Tag: 14th century

Helms

What type of helm should I look for as a 14th century English fighter or 12ty century Norman for heavy fighting?

Anonymous

I had to reach out to some martial types for this answer.

Master Sir Edwin AtteBridge says, “Twelfth century, the famous “norman” conical helm with nasal that we’re all officially wearing in the SCA. 14th century generally bascinet, although kettle hat is also appropriate (but less popular because of SCA handicaps). Inbetween, slowly-evovling “barrel” or “bucket” helms. Basically they took the norman design, started adding a faceplate and covering more of the head, simplifying the construction while they were at it, and when they were done realized that the pointed top they had started with was a better design and went back to an improved version of it. The 13th century is full of dead ends like that.”

Norman Conical Helm

Wikipedia entry: [link] –

be sure to look at the Notes and External Links

Bascinet

“Spotlight: The 14th Century Bascinet”
by Alexi Goranov
MyArmory.com: [link]

Wikipedia entry: [link] – be sure to look at the Notes and External Links

image

Image from the Wallace Collection: [link]Visored bascinet
Unknown Artist / Maker
Milan, Italyc. 1390 – c. 1410
Low-carbon steel, air-cooled, copper alloy and leather
Height: 26 cm
Width: 37.4 cm, beak to back of skull
Weight: 2.005 kg, without visor
Weight: 0.82 kg, visor
Weight: 1.24 kg, aventail
Label: Royal Archaeological Society label marked 25 in ink
A69European Armoury I

The History Girls: CROSS YOUR LEGS AND HOPE TO DIE: What those effigies are really telling you by Elizabeth Chadwick

The History Girls: CROSS YOUR LEGS AND HOPE TO DIE: What those effigies are really telling you by Elizabeth Chadwick

Fashion Advice

sca-nerd:

I was gifted several yards of beautiful apple green linen at War of the Wings in October. It was an anonymous gift (it appeared on my bunk and no one has owned up to having put it there), and as such I want to do something kind of special with it.

I just don’t know WHAT.

My persona is 13th century German, and the visual references for that period are sparse. I am open to doing something outside of my century, but nothing TOO far outside of it. I just can’t decide what to do. I have some other fabric to use with it (be it a surcoat or what have you), and I am totally okay going to buy more. But I need to decide what I’m doing before I do that.

Does anyone else have any good references for German garb between 12 and 14th centuries that doesn’t come from A History of Costume by Carl Köhler? Or just something really spiffy that you think I should try? I’m running low on ideas.

So what you’re saying, @sca-nerd, is that I can’t convince you to try Chinese garb? 😉

JK! Signal boosting for you. <3

Als I lay on Yoolis Night,
Alone in my longynge,
I thought I saw a well faire sight,
A maid hir child rockynge.

Lullaye, lullaye, lullaye, lullaye,
My dere moder, synge lullaye.

The maiden wolde withouten song,
Hir childe aslepe to brynge.
The Childe, he thought she did him wrong,
And bade his moder synge.

Lullaye, lullaye, lullaye, lullaye,
My dere moder, synge lullaye.

“Synge, now, Moder,” sayed the Childe,
“Of what shalle me befalle,
Hereafter, when i cum to eld,
For so don modres alle.”

Lullaye, lullaye, lullaye, lullaye,
My dear moder, synge lullaye.

“Ich moder truely,
That can hir cradle kepe,
Is won to lullen lovely
And singen hir childe aslepe.”

Lullaye, lullaye, lullaye, lullaye,
My dear moder, synge lullaye.

“Swete moder, faire and fre,
Sithen that it is so,
I pray thee that thou lullen me,
For so don modres alle.”

Lullaye, lullaye, lullaye, lullaye,
My dear moder, synge lullaye.

“Swete sonne,” sayed she,
“Whereof shoulde I synge?
Wist I never yet more of thee
But Gabriele’s gretynge.

Lullaye, lullaye, lullaye, lullaye,
My dear moder, synge lullaye.

"He grete me godely on his knee
And sayed, "Oh, hail Mary!
Hail, full of grace.  God is with thee,
And beren thou shalt Messye.”

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

mediumaevum:

This shoe, found in Haarlem, Netherlands, dates from the early XIV century, and exhibits some real whimsy and style. The side laced ‘bird’ shoe with decorative perforations was probably worn over brightly colored hose, so it would have been quite eye catching.

SELF, YOU DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SHOE PROJECT RIGHT NOW.

But Self! These are so PRETTY.

The Three Living, The Three Dead

oAdd MS 35313, f. 158v, from the British Library, c. 1500.

The Three Living and the Three Dead, or the Three Dead Kings, is a poem dating back to the 13th century. It, or imagery from it, is often used to open the Office of the Dead in books of hours. Perhaps because medieval skellimans are pretty cool.

You can read the poem in Middle English, with footnotes.

You listen to the poem (after a longish intro).

You can read the British Library’s blogpost on the poem and the imagery in manuscripts.

Happy Fall!

brassmanticore:

Inscribed Sapphire Ring

Late 14th century (gold setting); 10th century? (sapphire)

Italian

Many rings employ stones repurposed from other pieces of jewelry. This
extraordinary ring showcases a large sapphire inscribed in Arabic with
the name: “Abd as-Salam ibn Ahmad.” The stone, engraved centuries before
the ring was created, was clearly highly prized. Sapphire, which was
quarried in Ceylon, Arabia, and Persia, came west through trade. The
stone was associated with chastity and purity. A second inscription
reads: “For love you were made and for love I wear you.” This work, with
its mixture of eastern and western elements, is among one of the rarest
in the Griffin Collection.

(MET)

Lindisfarne Gospels and Luttrell Psalter

The British Library has a lot of digitized manuscripts online, which is awesome for SCA Scribes. Two of their best known treasures haven’t yet made the move from their old site, “Digitized Manuscripts”, to the new one, “Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts” – the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Luttrell Psalter. That’s because the Lindisfarne is a Cotton manuscript and the Luttrell is an Additional, and both of these collections haven’t yet made the transition yet.

The old site (DM) is actually really cool – when you click “View Bindings,” you get a viewer that allows you to page through the digitized manuscript and zoom in on elements. The new site (CIM) only gives you one high-res image and one slightly smaller one (in additional to thumbnails). They do have some detail scans, but it’s not the same (as you can imagine).

Lindisfarne Gospels (Cotton MS Nero D.IV)

[Link]c. 700-3rd quarter 10th Century
Lindisfarne, Northumberland
Eadfirth, Bishop of Lindisfarne (690-721)

Luttrell Psalter (Add MS 42130)

[Link]1325-1340
for Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, Irnham, Lincolnshire

You can see the BL’s Access/Reuse/Copyright notes concerning images here: [Link]

Images used in this post are from Wikipedia.