Iain mac an Bhaird - Society for Creative Anachronism

1 / 7

2 / 7

3 / 7

4 / 7

5 / 7

6 / 7

7 / 7

❮ ❯

Iain's clothing mostly consisted of Viking-style 't-tunics' and simple pants (as did Q's). 2011.

Often in service to the Crown, we see another example of Iain's generally simple garb. 2012.

Full suit of armour made from leather with metal joints. Photo 2010, but armour was constructed much earlier.

Better photo of the full suit, including helm (by Windrose Armoury). Photo 2009, but armour was constructed much earlier.

I eventually made a lighter set of armour for tournament combat, consisting mostly of pads and rigid plating hidden under a slightly oversized tunic and 'Viking poofy pants'. You can also see my Viking round shield constructed from 1/2 inch plywood and with rubber-covered metal edging. Center boss is ABS made by Asgard Armoury. Photo 2012.

Here you can better see the leg wraps, and get a peak at the vambraces that were included in in my lighter armour. You can also see the kite shield that I made before it was painted. Photo 2011.

I made and fought with several styles of shields over the years. This one is based on La Tene find. It is 42 inches tall and 24 inches wide and features a horizontally mounted grip which takes some getting used to. Constructed from 1/2 inch plywood and with rubber-covered metal edging. Center boss is steel.

Why I chose to make this costume

In the Society for Creative Anachronism (a world-wide medieval recreation group) everyone makes up their own original charatcer. Some people get more into this persona than others, but I certainly thought a fair bit about this character - where they were from and how that would inform the things that they did and the things that they wore. The character of Iain mac an Bhaird lived on the Isle of Skye during a period of time when there was a lot of overlap between Celtic and Norse culture and was thus influenced by both.

How I made this costume

9th-10th century styles in the Hebrides were pretty simple and Iain mostly wore a selection of basic tunics and pants (which was perfect for my early sewing skills).

My first suit of combat armour was my first large leatherworking project AND armour-building project and I learned a lot through that process. I also constructed a variety of weapons and shields for SCA armoured combat.

Thoughts on this costume

While I no longer do historical recreation, many of my sewing skills began to develop during the decade that I participated. I also developed skills in leatherworking and metalworking (seen here) and gained exposure to a number of other skills. Many of my other hobbies gained new context during this time as well (including brewing and woodworking). This was generally a pretty interesting period of my "making journey" and I thank all those who played a part along the way.