Book • Ringerike Style Essentials

A practical, step-by-step guide to drawing authentic Ringerike-style knotwork

The Ringerike style (c. 1000–1075 CE) is one of the signature looks of the Viking Age that still resonates today. Yet recreating it according to its historical principles can feel daunting: the interlace seems enigmatic, and the rules aren’t obvious.

Ringerike Style Essentials reveals the underlying system. It shows how a small toolkit of repeatable parts—ribbons, knots, foliage, and beast features—combine into authentic compositions, step by step. With clear diagrams and a guided project, you’ll learn the logic behind the style and build confident, original designs instead of copying.

Project outcome — The great beast design you’ll create as you follow the book’s step‑by‑step process.

Who it’s for

• Tattooers, illustrators, and designers who need authentic Ringerike linework
• Carvers, metalworkers, and makers recreating period-correct ornament
• Teachers, students, and reenactors seeking a clear method, not just references
• Anyone who wants to build their own designs from first principles

What you’ll learn (at a glance)

• The core building blocks of Ringerike ornament (ribbons, knots, foliage, beasts)
• How to reconfigure those parts to create variety and personal style
• A repeatable process for planning, shaping, and finishing complex compositions
• How to draw the great beast motif step-by-step, from skeleton lines to ink

All the Elements You Need to Create Your Knotwork Design

Ringerike relies on a compact toolkit of parts: ribbons, pretzel and triquetra knots, acanthus leaves and palmettes, serpents, and beast features. These simple elements are the building blocks behind even the most intricate interlace.

By repeating, mirroring, and reconfiguring this handful of components, you can construct anything from small ornaments to full Ringerike compositions with confidence.

Reconfigure and Combine Elements to Create Your Own Unique Designs

Each element is taught with clear, step‑by‑step diagrams so you quickly grasp how it works and where it belongs in a design.

You’ll also learn practical variations and combinations, helping you develop personal flourishes while keeping the results historically correct.

A Step-by-step Process for Creating Your Knotwork Design

The iconic great beast motif, a lion‑ or wolf‑like creature entangled with a serpent or vine, runs throughout the late Viking Age, seen most famously on the Greater Jelling stone and on numerous runestones across Scandinavia.

With this guide, you’ll assemble the core knotwork components into a complete, style‑correct Ringerike great beast.

A Manageable and Straightforward Approach to Creating Complex Compositions

I lead you through the build, step by step, from analysing references and plotting the main lines, to adding ribbon widths, sculpting motifs, and refining the weave.

You’ll come away with a practical method for handling intricate interlace. Use it on any Viking-Age-inspired design to tame the ribbons and focus your attention on composition, expression, and finish.

Reference plates for accuracy & inspiration

A curated set of clean line drawings based on historical Ringerike artefacts gives you style‑correct examples at a glance. The plates standardise scale and simplify surface noise so you can compare motif variants, proportions, and stroke logic quickly. 

Use them to check designs for historical fidelity, pull motif details, or spark layouts. Each plate includes source information so you can look up the originals in museum collections.

Content

Ringerike Style Essentials is divided into two main parts:

Part 1

The Building Blocks

The first part will introduce you to all the necessary building blocks you need to create your Ringerike-style design.

Core Features

Ribbons and ornamental motifs are the two most essential types of building blocks composing everything from knotwork patterns to animal limbs.

• Ribbons
• Ornamental Motifs
• Serpents
• Beast Heads
• Beast Bodies

Knotwork

A select range of loops and knots are used on several compositional levels to create everything from the overarching main lines down to distinct details of the ornament.

• Figure-of-eight & curly loops
• Pretzel and Triquetra knots
• Double pretzel-knot
• Offshoots
• Knotwork-based Compositions

Motif Variations

An abundant and varied design is created by reconfiguring the fundamental ornamental motifs and knotwork patterns.

• Acanthus leaves
• Union-knots
• Fleur-de-lis
• Feathering
• Palmettes
• Beast Head Variations
• Beast Feet

Part 2

The Design Process

The second part will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating your Ringerike-style design.

Prepare

Researching the trends and typical characteristics of historical designs of great beast motifs to inspire your design.

• Analysing the References
• Breaking down the Composition

Sketch

Creating the foundational structure by arranging the ribbons will let you plan out the entire composition swiftly.

• Arranging the Primary Ribbons
• Arranging the Secondary Ribbons
• Arranging the Tertiary Ribbons

Shape

Giving shape to the composition by fleshing out the ribbons and sculpting the silhouettes and details of the ornaments.

• Adding Ribbon Widths
• Sculpting the Ornamental Motifs
• Carving out the Contours

Render

Sanding off the kinks and giving the design a nice coat of paint and polish.

• Weaving the Ribbons
• Inking and Colouring

Specifications

• Pages: 108

• Size: 21.0 × 27.3 cm

• Format: Ebook, paperback, or hardcover

• Language: English

• Published: 13‑03‑2023