The lands where I live, near Loch Lomond, have a long history of Vikings. There are many tales surviving such as the story from 870 CE, with Viking kings Olaf the White and Ivar the Boneless attack on Dumbarton Rock. They waited out four months in their boats in the River Clyde while the people in the castle ran out of food and water. They were eventually taken prisoner, shipped to Dublin (under Viking rule) and sold in the slave market.

There are tales of Vikings coming down the river Leven (water flowing from Loch Lomond to the River Clyde). When I walk on the shore of the Leven I often think of the terror folks must have felt if they ever saw Vikings in their swift canoes racing down the fast waters.

There are many untold stories, of the folks that settled in this area - good fertile flat land for farming. What of the women who came here in their own boats?

This doll began as a whisper.

It was on thinking this thought that a whisper came on the breeze, a tale of a woman surrounded by a silver shimmer. I don’t know her full story yet, this may take many years. There is something about her of a weaver, someone who weaves invisible threads - perhaps there is a sense of a Völva about her, a seeress - only time will tell.

Making process

This doll is made over a wire armature so her arms are moveable. Her body is made from British core wool from small holdings. Her clothes are up-cycled fabrics - so she is a mix of UK wool and synthetic fabrics.

Doll Details

• Hangs from the wall via a circular wire

• Upcycled fabrics

• Woolen cords made with a Viking lucet

• Embellishments - Scottish limpet shells

Measurements

• Doll length - 55 cm, 22 inches

• Actual body length - 33 cm, 13 inches

• Widest part (hand to hand) - 19 cm, 7.4 inches

  Shipping

• UK - Tracked 48 via Royal Mail

• The rest of the world: International Tracked via Royal Mail

• Please note any iport duties charged are not related to the seller or shipping costs

• You should receive an email from your carrier once your pacrel is due for delivery