From Viking-Age Textiles to Bunad Folk Costumes: A Brief History of Norway's Fiber Arts

Published: Aug 15, 2025 by Amy Smart · This post may contain affiliate links · 25 Comments

Hello my fellow craft and textile lovers. Over the years I've loved sharing what I've learned about different historical and cultural fiber art traditions. This time lets talk about Scandinavia - Norway specifically. I've got Scandinavian roots and have always loved the look of traditional Scandinavian folk art. This summer I visited Norway and was inspired learning even more about Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts. It was fascinating learning more about the woven textiles, embroidery and yarn nalbinding ("knitting" but different) of the Viking era. Also seeing how these beautiful fiber arts continue to live on in today's crafting as well as the traditional Norwegian national folk costumes or "Bunads". Here's a brief introduction!

A brief history of Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts including knitting and bunad costumes

The Fiber Arts of Viking Age Norway

When you think of Vikings, you probably picture longships, helmets (they didn't really have horns, by the way), and maybe a raid. In reality, they were highly cultured and more civilized. But here's the the part that I found new and so fascinating - the Vikings were also incredible makers. We had the chance to visit the Living Viking Museum in Lofoten. This outdoor museum includes a reconstructed 90-yard Viking chieftain's longhouse. They bring the Viking Age to life with hands on exhibits and activities. (Think Williamsburg or Old Sturbridge Village, but with Vikings.)

Viking Longhouse Recreation at Borg, Lofoten (source here)

The replica structure is built next to the archeology site of the longest-discovered Viking longhouse. The recreation is based directly on the research conducted there.

The living museum included a variety of exhibits and demonstrations inside the longhouse focusing on domestic skills and traditions from the Viking era, handcrafts (including glass!), cooking, and religion/Norse mythology. So much fascinating stuff. Their culture and living circumstances were so much more advanced than I had previous thought. I learned that many of of these skills and techniques - both practical and decorative - went back centuries.

Weaving, Brikkevev, and Viking Embroidery

For example, in Norway a thousand years ago, people were weaving beautiful cloth. They hand-spun wool into yarn, dyeing it in rich colors using natural elements. To weave the fibers together, they used big, upright warp-weighted looms as seen below.

Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts

Viking age weaving techniques using a warp-weighted loom

Those geometric woven patterns were also used when making patterned trim (think decorative woven ribbons) with tablet weaving or Brikkevev.

Brikkevev tablet weaving - a traditional Viking technique

Brikkevev is a traditional technique used in the Viking Age to create strong, decorative woven bands. These woven pieces were made using square or rectangular cards with holes for the warp threads. These bands were often used for belts, straps, and trim, featuring intricate geometric patterns in bright, contrasting colors.

Fragments of pictural embroidered textiles or tapestries from the Viking Age have been found in archeology sites in Norway and Sweden. Here's a look at some re-imagined recreations of these kind of embroidered pieces.

These pieces often featured human and animal figures worked in colorful wool threads on linen or wool backgrounds. These panels, possibly used as wall hangings, ceremonial cloths, or garment embellishments, combined decorative artistic stitching skills with symbolic or storytelling elements. (Reminded me of the Bayeaux tapestry in France.)

These beautiful recreated textiles offer a rare glimpse into the creativity and skill of Viking makers, showing how needlework was both practical and a form of visual expression.

And they didn't stop at the practical stuff-clothing and household textiles were often decorated with embroidery. Proving that even back then, people wanted to add unique details and flair to their wardrobes and home furnishings. They were adept at dyes using natural elements meaning their woven creations had beautiful colors.

You can read more about clothing made and worn during the Viking era here.

It's amazing to think that, in their own way, Viking makers were doing exactly what we do now-turning fiber into something both useful and beautiful.

Nalbinding: the Ancient Viking Yarn Craft Before Knitting

Another handcraft skill of the Viking era is Nalbinding. This looping technique with only one needle is from the Stone Age, and came long before knitting was invented. Nalbinding was used to make cozy and durable socks and mittens from handspun, locally-grown wool.

Nalbinding a Stone Age looping technique with yarn

In fact, this form of construction is much more durable than our current forms of creating with yarn such as knitting and crochet.

Wool was used to make objects (think socks, gloves, mitts, etc.) making them durable and water/weather proof. The nalbinding construction meant that the stitches couldn't be 'dropped' or unravel, keeping these handmade items sturdy and usable for years.

Making fiber arts using Viking techniques today

I got the chance to sit and watch some of the makers recreating with these 1000's-year-old techniques. And thanks to the internet, there are people teaching how to make these crafts using the same techniques today.

You can find examples of brikkevev - or trim made by tablet weaving - including tools to make your own on Etsy.

Brikkevev tablet weaving -Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts — source

You can read more about Nalbinding (or Needlebinding) here. Or watch how it is done below:

There are also tools, patterns, and handmade nalbinding items on Etsy.

Nalbinding a Stone Age looping technique with yarn - Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts

The love of handmade textiles didn't stop with the Vikings. It clearly carried on in traditional Scandinavian folk arts and crafts through the centuries.

From Nalbinding to Knitting: Norway's Handmade Woolen Evolution

Knitting arrived in Norway relatively late compared to other fiber arts, probably around the 16th century, but it quickly became both a practical solution to the cold climate and a creative outlet with Norway developing it's own traditional styles and iconic motifs.

Hand knit wool mittens from Lofoten Wool in Henningsvaer, Norway

Communities developed distinctive regional patterns that carried symbolic meaning. Over time, knitting evolved into an art form, with intricate colorwork like Selbu star motifs and the traditional Setesdal lice sweater patterns becoming iconic, while still serving the same practical purpose they always had: turning locally spun wool into durable, beautiful pieces that blended everyday function with cultural identity.

Traditional Sedestal Norwegian sweater — Traditional Sedestal Sweater source

If you want to learn more, you can go here a fascinating deep dive into the history of the very traditional Setesdal sweater patterns in Norway.

The Selbu star motif is probably the most classic and recognizable Norwegian folk design. This site has some interesting details about the evolution of this very traditional star motif across the Baltic countries and Scandinavia.

You can also find books about the history and evolution of Selbu knitting and traditional Scandinavian motifs as well as lots of Selbu knitting products and patterns on Etsy.

There are many gift shops and yarn shops that sell handmade mittens and sweaters made with modern knitting techniques. These images are from Lofoten Wool in Henningsvaer.

Hand knit wool sweaters from Lofoten Wool in Henningsvaer, Norway

Natural dyed wool, from Lofoten Wool in Henningsvaer, Norway

The Bunad tradition - a National Folk Costume revival

Another example where those skills and motifs are very much alive today are stitched into Norway's bunad tradition. A bunad is Norway's national or regional folk costume, and there are over 200 variations-each with its own colors, embroidery patterns, and accessories that tell you which region of Norway it comes from.

Traditional Bunad national costume from Norway - part of Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts

These beautiful dresses aren't daily wear, but they are worn frequently for big celebrations like Constitution Day (May 17), weddings, and christenings, and they're made to last and be passed on for generations.

Traditional Bunad national costume from Norway

A bunad isn't just a pretty costume -it's a work of art in wool, linen, and silk. The main garment typically consists of a tailored bodice and skirt, paired with an apron, all decorated with hand embroidery in floral or geometric designs inspired by local landscapes.

Accessories are just as important: silver brooches (sølje), woven belts, stockings, and sometimes elaborate headpieces complete the full look. Every region of Norway has its own style. For example: Hardanger with its crisp white embroidery on red, Nordland's deep green with bright florals, Telemark's bold colors and intricate patterns, and they're all gorgeous.

Traditional Bunad national costume accessories from Norway - part of Norwegian fiber arts and traditional crafts

Making a bunad today is still a popular art form and takes skill. Dresses are sewn by trained craftspeople or by home sewists who've learned specialized techniques passed down through generations. Fabrics are often handwoven, embroidery is done by hand, and patterns are carefully followed to honor the regional heritage. If you're a modern maker, you can still learn these stitches and methods through workshops and online tutorials.

If you're interested in seeing a collection of these gorgeous costumes, visit the bunad displays at museums like the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo or the Maihaugen Museum in Lillehammer. You can also find local Bunad stores in major cities where people can buy these elaborate traditional clothing and accessories.

Exploring Traditional Handcrafts at the Oslo Folk Museum

If you visit Oslo, the Folkemuseum (Folk Museum) is an absolute must-see. This cultural outdoor history museum, with over 150 historic buildings including farmhouses, workshops, town houses and even a 13th-century Gol Stave Church (one of the beautiful carved wooden churches) relocated from across Norway. The beautiful recreation villages and buildings showcase how people lived from the 16th century to today through indoor exhibits and traditional folk costumes.

Gol Stave Church, Oslo National Folk Museum

The Folk Museum has other beautiful displays of folk art and a collection of traditional dress and textiles, including bunads, regional folk costumes, knitting, and historic embroidery spanning centuries and textile examples that showcase Norway's mix of rural and peasant daily life and as well as urban and upper class ceremonial crafts.

A Brief history of Norwegian knitting, weaving, and traditional crafts and bunad costumes

Norway is a visually stunning country. The landscapes are jaw-dropping with the rugged coastline with islands and dramatic fjords. And lots of waterfalls and wildflowers (two of my favorite love languages) .

Just breathing in the clean air while taking in majestic views felt like such a clean and healing experience.

Granted, I visited in the summer when the sun was shining and the light lasted forever. Winter is probably another story. But the Northern Lights and time to stay inside and sew might make up for it?