Greetings everyone.
As I seem to be catching every virus known to mankind lately, the Links lists have been a little slow in coming. Please do not be confused: you have not missed an issue last week, I have failed to produce one. Here is This week's list, however, and I pray you will forgive me my temporary lapse.
This week's list is about medieval hats, belts and shoes. I hope you enjoy it in the spirit it is offered, and will pass it along to those who are interested in such things.
Cheers
Aoife
Easy Men's Hats from 1300 - 1500: Workshop & Notes
by Cynthia Virtue aka Cynthia du Pr�Argent
http://www.virtue.to/articles/mens_hats.html
(Site Excerpt) Some of the most silly hats that have ever been invented as
serious wear on this planet were in use during this time in Europe.Although
many of the most outrageous were worn by noblewomen, there are several fun
styles for men of all classes that are both practical and easy to make.
Once you familiarize yourself with these, you can go on to consider some of
the more outlandish ones if you wish, or rest content with these knowing
that the proper hat makes your garb look just right. (See also
http://www.virtue.to/articles/#Hats for more excellent hat articles by this
author).
COSTUMES AND CLOTHING MEDIEVAL
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/7631/costume3.html
(Site Excerpt) The hood became a separate garment. Later in the period, the
hood, with its pointed end (the liripipe), and short shoulder cape, became a
hat worn by putting the head into the hole originally intended for the face
and wrapping the extended liripipe around the head in turban fashion. Later
still, the hat was hung over the shoulder by the liripipe as a badge. Its
ultimate manifestation became the cockade on the 19th-century livery hat or
the 20th-century doorman's hat. Another even more curious derivation of the
hood is the small tab sewn in the back of an English barrister's gown.
Headgear: A brief introduction
By Lady Jehanne de Hugenin
http://users.iafrica.com/m/me/melisant/costume/headgear.htm
(Site Excerpt) The hat maketh the wo/man! It's always a source of sadness to
me how many people make magnificent SCA costumes and then fail to complete
them with the relevant headgear. More than any other accessory, what you
wear on your head completes the look of your clothing; it's essential to the
flavour of the majority of centuries in the medieval era.
Hat Patterns from Harper House
the perfect finishing touch to almost any outfit. (Commercial site)
http://www.longago.com/hat.html
What sort of hat would you have worn in Medieval times?
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/clothact.html
(Site Excerpt) Hats were an important part of medieval garb. Depending on
one's occupation and the time of the year, hats could vary from linen head
warmers, to straw or felt hats, to "borrelais" hats to fine mesh mail coifs,
to "sallet" helmets, to visored "basinets" to mitres and crowns.
Five hats are pictured below, try to determine which of the people listed
wore which of the hats.
Footwear of the Middle Ages
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/shoe/SHOEHOME.HTM
(Site Excerpt) The purpose of this web site is to provide a general guide to
footwear in the European Middle Ages, with some examinations of footwear
before that period, as well as some that came after. Hopefully this will be
an overview of footwear technology up to 1600. Since we don't have the
materials or knowledge to make this an exhaustive view of all footwear up to
1600, because much of the knowledge has been long lost, not yet published,
or simply not available to me at this time, this site should always be
considered a work in process. Further, I don't wish to present this material
as thought I am an expert, much less THE expert in this field. As we learn
more about how things were done, this will change our understanding of
techniques, technology, and so forth. To my mind, the true experts on
Medieval shoemaking all died centuries ago. At best, I am a student of
their work. As such, I am continually learning more about these things, and
as I learn them, I will present them hear as I can. To this end, I will
present the research that I have done (when I am able to), as well as that
done by those before me, and those who are currently doing such research
today..
Medieval Shoes from the Bata Museum Collection, Toronto, Ontario
http://www.medievallife.com/Pages/Bata_Shoe_Museum1.htm
A Collection of photographs on Medieval Shoes, covering three pages.
Fragment of Medieval Shoe from Newcastle upon Tyne
http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/old_fotm/old_fotmmr98/
(Site Excerpt) During the course of excavations carried out at the
waterfront in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1984-5, hundreds of fragments of
leather were recovered from waterlogged deposits of the 13th century. They
were incorporated in waste matter which was taken down to the riverside and
dumped as part of a process of land reclamation. Leather, textiles, wooden
objects, ceramics and animal bones were all included in this material. The
waterlogging had preserved the organic materials, with the result that the
leather was in good condition. This included a knife sheath and some belt
fragments, but most of it was in the form of fragments from cobblers'
workshops: offcuts, scraps and worn-down soles.
History of Shoes--Medieval Shoes
http://www.northampton.gov.uk/Museums/Collections/Boot_and_Shoe/History_...
(Site Excerpt) Footwear styles continued to change during the Medieval age.
The sole and upper were no longer thonged but stitched together with thread
and the toe became a sharp point, known as scorpion tails, they began to get
longer in the 1320's and became known as pikes, crackowes or poulaines. The
length of ones toe was an indication of status. The King and his court had
shoes with the largest toes. This style wasn't worn by women. The ankle shoe
remained popular, it was usually side laced with three pairs of holes.
Making Medieval Arrowheads (This article is actually an article on making
Medieval Shoes)
http://www.the-exiles.org/essay/makingmedishoes.htm
(Site Excerpt) Shoes in the late mediaeval period were constructed in a
somewhat different manner to their modern day equivalent. The following is a
construction guide for anyone who wishes to make a pair of authentic
turnsoles. What you will need: Sole Leather - 4-7mm thick vegetable tanned ;
Upper leather - 1.5 - 3mm thick vegetable tanned ;A square of canvas about
40 - 50cm each side ;
Two saddlers needles (heavy duty blunt needles) ; Linen thread ; An awl -
diamond section, very sharp; A Stanley/Craft knife; A tape measure; A pencil
; Scissors ; Leather thonging ; Beeswax
Early Medieval Irish Shoes
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/4715/costume/shoes.html
(Site Excerpt) Finding reference materials for early shoe types has turned
into an exciting form of treasure hunt, but I'm starting to make some
headway. When 8 hardy souls met in an Emeryville, California house to "make
shoes" on April 6, 1997, we thought we had just about all the information we
needed to go ahead, and in fact, a number of attractive and comfortable
pairs of shoes were made from the two buffalo hides we decided to buy as a
group. When we started, we had a xerox copy of the out of print book
Primitive Shoes by Margrethe Hald, a printout of Footwear in the Middle
Ages, by I. Marc Carlson, several art and archaelogy books on the Celts, a
couple of paper patterns from a local tannery (now out of business) and one
of our number had made numerous shoes for Renaissance Faires. It was a
brave beginning, and we made the most of it. Now that some time has passed
and more information is available, though, I'd recommend a somewhat
different approach!
Documention on the recreation of a pair of Medieval Hide Shoes
http://www.carillion.eastkingdom.org/WELD_convt.pdf
Adobe Acrobat required to view this research paper.
MOAS Atlantia Shoemaking Links
http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/topics/shoe.htm
How to Tie a Medieval Belt
http://www.vikingmetalworks.com/belt.html
(Site Excerpt) Step 1: Find a wide belt that is two to three feet longer
than your usual size. This belt should have an open ring (not a standard
buckle) of two or three inches in diameter depending on the width of the
belt.
Medieval Belt decorations
http://www.geocities.com/garys_hoard/artefacts/item2.html
This site is an amateur archaeologist's page with photos of medieval belt
decorations.
Post Medieval Collection
http://www.cotswold.gov.uk/museum/AllPostMedieval.asp
Archaeological photos of medieval belt fittings
Leatherworking : 13th Century belt and pouch
by Jurgen von Baden
http://www.havenonline.com/moas/a_s_2000/beltpouch.htm
(Site Excerpt) There were various forms of girdles used in the 13th century.
They are well illustrated in illuminations and effigies from this period.
There have also been a number of girdles that have been excavated along the
Thames River in London. The excavated girdles were made of leather, silk,
linen and wool. Judging from the excavated examples, and examining the
surviving buckles and strap-ends, it seems likely that dress belts were 60mm
or less in width throughout the period (Egan & Pritchard p. 35) I had a
strap of leather approximately 40mm wide that I used for this piece. The
leather strap that I used was pre-dyed black. One medieval method of
obtaining a black dye would be to use madder with iron as a mordant. Nearly
all of the surviving examples made of leather were worn with the grain
(smooth) side out and were usually made with a single thickness of leather.
This can be verified by observing which side the belt mounts were attached
to. 13th Century girdles were typically fairly long and often reach to
nearly the ankles in period illustrations. When I wear this particular belt,
it reaches to below my knees.
