Wes Hál!

Greetings! I am Lord Hubert de Stockleye (aka Wulfhere of Eofeshamme), a Herald at Large in the Kingdom of Calontir which is part of the medieval research and re-creation group the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). My legal name is Berry Canote. Let me tell you about this blog. When I returned to the SCA a couple of years ago I did something I had not done my previous times as a member. I designed and submitted a device (called a coat of arms by those not in the SCA). In the process of coming up with different designs, seeing what could be done, and what could not be done I developed an interest in heraldry. This blog highlights many of my designs as well as gives tips on name research. For more information please read the About this Blog Page. There if you are a SCA member you can learn how to register one of these designs as your own device as well as get acquainted with what I do. Finally, feel free to browse the links list. A note of caution, I am still very new to this so you are encouraged to consult another herald. In the time since I have started this blog I have begun writing on other topics of interest to me so expect to see other topics on the Middle Ages. Note: This is not an official Society for Creative Anachronism site. The views expressed here are my own.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Men's SCA Garb for an Anglo-Saxon Persona.

Before I begin I want to make one thing clear. I rarely make garb. I know how, and have made period tunics, but it is not something readily in my skill set. That said, I have done a bit of research on what the clothing of my persona would look like. Perhaps the best source on how the Anglo-Saxons dressed is Gale Owen-Crocker's Dress in Anglo-Saxon England.  There is also Penelope Walton Rogers' Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England (best obtained through inter-library loan unless one has a spare $300 lying around).

Anglo-Saxon fashion changed over the period from 450 AD to 1066 AD. Tunics became longer, sleeves shorter, and accessories such as belts, clasps, and brooches changed. The period of my persona is the early 8th century not long after the Conversion. His clothes therefore are in that period when Anglo-Saxon clothing was changing from pagan to Christian. Furs were being used less, and soft fabrics like linen more. Pagan motifs like intertwined snakes and ravens used on jewelry and other objects was shifting over to more Christian imagery. Wool was still a mainstay. My persona is Christian, but his grandfather was pagan, and his father was raised pagan. I therefore use a mixture of pagan items appearing a few years earlier as well as Christian items appearing a little later than 720 AD.

The basic everyday wear of an Anglo-Saxon of this period was a tunic, a type of shirt common in the Middle Ages. A tunic of this period was generally long sleeved. and hip to knee length, and worn with a belt about the midriffs to a little above. The sleeves in some cases could be folded back to form a cuff, or pushed up to create folds. Among the residents of the kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria the sleeves sometimes had slits at the wrists that were then held together with clasps. The tunic was often pulled up and over the belt so it created a fold over the belt. The borders of the tunic was sometimes adorned with tablet woven trim. Those of higher social standing would wear an under tunic of a soft material such as cloth made from flax, hemp, or nettle under the tunic of heavier wool. The tunic was sometimes worn alone with the wearer going bare legged. Generally though trousers were worn.

Anglo-Saxon trousers or breeches of this period were worn with or without leggings or garters and held up with a belt. Trousers could be anywhere from a fairly tight fit to a loose fit. Some trousers had belt loops so that a belt could hold them up more easily. If the breeches did not have belt loops the upper cloth was pulled up and over the belt to hold them in place. If leggings were worn these consisted of strips of cloth wrapped and tied with another piece of cloth around the leg to form a tight fit. Leggings were generally only worn with tight fitting pants, and not the looser fits. The leggings could be made of cloth or leather strips of three to four inches in width.

In cooler weather a variety of over garments would be worn. Very common was a simple rectangular cloak or mentel (not unlike a blanket) held at the right shoulder with a pin or broach that was in the range of 60" by 90". Wealthier individuals had cloaks that were larger. The larger of these cloaks were folded in half worn, and could serve as a spare blanket. The border of this kind of cloak could be adorned with a tablet woven trim. The loose folds of the cloak could be thrown over the left shoulder to leave both hands free. Another kind of over garment was a hooded cloak, not unlike the hooded cloaks of later periods. There was also a jacket not unlike modern jackets that opened in the front. With some of these the right side was made to wrap over the left. The jacket was held in place with a belt.

As for headgear, skull caps were worn as were hoods. Skull caps were generally made of leather and only covered the very top of the head. Your basic Anglo-Saxon hood is not much different from the hood on a modern hoodie except that it only covered the upper part of the body, generally only the head and shoulders.

There were accessories worn with tunics, breeches, and over garments. Two belts were often worn. One about the midriffs or a little above over the tunic while another would be worn to hold the breeches up. Belts were most often held in place with a buckle and the more elaborate had belt tips. Such belts would have been worn over the tunic while the belt used to hold trousers up would have been plain. Belts were not as long as in the later Middle Ages as they were not held in place with a belt ring though those of higher status would tend to have longer belts. Pouches, scabbards, and other things were thought to be hung from the belt used to hold up the trousers. However, I generally hang these from the belt about the tunic as it seems more practical. Cloaks and other pieces of clothing were held in place by brooches. These came in a number of varieties differing in shape and style.

Footwear was very simple involving a kind of socks and a simple turnshoes. They also wore a sort of ankle boot similar to the variety worn later by the Vikings existed. Shoes tended to be made of pen piece of leather with perhaps a separate piece for the sole. They were fastened with toggles or leather straps.

I have found the following sites helpful with putting together garb. Some sites have patterns one can use:

Making Early Period Anglo-Saxon Garb
http://www.midrealm.org/starleafgate/pdf/Making_Anglo_Saxon_Garb.pdf

Angelcynn: Clothing and Appearance of the Pagan Anglo-Saxons
http://mahan.wonkwang.ac.kr/link/med/england/anglo-saxon/culture/dress.html

Cunnan: Anglo-Saxon Clothing
http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_clothing

How to Make a Late Period Anglo-Saxon Costume
http://www.rosieandglenn.co.uk/TheLibrary/Costume/CnTGuides/HowtoMake/LateASCostume.htm

Anglo-Saxon Cloaks
http://www.aeans.org/articles/ascloak.shtml

'T-tunic' - the period way
http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/Tunics/TUNICS.HTML