Medieval and Viking era bags with Magyar tarsoly metal fittings are not only known from eastern regions such as Ukraine and Russia, but were also found in the Viking settlement of Birka in eastern Sweden.
The origin of these special Viking bags is supposed to lie with the nomadic horsemen of the Magyars in what is now Hungary, where so-called Tarsoly bags were very common as part of their costume. Due to the extensive trading voyages of the Eastern Vikings from the 8th to the 10th century, these Magyar fanny packs made their way across the great rivers from the eastern steppes to Scandinavia.
Characteristic of the Magyar Viking bags was a lyre shape and rich metal fittings, called tarsoly, on the bag's flap.