Introduction
Textiles are essential for most societies. Thus, textile production, consumption, trade and exchange give important perspectives when investigated and integrated into the general discussion on society. The inhabitants of Scandinavia in the period 750–1050, their society and life, their travels, trading and raids have been the focus of much research over several decades. Although it is known that textiles and textile production were significant, this valuable perspective is yet to be more integrated into the general discussion on
Scandinavian Viking Age society and the early medieval Silk Roads1. Textiles travel in many different ways, as clothes on travellers, as trading goods, as gifts, and loot from raids. Can we actually differentiate, for example between the trade of textiles, exchange of textiles as gifts, or the redistribution of textiles? The aim of this paper is thus to illuminate the complexity of travelling textiles and how this discussion can be integrated in a wider perspective.