ABOUT BENIGN VIKING

Hi! I'm Gunhild!

My day job is as a classical singer, but during the lockdowns I noticed I needed a different creative outlet and thus Benign Viking was born.

Being a proper Norwegian I have of course been knitting sweaters forever, but sewing was new to me. I needed a new summer bag and when I was unable to find one I liked, I figured the best way to get what I wanted was to teach myself how to sew and just make it myself. I loved the result and felt emboldened to try sewing different things. The backpacks are the biggest hit so far. 

Why Benign Viking? Well, for starters, I’m Norwegian, as already mentioned. My name was a very popular name for women in the viking age; we had several queens named Gunhild and they were known to be tough as nails. My mom’s an archaeologist specializing in the viking age and the women of that time. She taught me how absolutely horrible vikings were and I’m very well aware that Benign Viking is a contradiction in terms. Viking age men and women were strong people with a high degree of equality between the sexes, and I feel a strong sense of pride for my heritage. My mom throws a fit every time people don’t realize the difference between viking age norsemen and actual vikings, so it was with some trepidation I finally confessed the name of my brand to her. The relief was immense when she found it to be a really good name (!), so Benign Viking now also has mom’s blessing. Thankfully. Dad was on board from the beginning.