Adult Costumes – the Medieval Pirates!

The Medieval period spawned some of the most notorious pirates in history – making them the perfect choice for adult costumes at any party! Here is a quick guide to some of the most interesting characters to use as inspiration.

Viking Pirates

Vikings are some of the most famous, and probably the most notorious of the Early Medieval pirates. These were Nordic people – Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes – who explored and expanded their land in the period from AD 800 onwards.

The Vikings started to build their empire as early as 793 with attacks on England, and migrating through Europe. They were fierce warriors, and as such any Viking costume will have a unique and brutal look.

Adult costumes of the infamous Vikings will need to be equipped with some armour. These are less traditional pirates, always ready for fighting. You could carry shields, wear helmets with famous plaits attached, or even an axe! To complete the look you could also include a sounding horn, also good for drinking from if you seal up the end with your thumb!

Even female Vikings, such as the famous Princess Sela, were as equally fierce as their male contemporaries!

Eastern Pirates

A huge area of piracy in the Late Middle Ages was the Far East. By the 14th Century, piracy was dramatically increasing across the coast of China – some of which had the force to plunder whole villages at a time.

Famous pirates included the Japanese, Chinese and the famous Barbary Corsairs – the most well-known of which were the Barbarossa brothers. The younger brother, Kheir ed-Din, was the more legendary of the two – dying his hair with henna to honour his brother who died earlier, and attacking whole fleets at a time.

Corsair pirates are seen as a more romanticised version of the traditional pirate. If you want adult costumes to replicate Barbarossa brothers you’ll need to wear the turban round your head, a cape on your back and a sash tied as a belt.

The Barbarossa brothers also famously wore decorated tunics – a lot more detailed than traditional pirate costume – alongside bellowing rousers.

So don’t think the pirate costume is limiting you to the traditional eye patch and peg leg. You have many looks from which to do your pillaging!