The figure of a man flanked by two wolves turned up on artefacts from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, dug up in Suffolk in 1939 and dated to around 620-630 AD. Most scholars read it as Týr, the god associated with war and law in both Norse and earlier Germanic belief — the one who lost his hand binding the wolf Fenrir so the other gods could live a little longer.

That's an old story to be wearing round your neck, and it's carried on a fairly modern bit of kit. This is a tube-style neck gaiter, one piece of stretchy polyester-spandex fabric with no seams to catch on your skin. Reenactors like it because the print holds up through a weekend of weather and washing. Walkers use it for wind and sun. And if you know your Norse mythology, you'll clock what it means the moment you see it — nobody else needs to.

Pull it over your head as a bandana, twist it round your neck, or wear it as a face covering when the wind picks up. It packs down small enough to forget about until you need it.

Specifications

• Fabric: 95% polyester, 5% spandex, four-way stretch
• Colour: mostly red and yellow, with grey/black detailing
• Dimensions: approx. 50cm circumference x 50cm height, one size
• Care: machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, no bleach, hang to dry or tumble dry low, don't iron the print directly
• Design origin: Sutton Hoo ship burial artefacts, c. 620-630 AD, associated with Týr and the binding of Fenrir
• Wear: bandana, neck gaiter, face covering, headband, wristband