the morn. If one uses a support one may relax whilst one's food is cooking.
• Small Game Spits : Also great for hot dogs and marshmallows, of course. I build these in two sizes; 2ft. for cooking fires and 3 ft. for bonfires.
• Spit and Spiral Grill Support : Support for the Spiral Grill or Small Game Spits. Holds the grill or spit in place over the fire so that one doesn't get bored to tears holding them whilst one's food cooks. It also indexes the Small Game Spit at 90 degree intervals so that one may evenly roast all sides of the meat.
• Large Spit : Made for large roasts, up to piglet size, it indexes the roast at 90 degree intervals so that the heavy side doesn't burn, and has two sets of hooks so that the spit can be nearer or farther from the fire. The picture shows hooks on the vertical bars which hold the spit. If you look closely, you may be able to see that the set of hooks nearest the handle fit the spit very closely while the other hooks fit loosely. This is so that one may lift only the handle end of the spit, rotate it the desired amount and drop it back down onto it's hook where the spit will be prevented from further rotation.
• Trammel Hook : You gotta have something to hang those trammels on. Oh, for those of you who don't know, it's an adjustable hook for hanging one's pot over the fire. Here it is shown in use to hang a pot from the 1800's H-set.
• S-hooks : Another way to hang a pot over the fire and provide adjustment for height. Here three are shown in use to hang the Cauldron from the Oseberg Tripod.
• Oseberg Cauldron Chain : Hang your cauldron from the ridgepole on this elegant chain, eliminating the danger of the Tripod, cauldron, and dinner being upset during those intermittent wintertime brawls. The one shown here is 8' 3" long though usually they are shorter by two links making them 7' long. In addition to the top hook that suspends the chain, there are a pair of mid hooks that are excellent for hanging the serving fork, ladle, or other cooking utensils within easy reach, and the bottom hook from which the caldron is hung.
• Oseberg Cauldron The cooking cauldron to hang from your Cauldron Chain (referenced above), or from the Oseberg Tripod. And here is a picture of the Cauldron and Ladle in use.
• Serving Fork and Ladle : These are both of substantial size, the ladle will nearly fill a bowl with one scoop and the fork is more for carving the likes of a small pig than, say, a chicken.
• Steak Turners (these aren't really of any historic period, but they're fun and very useful for turning steaks and other meats or vegetables on the grill). Both styles are offered in right and left hand versions.
  • Wizard Head : The pair shown are left handers.
  • Scrolled Handle : This pair is for right handers.
• Dutch Oven Lid Lifters. For those who do Dutch Oven cooking I have two styles of lid lifter:
  • The Standard Lid Lifter : Either side of the hook end may be used for lifting.
  • The Critter Head Lid Lifter :This lifter has a critters' head on the business end, as shown here.

  Dinnerware

  • Wizard Head A substantial set of Knife, Fork, and Spoon with wizard head decorations. Not authentically period, but they're a lot of fun.
  • Scroll A substantial set of Knife, Fork, and Spoon with scroll decorations on the end (I apologize for the poor quality picture, the one under "Dinnerware", above is better).
  • Flat A lightweight set of Fork and Spoon, these nest compactly so that they may be easily carried in a belt pouch.
  • Norse Eating Spikes Yep, yet another strange Norse implement. In this case the implement is used somewhat like a one tined fork.

  Fire Brazier

  Handy for those campsites where one cannot build a fire on the ground, it comes with removable legs that hold it 12" off the ground and/or optional legs for an 18" ground clearance. They're also excellent for use at home so that one doesn't burn the grass during those summer evening gatherings in the back yard. Here, it is shown in use with the Oseberg Tripod.

  Fire Strikers, (a.k.a. Fire Steels)

  Each fire striker comes with a piece of flint so that you can actually use it.

  • Oseberg Fire Steel Named for the Oseberg Ship, wherein the original was found. Here, one is shown in use.
  • Boat Fire Steel Named for its vague Viking ship shape, it is shown along with it's associated equipment: flint to strike the spark, char cloth to catch the spark, jute cord to turn spark to flame, and birch bark for tinder.
  • Leaf Fire Steel Another Norse design, generally worn on a thong about the Ladies' necks.

  Camp Lighting

  • Oseberg Lamp These lamps are very simple; comprising a bowl with lard or some other grease, and a wick laid in the grease and sticking out on one or both ends. The end(s) are then lit, giving off an amazing amount of light. If one desires more light a second wick may be laid in the bowl and its' end(s) also lit. Here is another view showing the lighting of the lamp.
  • Lantern Stand For to hang your candle lantern in front of your tent, whereby you may find your way home at night.
  • Cresset These are essentially used as a very large, immobile torch. When filled with wood and lit, they give off an impressive amount of light, especially when mounted on a Brazier as shown. They're also great for those after-hours gatherings around the fire.

  Tools and Weapons

  • Belt Axe A short-handled ax, this is a tool not a weapon. Though sized small enough to be carried by sticking the haft through one's belt, it may be used to great effect with a two-handed grip.
  • Battle Ax A nice 5' haft makes this a formidable weapon.

    Please allow me to go off on a bit of a rant; I am amazed at the frequency with which battle axes are portrayed with short handles. Yes, I suppose the ones carried by cavalry were short handled, but a short handled ax carried by infantry is to my mind ridiculous. An ax with a head this size is a two handled weapon and thus must be defense as well as offense. In such a case, why would one ever want to let the enemy get so close as would be the case with a short handled ax? Ah, there is so much to rant about on this subject and so little time, Suffice it to say that I believe that the reasons that axes are sold with short handles are 1) to allow easier shipping, and 2) because people are so unused to physical activity that they can't imagine swinging one with a 5 foot handle. Nuff said, I'll be quiet now.

  • Francisca A short handled ax preferred by the Frankish cavalry. It's also good for throwing.
  • Scramasaex : A lovely little knife, this one is carried by a sweet lady for the various cutting tasks that come up during the day.
  • Langesaex. : An 18" blade with leather wrapped grip, guard and pommel are forged of wrought iron.
  • Spearhead (sorry, no picture yet).
  • Caltrop