I want to tell you about the new products of the longest project, Battle of the Vikings. More than ten figures, a drakar and a boat have already appeared in it. But the Vikings keep going to Hird!
LMVK90 - 021 Vikings Battle: Egill
LMVK90 - 022 Vikings Battle: Alric
Sculpt by Y. Serebrjakov
90 mm scale metal kit
https://www.legionminiatures.org

Sounds like an impressive project. I'm a fan of Serebreyakovs, most of my models are his sculpts but I find the Alric figure a bit confusing.
He looks to me like a cross between a Viking, Saxon, Mongol and a Samurai. Certainly a lot going on and if it's historically a bit iffy it looks like great fun to paint.
(more than happy to be corrected regarding dress)
Cheers
Derek

Derek, it's not just the Vikings who are involved in the Battle of the Vikings. Alrik is a Saxon! There will be more Saxons too.

These are fabulous but +1 to Derek as the armour on that axe wielding figure looks distinctly Samurai. Again, I am happy to be corrected as to what type of laminar style armour this is supposed to represent?

Gary

Plank armor is the Russian name for lamellar armor. Such armor was widespread in Russia in the X-XIV centuries. The second picture shows a reconstruction.

Really interesting. I'm well aware that significant trade existed and I suppose it's perfectly conceivable that saxons might have worn such. Just so much more used to seeing 9th century onwards in chainmail and skin.
Certainly the lamellar armour looks great but it just doesn't say viking or saxon to me.

It's a nice piece but I tend to agree with the others.

Alric screams 'eastern european/asian' to me rather than Saxon (whether mainland Europe or Anglo).... interesting to see the Russian laminar armour though (he could be more justifiable/likely if a Rus/Viking rather than a Saxon?).

The way it's painted up (looks like black lacquer?) and the heavy lacing certainly reflects Japanese laminar armours.

The scales on the fig in the B/W pic are a bit iffy as well in my book (great, along with winged/horned helmets, for Victorian romantic style paintings but as I understand it not too common in reality)... and is that helmet more Carolingian or some-such?

I agree with all the comments, but you can design it as you like. Let's consider that the Saxon Alrik serves in the squad of Prince Hrorek (His figure is the same for us). Well, a little from history: In the year 6420 (912). Oleg sent his husbands to conclude peace and establish an agreement between the Greeks and Russians, saying this:
"A list from the treaty concluded under the same kings Leo and Alexander.
We are from the Russian clan - Karla, Inegeld, Farlaf, Veremud, Rulav, Guda, Ruald, Karn, Freelav, Ruar, Aktevu, Truan, Lidul, Fost, Stemid - sent from Oleg, the Russian Grand Duke, and from everyone who is at hand him, - light and great princes, and his great boyars....."Among the listed warriors of Oleg, only Stemid (most likely) is Russian.

"I agree with all the comments, but you can design it as you like"... fair comment

Wasn't Oleg (and before him Rurik) chief of the Varangian/Rus people... believed to be Scandinavians (probably Swedes) who conquered and settled in what are now parts of Russia/Belarus/Ukraine etc (and founded Novgorod, visited Constantinople, serving in the famous guards) so Scandinavian names would be expected (but note that your Alrik is a Saxon... not quite the same).

Perhaps his backstory is that he served with the Varangian Guards and got his armour that way... however, sounds a bit out of step chronologically as the VG were primarily Scandanavians until after Hastings when many Anglo Saxons joined them (and became the majority in C11th) whereas this little skirmish is presumably earlier?

PS: "sent his husbands"... I assume house band/housecarls or something similar?

The other Saxon in scale armour seems by his helmet and general look to be more a Carolingian?

I have English with Google translator, so I apologize for the mistakes.There are two versions of the origin of Hrorek from the Jutland Hedeby and from the Slavic tribe of the Cheer. Perhaps it wasn't there at all.
"sent his husbands" This is a purely Russian expression and it is difficult to translate into English, but in general the meaning is something like this.

Seriously, Oleg sent his husbands? it is so tempting to develop this idea further, but I will resist. Obviously, ‘poslal svoikh muzhei’ means ‘sent his men’. The figures are pure fantasy, so I would not waste time on discussing their outfit.

Listen, buddy, you can clearly see that Andrey made a syntax error, but you still try to pour your feces on him. Please close your mouth and stop writing blatant stupidity in each of our topics.

Sorry Martin: I don't quite see the point you're making with that picture?

I assume this is a re-enactor or movie/TV costume... but is there any evidence of its authenticity?

This is a good article on vikings and laminate armour (with the conclusion that it was unlikely and when so imported from Byzantium or the East) and also a link to the Wiki viking re-enactment site . The same site discusses leather armour as per your illustration (again a 'no').

There have been a few laminate armours found in a Viking context (scan down the dates) but most are related to Eastern/Rus sites (Novgorod etc) and reflect contact with the Byzantium Empire and/or the Eastern tribes, steppe nomads etc, all of whom are know to have worn laminate armour. Any in a Western Euopean context are most likely to be luxury imports from the East or possibly an ex Varangian Guard holding on to his kit when he retired back home.

Representations of laminate armour from Birka: again believed to be an import from the near or middle east (perhaps Turkey).


And, as it was found (and still is):



This is a reconstruction of the C7th (so Vendal rather than our period) Valsgarde splinted armour, now believed to be incorrect with the splints being considered as cavalry arm and leg armour (vambraces and greaves):


But note the ornate helmet with spectacles and mail ventail... very much like the fig (though as with the Sutton Hoo helmet, outside this period).

Talking of spectacle helmets, both of the most complete ever discovered are of this type (Gjermundbu and Yarm) and the use of the mail ventail does seem likely (indeed the main purpose of the specs may have been to form solid eye holes and support for just this). More on helmets here.



There was also laminar armour amongst the Visby/Wisby battlefield graves, but that dates from 1361, way after this figs period (and most other armour was actually coat of plates rather than laminar or scale).

Visby Grave 25 Laminar: found in hundreds of pieces- this is an early reconstruction and not necessarily accurate.

Visby Graves 1, 7 and 21: three of many coats of plate and the last another laminar from grave 24:



But let's not forget that Alrik is claimed to be a Saxon (whether mainland or Anglo is unclear but it probably makes little difference).

I can find no evidence of laminar armour for Saxons (but not impossible one or two may have been imported). The nearest I can find is possibly scale (not laminar) armour depicted on the C8th Repton Stone.



So Andrey's bottom line that you can 'design as you like' holds true.... as does 'buy as you like'.