If you had gone into a shop 40 years ago to purchase beads to string onto your long beard, you definitely would have gotten the side-eye from the shopkeeper. Lucky for us, we live in an era where all things Viking are making a comeback, including Viking beard beads (a.k.a. beard rings).
But here’s the real question: Did Vikings actually wear beard jewellery?
Considering how little we actually know about Vikings (as they left us very little written history), it’s possible, but not proven beyond a doubt. There is some circumstantial evidence from burial sites that suggests Vikings may have adorned their beards with metal rings, but a Viking burial site usually contains many pieces of jewelry that are difficult to place in terms of designated body part. Typically, remains from this era aren’t very well preserved, so trinkets could have worked themselves onto beards over time.
The writings of travelers who witnessed Germanic tribal and Anglo Saxon culture have noted that trinkets were sometimes woven into beards, but it’s not clear if these were Vikings or one of their contemporaries.
How to use Viking Beard Beads
Usually a beard bead and a beard braid go hand in hand (say that five times fast), which means when your beard is long enough to braid, it’s long enough to use a beard ring. This is another reason why beard rings are so awesome: they’re a measure of how adept you are at growing a long, full beard.
Some men with long beards braid their beards every night, so they’ve already become great at their braiding technique, which is something you’ll need to teach yourself. It’s important to braid your beard hair a bit loosely and not tightly, as a braid that’s too tight will damage and tangle your beard. It’s also important to take the braids out every other day or so and rebraid to allow for new growth, and to let the braided section rest.
Keep in mind that any part of your beard that’s braided will have be wavy for a day or two after it’s been un braided.
PS: Viking Beard Beads Collection is now Live! Click here and view full collection