Changes
The first has already been mentioned, the adoption of Danish fashion by the English following the renewed Viking attacks from 980AD onwards. It is just after this date that square neck tunics appear in Anglo-Saxon art.<br>
The second is from archaeology. Two of the three garments found with square neck holes are from Scandinavia: Viborg C11th Denmark, see fig.4 and Högom C5th Sweden. The third find is from Bernuthsfeld, Germany just off the North Sea between modern Den-mark Denmark and the Netherlands and dates to c.800AD [EWING 2007:p.90]. It is interesting to note however that none of these had any evi-dence evidence of an attached facing, instead both the Viborg and the Bernuthsfeld garments had their neck holes bias edged.<br>
The third and probably the least con-vincing convincing theory is that the depictions of 11th cen-tury century Goliaths wearing square necked tunics, fig.1 & fig.2, depict Viking warriors such as Thorkell Hávi and that the artist has attempted to differentiate the evil Goliath figure by showing him in the current Danish fashion of the time [EWING 2007:pl.13].<br>
[[File:London, British Library, MS Arundel 155 fol.93r.jpg|right|frame|250x250px|Fig. 2 Goliath from the Eadui Psalter fol. 93r. 1012-1023AD]]
[[File:Viborg Shirt.jpg|right|frame|150x150px|Fig. 4 Reconstruction of the Viborg linen shirt. Denmark, 11th Century (after FENTZ)]]
The point I am trying to make here is that statistically we are on shaky ground when it comes to trying to make any kind of recom-mendation recommendation on how popular faced neck holes were during the period. Even in the same image some men are depicted with a faced neck hole whilst another is not, see fig.6. <br>
‘The Life of King Edward’ written about the time of the Norman Conquest about Edward the Confessor by a Monk of St. Bertin has the following to say:
== Fastening the neck hole ==
[[File:Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Junius 11 (S.C. 5123) p.59.jpg|right|frame|200x200px|Fig. 5 Mahalalel in his coffin is supported by Jar-ed Jared from the Caedmon Manuscript p.59 c.1000AD]]
It is likely that ties were the main method used to close the neck opening. The two images of Goliath, fig.1 and fig.2, clearly show ties at the neck and both show the ties terminating in balls. The assumption is that these cords must have been tied to secure the neck hole. A depiction of tied ties can be found at the neck of a labourer from the Tiberius Cal-endar Calendar in fig.3. <br>
Another method of closing the neck can be found in the reconstruction of the Viborg shirt which is described as:
[FENTZ 1987]}}
The band of the Viborg shirt was at-tached attached as a bias strip. This is where a thin strip of material is folded over in a u shape to enclose the raw edge of the tunic material. Often this creates a small raised collar. In the case of the Viborg shirt this bias strip was left long to form the ties. <br>
Pins or hook and eye clasps may have been an alternative to the use of ties to close the neck opening [OWEN-CROCKER 2004:p.247] but it appears that brooches were not used as we have neither images, nor any finds from archaeology to support this. It must be noted though that we only have Viking pagan graves as reference as the English had stopped burying their dead with grave goods centuries before. <br>
A rare example of a tunic being depicted open at the neck can be seen in the Caedmon Manuscript. Here Jared is shown cradling his dead fathers head in fig.5 and it appears that the artist has attempted to show the collar of the under shirt.
