Author Archives: Ula Paulsen
Skjoldehamn Hood
In 1936 a body was found in marshland near Skjoldehamn (Shield Harbor) on the Norwegian island of Andoya. The body was not part of an archeological dig but rather found and sent to the Tromso University Museum, the oldest scientific institution in Northern Norway, by a local farmer. He found the body (accidentally cutting off a foot […]
Leather Treatment
In preparation for eventually returning to events I am starting to make repairs and such to our gear. One thing that has been sorely neglected for the last few years is our shoes. Years of dirt, mud, sand, sun, rain, etc has left them dry and stiff. While I don’t have any specific documentation for […]
Saga Saturday
I haven’t been working on physical projects much lately but instead have been spending my time sharing my love of Norse Sagas with my co-conspirators Kineheld and Bersi on a (mostly) weekly live show called Saga Saturday. One part history, one part literary critique, and one part language geekery equals a whole lot of fun! […]
Mind Your Beeswax
Bees are one of the first domesticated animals in history and evidence of beekeeping in pottery vessels can be found as early at 9,000 years ago in South Africa. From Ancient Egypt through modern times bees have been an important part of our ecology and agriculture as they are fantastic pollinators. Throughout the early and […]
Basic Rectangular Construction
This is all based on a class that my dear friend Hanim Gulenay, OL, and I developed years ago and has gone through several iterations. She is a co-writer on this and a fantastic resource. So, let’s get into it!! Rectangular construction is a broad term used to describe a simple and efficient method of […]
Cut and Construction of the Finnish Eura Underdress
Eura is a region in the southwest of Finland with extensive archaeological remains dating from 500AD – 1200AD. To date over 1,300 graves have been found in the Luistari Burial Ground, the largest Iron Age burial in Finland. Even with the large number of graves found, textile evidence is rare due to decay. We do not have […]
Black Sope
The earliest recorded evidence of the production of soap-like materials dates back to around 2800 BC. A formula for soap consisting of water, alkali, and cassia oil was written on a Babylonian clay tablet around 2200 BC. The type of fat and lye used will determine the hardness of your soap. Black soap, derived from […]
Zen 2.0
Warning: Photos include graphic images of animal hide tanning When my geriatric third-hand goat became infirm I determined it was time to end his suffering. With the help of his previous owner we humanely euthanized him. While the meat was not edible due to his age I decided to experiment with curing the hide. With […]
Sewing Natural Fur by Hand
Sewing with natural fur can be a little intimidating at first but hopefully this quick tutorial will help alleviate some of the anxiety many people feel. Let’s start with the best tools for the job: A sharp knife (I use an x-acto but a box cutter, razor blade, or similar works) Strong thread (I use […]
Persian Royal Clothes
I have been remiss in posting this since it was done almost two years ago but better late than never! In May of 2018 my friends Antonii and Ciar were invested as Prince and Princess of the Mists, Kingdom of the West, and they asked me to be their clothing coordinator for the reign. In […]
In Pursuit of Medieval Excellence 