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10 Misconceptions About Medieval Clothing - Ft. The Turnip Of Terror
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Thanks to random memes floating around the internet and that one family member who always has a fun fact for you, myths about the medieval period are rampant. Today we tackle the top ten misconceptions about medieval clothing, that we encounter regularly as reenactors.
Click this link to see the video we made on The Turnip Of Terror's channel:
• Top Ten Medieval Cloth...
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Music:
"Viking Ship Melodies" by Ean Grimm
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#Viking #Medieval #clothing
Timestamps:
1:10 following sumptuary laws
2:14 tyrian purple
3:31 pants or baggy-fitting hose
4:43 yellow hoods for hookers
6:03 wearing only one layer
7:13 black was impossible
8:17 multiple belts and pouches
9:24 uncomfortable shoes
10:42 wool sucks
11:53 boring colors
13:01 outro
*WE TEND TO THINK* that people in the past were stupid, and that they were ok with being cold, wet and uncomfortable OR incapable of doing anything about being cold, wet and uncomfortable.
THEY WERE NOT. And wool is simply the best of all fabrics - end of story.
By the same token I do not think that modern people are stupid. Wool can be great, but modern fabric can often be a better choice. Like for bathing suits, T-shirts and many other garments where the traits modern fabrics have perform well.
Hi. I'm in Florida. Wool is a respectable material, but it is decidedly not the best of all fabrics here. For anything that hangs on one's body, linen and hemp here reigns supreme. I imagine the same is true in parts of Spain and various patches of the Mediterranean more broadly.
@@Ithirahad Linen would be a better choise in warm climate, better than cotton.
I think the brown thing is because many of the cheaper medieval dyes fade to browns as they age, pretty much every way of making purple aside from Tyrean purple did hence why none of them ever managed to lower the price of the real thing. Anyway because a lot of dyes fade many clothes we have from the period have much drabber colours now than they would have had when they were first made, it's taken them centuries to get to the state they are today.
The part about drabber colors is spot on!
Completely different setting, but this was proven when I recreated an embroidered pillow that was my grandmothers. The outside colors were pastels but I decided to go with significantly bolder and brighter colors than what I saw then when I turned the original wrongside out I discovered that I had nearly matched the original colors which were "protected" by being inside and not exposed to sun-fade!!
If a style or manufacturing technique, particularly related to garments, was used for hundreds of years - that’s because it was reasonably comfortable, and protected the wearer from the elements well for the circumstances it was being used in, when balanced with cost, effort, and availability. People aren’t dumb.
Garments that chafe would lead to open sores and infection. Infection could lead to death. They’re going to solve that.
Shoes that hurt lead to foot injuries. Shoes that fit poorly lead to twisted ankles, bruises, and broken bones. In an age where everyone walks everywhere, and everyone is needed in the fields at certain times of the year, shoes that lead to injuries would be incredibly devastating. Nope. Not going to do that. (Ok, royalty might, but they’re always a potential exception to doing anything sensibly.)
If it’s not working for you:
1) you’re not making it correctly 2) you’re not wearing it correctly 3) you’re trying to make it work under vastly different circumstances - this would be in terms of things like indoor climate control. Human bodies, have not changed. We sweat, require ease of movement, need to eliminate waste etc.
Technology was different, but the idea that wide swaths of people did something stupid for any length of time without perceived benefit, is preposterous.
Too right!
"As he watched their aggressiveness and speed, Marek realized that left to his own devices, this was exactly the way he himself would choose to fight... He had only imagined a slower fighting style from an unconscious assumption that men in the past were weaker or slower or less imaginative than he was, as a modern man.
Marek knew this assumption of superiority was a difficulty faced by every historian. He just hadn't thought he was guilty of it."
- _Michael Crichton, Timeline_
It's a crappy novel, for sure. Crichton was an overrated writer after Jurassic Park. But that is one of the best passages in the book.
@@schechter01 I like his books. And that one in particular. (Except I could never get through Eaters of the Dead and his Autobiographical book gets annoying.) Keep in mind that physical reenacting of historical fighting by hobbyists wasn't common until maybe the late 1960s. He wrote that in 2003.
Most annoying misconception I see a lot is corsets in medieval times. We have evidence of stays/similar boned garments around the 1500s, but we don't have any to support them in the medieval era.
Let us not forget that in addition to being boring drab colors, unless you were nobility, your clothing was also ragged and dirty, because mending and soap hadn't been invented yet.
Goodness me, of course!
Soap has been around since at least the Roman Empire.
Soaps of varying quality were available. The best did not have tallow, it had olive oil, and commonly known as Castilian soap.
Unless you were jesting...
It was certainly jest! I should probably have indicated my sarcasm better..
Okay, just so we’re on the same page.
Cheers for not taking umbrage, as none was intended.
Besides, perhaps someone learned something about medieval soap!
We're all here for a good time sharing knowledge, not to cause rifts in comment sections 😊
"The medieval ice age" this did not last the entirety of the medieval period.
In fact, the majority of the medieval period was warmer than usual, the was known as the medieval warm period. The little ice age MAY have started in the 14th century
Explains the spread of the Black Death
Yes we learnt about this at university. I am on the UK and the climate was much warmer here (well maybe now it’s becoming warmer again!) Vineyards were common and the weather turned in the 14th century.
Famine, weather and the Plague really messes Europe up.
This is half why I don't understand why people insist that they wore layers (upon layers) In southern France when it was warmer than it is getting now, they were wearing two layers all the time? In winter sure, they still are, but summer... the other half is "Oh, clothes were hard to wash", like yes, they didn't have electric washing machines, but most people agree that most medieval clothes didn't have boning so they should be as hard to wash as a t-shirt dress
As to warmth, wool insulates even when wet. That is the opposite of cotton, and other fabrics.
My hebridean sheep were not only fantastic eating but their fleece was as close to black as makes no odds and my portlands (in my opinion the cutest lambs you will ever see) had a beautifull orange/brown colouring both very old breeds. Don't let me get started on Leicesters (ugly but what a silky wool)
"People everywhere had to obey the sumptuary laws."
(laughs in Landsknecht)
It *just* occurred to me: black sheep do exist. The black wool fabric could have been made of black wool, too.
Yup, still not likely to have been common to find perfectly black cloth in the early medieval period, but as processes get refined, black cloth production gets easier!
When talking about black, I thought about the children's rhyme that begins...black sheep, black sheep, have you any wool? There have always been black sheep, or some other black fur-bearing animal. Maybe not solid black, so some sorting might be required if one wanted pure black. The Bible speaks of things being black as sackcloth of hair.
People can have trouble with thin mediaeval soles, because we are so used to stiff, built up shoes, or super cushioned sports shoes. They can need to stretch some muscles and build up strength in their feet and legs before they feel comfortable! But then it’s hard to go back. I hunt out “barefoot” or “minimalist” shoes to keep that strength and flexibility in my everyday shoes. Katy Bowman wrote a book about transitioning to barefoot shoes, in a safe way.
Thanks for adding that info! 🙂
There are several new shoe brands that are made to be as close to barefoot walking as possible. I have arthritis in my feet and it doesn't bother me when I don't wear shoes. I'm thinking about making some soft soled shoes for myself.
Another option for building up your "foot toughness" is swim shoes, which have a very thin sole designed only to protect, rather than pad. I wear them in the summer months.
Oh, the memories of hitting (literally) fast food restaurants after Viking market. Those shoes are NOT SAFE on hard smooth floors!
@@helenlayley I've had the same experience, just walking along the street after doing a event, next minute on my backside.
Expert: People didn’t wear baggy pants in the Middle Ages
Pajama pants in the SCA: *Screeching*
What ever could you be talking about? 😆
To be fair, the SCA is only as serious as an individual wants to make it, and are not limited to central or western europe
What about Middle East and Indian nations? Baggy pants are normal for hot humid climates so it doesn't stick to you and keeps you cool.
The wealthy Rus enjoyed wearing baggy trousers with closer-fitting lower legs. But this was at an earlier age.
AFAIK there were baggy pants in some early medieval Scandinavian depictions.
The Welsh Viking and another channel (whose name I sadly forgot) made videos about them and sewed baggy pants themselves.
The Welsh Viking also presented his sources and reasoning.
Hey, we've seen worse. Come on 😆
To prove that people enjoyed colorful clothing is to look at the garb of the Landsknecht Warriors of Germany. They were definitely not afraid of fashion faux pas.
As someone getting into wearing wools, I agree with your comment. There are so many breeds of sheep alone that produce a variety of colors and textures. Plus the variety of finished textiles that come from different spinning/weaving methods. I have wools that are very comfortable against the skin (merino) and others that are much warmer, but much rougher. For the latter I wear an underlayer made of cotton or thin, soft wool. People did that with linen or soft wool in the Middle Ages.
And we haven't even talked about casmere, angora, alpaca, etc.
Too right!
I just got some Lopi woool yarn , omg it's wonderful to make nalbound stuff out of. I'm very blessed to have a semi local person to buy from !
Some things here I did not know, primarily the yellow hoods. As someone who is part of the SCA, and also Rendezvous (Fur Trade era re-creation events) I've been surprised at even people in the Rendezvous events who think pink didn't yet exist. What do they think happens if your red doesn't set properly? I've seen red outfits that are very pink, thank you. I run barefoot in all my events (I do in real life, too), because I enjoy being barefoot and have no desire to re-create someone with wealth (for whom shoes may have been very much expected). Though I do have a pair of wool socks I might wear if it's very cold/snowy. Also, I was very distracted by your yarn/thread display. Because fiber. I enjoyed this video. Thank you. Have a subscriber.
Shoes were not restricted to wealthy people though. If for example you worked as a timberman/carpenter a certain amount of shoes provided throughout the year might have been part of your payment.
@katjathefranknfurter2374 oh, I did not intend to indicate shoes were only for the wealthy. As I said, I'm a barefooter IRL, so I don't think it makes sense for me to have re-creation only shoes. I find cobblers and their products throughout the ages fascinating, but I'm good without having some.
@@AlatheD 😊
In some parts of Europe poorer people quite often walked long distances barefoot so as not to wear out their shoes. I believe people were still doing this in Spain up to about the beginning of the 20th century. The topic of people walking unshod and then putting on their shoes when they wanted to create a better impression in town came up in relation to the topic of Roman soldiers' footwear.
The RUclipsr Liath Wolf manages to dig up some fascinating paintings, drawings and prints to illustrate the stories he tells and a good number of those do show poorer people going unshod.
Without being festooned with belts and pouches, how will I be able to maintain a proper RPG inventory?
I remember watching a documentary on the reconstruction of a medieval throne room in the UK somewhere. Some of the actual furniture and interior elements had survived and they did different chemical analysis on dye pigments from the paints that still remained to try and get the colours as close as possible. The made a mock up and the colours where certainly bright and vivid and very primary to the point of being gaudy. I always wondered how accurate this was, and if so, maybe that's why contemporary Hollywood and other media portray the medieval period in much more bleak colour pallets. Granted, the bleakness is usually the point for Hollywood I would imagine as everyone just assumes in the popular consciousness that medieval=bleak but it's hard to take primary colours seriously. In modern times it triggers memories of childhood via the crayon box and toys.
Bright, gaudy, primary colours are very accurate! And they would be a sign of status. Do you happen to remember the name of the documentary? I'd be keen to see it!
@@YlvaTheRed Although my memory didn't live up to the final product. They spend a little bit of time on the subject at hand but it may have been a separate documentary from another production company that followed the restoration more closely. Can't remember.
You are likely referring to Dover Castle. I believe that the Great Hall and one other of near equal size were fully furnished (this century? starting in the 1990s?) in the 12th century manner. Recreations in appropriate materials with the methods of the time, if I recall aright. Very colourful! Once the Cult of Lockdown is behind us, I fully intend to visit as London is only a couple of hours away.
As some historical costumers say - If your eyes don't hurt - it's not historically accurate!
Probably Dover Castle as others have mentioned.
Its a superb interior. I was fortunate to visit on a weekend a few years ago; but I must go back!
You just popped up as a suggestion, great video. It always amazes me how the past is always portrayed as dull, they loved colour! You only have to see some of the beautiful paintings and tapestries that have survived without sun bleaching to see that. Also, in England the cotswold sheep 🐑 was commonly kept because it produced a particularly fine fleece. It's documented as far back as the roman era. It's quite a rare breed these days, with some breeders deliberately trying to preserve the breed in a time when our use of wool it woeful and we really don't appreciate what a great resource it is. I really hope it makes a comeback!
Totally agree!!
Now I want to have some Cotswold sheep...
I'm surprised no mention of nettle or hemp fabric in addition to the linen or wool. Those would be for the summer-weight clothes, and could be made just as light and fine as most modern cotton clothes. (I think cotton took over once it became an imported trade good because it was easier to process in bulk and lent itself better to industrialization.)
You're right, nettle and hemp were fibres used in various locations during the medieval period, but there's only so much we can cover off in a 10 minute video! If you're interested in hearing more, let me know and I'll add it to my to-film list 🙂
I think cotton took over with the invention of the spinning Jenny and automatic loom.
@@williambrown6921: There were also issues with the cost of cotton - it takes a lot of water and labour to grow. That was why it was a profitable cash crop (along with tobacco and sugar) for slave owners to grow, you couldn't make a profit growing the stuff if you actually had to pay your workers.
I have modern minimalist shoes and they're the most comfortable shoes I own and they make me want historical shoes
Happy to help you find some if you want assistance, or patterns if you want to try making them yourself 🙂
@@YlvaTheRed Ooh, that'd be lovely, thanks!
@@ThatSpoonieTransGuy drop me a line some time, I'll happily point you in the right direction!
@@YlvaTheRed ohhh, i'd love that too!
@@YlvaTheRed I exclusively wear minimalist shoes and I’d love to make my own historical shoes! Can you share a link? 💕
Thanks for debunking these myths! It really helps me in debates about medieval fashion.
I think the misconceptions I hate the most is when people compare actual viking age peoples to history channel's "vikings"
Just because it's on the history channel, doesn't make it actually historically accurate!
@@YlvaTheRed I hate it, because people come up to my display at a faire and go "ugh you're boring" and walk away. Unless I'm making barely bread. People loooove watching me knead barley bread 😹
@@ginadushaj358 Oh that can be so disheartening!
@@YlvaTheRed someone literally said that, because I wasnt a painted faced, leather clad warrior with teased braids. Not like camping outside in an a frame in the middle of winter by yourself wasnt hard enough..
Then that person probably has never experienced what you have, and has yet to find the joy that comes from truly loving learning history. You and I both know they are missing out!
People who have experimented with natural dies often find that they fade when exposed to the sun, or washed frequently. The natural red dies are famous for doing this. This may be what lead to the belief that medieval clothing was drab looking. Besides, producing the fabric for a new gown is extremely labor intensive.
I have never in my life heard this nonsense of yellow being associated with prostitution. What odd corner of the world does this silliness come from? What fantasy book has spawned such insanity? Nice video btw. thankyou.
Well, actually this was quite common in Europe. Yellow was often used in the middle ages to mark those regarded as outcasts such as prostitudes and especially Jews. How the yellow colour had to be displayed varied from town to town.
@@katjathefranknfurter2374 please don't confuse 19th and 20th anti-semitic practices with the medieval. Yellow is one of the easiest colours to produce with medieval dying methods and just like pink or light blue was a common by-product of the attempt to create richer and darker colours such as bright red or dark blue. It may have been a symbol of the lower class but I can find NO evidence of it being associated with prostitution specifically whatsoever. If you have sources to validate this theory please link them by all means. I am most curious. May good fortune come thy way and to all you hold dear.
I thought it was red in Europe during the Roman age painted red lips for prostitutes and red clothing
@@katjathefranknfurter2374 Hi, I have a very diverse taste in my RUclips video consumption, so my brain went: Oh... I wonder if there is any connection with the quarantine flag, the flag being yellow. This is what you have to have to flag when you first arrive at a harbor in a new country. You can only take it in when you've done with all the paperwork and are allowed to stay. This is a praxis that has been around at least the 1600's, if not longer. back in history, and during the pandemic you couldn't even go to the dock unless the dock's doctor would clear you. Back in history it could take weeks to months to be allowed to come into harbor, due to quarantine restrictions. Probably having something to do with, among other things, the risk of spreading yellow fever and the plague to the next port of call. More recently it was the spread of SARS-CoVI-2 (aka the coronavirus). Yours, Ann
My late viking era kit has the following one a single belt: 3 knives for different uses. Minimalist leather loop to put axe in when needed (usually empty (its around the size of a 2d goose egg)) firesteel and flint in a special pouch. Comb, nailscraper/earspoon, sppon for food.
My modern stuff is safely hidden in a hedeby style satchel over my shoulder.
Thank you the clarity re colour pallette. It makes care even less about making myself a pretty yellow kirtle :)
Do it!
Great job talking about color while wearing brown!
Thanks for watching, I hope you get to see my other videos where I discuss (and wear) other colours, including the panel I was part of over on Opus Elenae's channel! 😊
Oops I also forgot felted hair/ fur and leathers, fur for clothing!!! Not how its used at a Ren Faire!!!
For the shoes, the uncomfortable part varies from person to person because a lot of it is dealing with familiarity in shoes. Someone used to the thicker and more grippy modern shoes and boots has more trouble with the medieval ones, the reverse would also be true. You use different strides, which can create their own issues with how your muscles are used and react leading to being sore a lot more easily until you adapt (same kind of thing as people adjusting to things like the barefoot shoes).
There are some major differences in things like that there.
Excellent video - I love your dedication to historical accuracy!
This is very helpful and definitely myth busting! thanks
Fantastic video! Great knowledge! Appreciated!
Thanks for watching! 😊
Thank you very much. Very well done!
Love the new intro! Really like this format of video - learned a lot! :)
Thank you! I really like the new intro too! 😊
Fantastic to see a colab, hope to see more :) And a good list too :)
Lots more awesome planned for the future!
I love your channel! I wear medieval clothing, in black, every day, as I'm an Orthodox Christian ascetic. Comfortable and practical for living off-grid, medieval clothing should be part of everyone's wardrobe!
Ylva, your braids are gorgeous!
As an egyptian i really like the shock for all the misconceptions i had about historical europ
I´m a reenactor from Germany and we hear and see so many misconceptions from visitors on medieval markets an tournaments, that we startet playing "bullshit bingo" to make it less frustrating for us :D
But the absolut worst one I heard, is that all the tents and fires and stuff is all fake because we didn´t have any wood in the medieval times, be cause it was brought to europe by the spanish from america.
The two misconceptions I seem to encounter the most is that 1. everybody thinks, that we had potatos in medieval times and 2. that chainmail was not rivited back in the time, only butted.
No wood in Europe? Just... wow.... 🤣
@@YlvaTheRed but the misconceptions about the reenactors are even worse I think.
trees are an invasive species 🤣🤣🤣 or where did they think wood comes from?
@@MirrorscapeDC I have no clue and I was too baffled to react in time🤣🤣🤣
1 We ran out of woods *here* fast during the early industrialization of the 1600 . Not medieval but so much later stuff gets associated with medieval.
2 I think there is an excess of tents and fires, much/most stuff was done without tent or fire. I mean campaigns were done during the summer recess. Personally I went trekking without tent (last century) as they were expensive and heavy (had a body bag instead, although I hated the concept)
Loved it!
Ooh yes all misconceptions that I have heard many a time. The misconceptions don't stop when we start studying the sources though either. One I run into is that seams on stocking/hose feet that run under the sole must be unbearably uncomfortable, despite it being the more common construction method. I don't think we think we're so smart as to look at the evidence and think we know better, but a lot of effort and money goes into a good reproduction and we don't want to take risks that the finished product will be unwearable.
100% yes!
I have read elsewhere that the seam of the chaises being underneath the foot would have felted quite quickly, which would make it more smooth and comfortable and reinforce the seam.
It’s a great point that “we think we’re so smart.” They wouldn’t have made things the way they did if they sucked to use, especially something as customizable as clothing. Medieval people were just as adaptable and clever as we are. 😄
Murex purple almost never lost its fishy smell, so it would be easy to tell the difference. (That particular smell couldn’t be replicated.)
Scotland was fairly drab in color choice for the commons. Most colors and dyes were heavily taxed as they were imported.
Great production!
Cheers!
Fascinating!
Hell yes I loves this video! I fight at my local RennFaire and was looking up clothing. This is fascinating
Plenty more videos on clothing on my channel (and in the works)!
I have never ever heard anyone say “wool sucks.”
I have and often. because the wool most people can buy isnt of fine quality and it itches
This is awesome. I actually have black clothes as a person’s wardrobe choice. (Fantasy with medieval basis) And he goes to the wool sellers and the dyers (dye witches in my story because they work magic) and he has a relationship with them that spans countries because he always looks for the darkest wool and the best dark dyes. And pays well even though the darker wool where he is doesn’t get as good a price, because clothes are more commonly brighter or lighter in color.
The Little Ice Age started at the latter end of the Middle Ages and went to the 19th Century. The majority of the period was relatively warm.
I dont know if the belt thing is necessarily true, perhaps for the average peasant maybe, but a soldier or anyone who did a lot of travelling may have 2. A tool belt and a regular belt. If they wanted to take their tools off to rest, they can just take the tool belt off instead of taking off all the tools as they had another belt on to keep their tunic in place.
It was quite common to have several 'belts'. The one holding your clothes (especially when you're wearing hose), and one where you have your tools attached to - be it weapons, bags and purses, a bunch of keys or household items. In my viking reenactment group here in Germany we would wear up to 3 or 4 belts, the majority of them being being woven or braided though.
There are a few things about this video that i just so know to be wrong. The Hose/Pants thing is the biggest issue. Pants have been worn till the end of the early medieval times, as several founds prove. And according to illustrations and less complete founds, it seems pants came back early on in the late medieval era. So basically, Hose were only a big thing in Europe during 'High' or Mid medieval period, where they somehow forgot how to make pants. Maybe except for the southern states where it could get pretty warm even back then, or for some 'fashion' reasons like the pubic capsule.
@@olgahein4384 glad we agree :)
Sometimes it's just basic common sense and logic too, like with the pants.
This is brilliant and all, but there were only four seasons of Game of Thrones.
Please check out Romeo and Juliet 1954 as well the palates and outfits in there are fantastic as well!
Thanks for samples
Very enjoyable. Have you done a video on jewels of the era? And misconceptions? That I would really love to see. Well done folks. Bright Blessings.
I've not done that topic yet, but that's an interesting suggestion, thank you!
I can speak to it a little bit.
Gemstones were limited to those from Eurasia, mostly, since there was no contact with the Americas and limited with Sub-Saharan Africa (and what there was was predominantly through Islamic territory) until the Age of Exploration.
Various jaspers, quartz varieties, carbuncles (they did not distinguish thoroughly between red multiple translucent red stones, including red spinels, garnets, and rubies), emeralds, various sapphires (ruby is red corundum, all other colors are sapphire), onyx (which, though rarely naturally a homogeneous black, has been artificially made so since antiquity), jet, amber, aquamarine, lapis, malachite, topaz, diamonds, and many others (although not remotely as many as we use today).
Cuts were anywhere from exclusively to predominantly cabochons (the rounded shape), depending on the stone and period. Precision gemcutting was advanced considerably in the 16th and 17th centuries; previously, they did not have the tools to make complicated, precise, a delicate cuts for the harder stones, so they often basically filed them into round-ish shapes. The did occasionally produce simpler flat planes, though, such as a large, flat surface with single or double-beveled edges and later on, (I think beginning somewhere in either the 15th or 16th century?) the rose cut. Regardless of the cut, though, they tended to take a place of far lesser prominence compared to today, as they were often smaller and/or much more covered (or even outshone) by the surrounding metal or decorative design.
Intaglio-gems inscribed with images and/or text-were also decently popular, especially for period esoteric purposes. Related to that, stones might be worn for social purposes (much as any clothes) and/or may have been worn for the magical attributes believed to be associated with them.
Next you'll be telling me that ancient Romans and Greeks didn't wear little bits of leather around their wrists
Hi there,
A bit late to the party but I just came across this video. Great information!
It would have been great with some sources for the information, like paintings or other types of sources. Sometimes you come across conflicting information on the internet (yeah I know, who would have thought!) and then it's always great to be able to listen to people who can point to actual sources.
You two seem very knowledgeable, but how do I know what you say is true? 🙂
The funniest one I get to explain is the disappearance of pants following late antiquity or the very early Middle Ages until the advent of joined hose in the late 14th to early 15th. No pants for you.
Omg this was AMAZING. Immediately liked and subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! ☺
@@YlvaTheRed literally going to binge watch every single one!!!!
@@AlltheKingsdresses don't judge me too harshly on my early attempts 😅
@@YlvaTheRed I love the pink dress! I have so much pink silk and satin to make my medieval clothes from. I'm in the USA and pretty much just doing it for fun,but I love to costume and when I found the medieval world I dove in. I'm going to be French around the 1400's and a wealthier person so I have luscious and extremely extravagant fabric that I've collected for like 2 years. I've made lots of undershirts and brais and about to move to my intermediate and outer layers next. lots of fur and pearls. Again ita just a new hobby for me after sewing for over 20 years and I'm trying to learn everything I possibly can!!!!! Your videos have really renewed my motivation!!!!!!!
@@AlltheKingsdresses I'm excited for you, this sounds like such an adventure!
Love the video very informative. I was wondering though are you maybe able to add pictures of something as examples to help people visualizer what you are talking about? I have autism and fibro fog from fibromyalgia so my brain isn't very "with it" appt of the time I had to keep pausing to really try and remember what you were talking about. I don't mean any offence by it, it's my own problem I was just wondering if it's something you could do in other videos as I really liked this one and want to subscribe. Great work getting these facts and putting all this together Xx
Thanks for the feedback, I will take it on board for future videos! 🙂
The Welsh Viking channel often illustrates his videos like this. If you haven’t already it might be worth checking out.
@@dees3179 an excellent channel, definitely check his work out!
Sumptuary laws just for social class differentiation? I guess it was a critique on people saying you can't wear this or that as a reenactor because of history and sumptuary laws and making it a social class fight is so much in line with our modern taste.
My thought is that historical shoes are only uncomfortable for people because they've been using modern shoes with lots of padding their whole lives, and their feet aren't acclimated
Very true!
Where did the yellow hood thing come from? I've never heard that before.
I'm not sure where I originates from, but it is one I've heard do the rounds a few times over the years, so I thought it would be a good one to cover.
I heard it as yellow dress. But I don’t think discounting an entire color would have happened.
There are some beautifully soft British wools. My personal favourites are Blue faced Leicester and Shetland.
I realize that I am personally responsible for some of these myths, and I would like to take some time to amend those mistakes.
🤣
Wool sucks only if you're allergic to it.
When I go to an event, I see every color in the rainbow. (And a few that aren't!)
Wool is awesome! Cotton is rotten. The best dressed corpses in the rockies are wearing cotton.
Cotton was actually heavily used in certain regions of Europe, and it was also mixed with linen, wool and silk.
thank you, very educational. now if i may ask a question that will expose my ignorance: there is a line of clothing called "holy clothes", they look different from what you are wearing, so are they authentic or fairly authentic or just fantasy? ps i love rayon and realize that is not a medieval fabric.
I am familiar with Holy Clothing and while I LOVE their styles, I've yet to see one I would say is historically accurate. I would say they are more fantasy.
Thanks for watching!
Nice vid... love it. But Turnip may be incorrect.
At one point he mentioned a cold period. Right. Context required, as the medieval era was vast and included different climates.
The MWP medieval warm period was far from cold. Imagine a heatwave from the 10th century to the 14th. That's pretty much the classic medieval period.
So I can only assume he's referring to Little Ice Age which occurred from the 14th century and to the 17th century.
The early medieval was pretty regular.
Either way. The high middle ages was hot. They grew vineyards in England.
I must admit I've never heard of most of those, but this is very interesting.
Especially the shoes. I've never thought about it before, but now I want to have them
Though from what I've read (from books written in and about much more recent times, too - probably not even 100 years ago), villagefolk for the most part just did not wear shoes most of the time. I think it's because shoes were expensive and had to be kept whole for as long as possible, so using them was reserved for either the colder parts of year or special occasions.
One thing I don't get about all those layers of clothing, though - did people never get too hot with all that? Wearing multiple layers of clothing in the summer (when even a single layer can feel too much sometimes) sounds like torture to me.
Multiple layers of modern fabrics in modern cuts are frequently hell. Remember, wearing poly or nylon fabrics is like wearing spun trash bags. The blends are not much better. Also, modern patterns tend to be tight where narrow-loom square cutting is loose.
I gave up artificial fibres in the 90s. Cotton, silk, linen, ramie, and tropical wools. Also, hiding your skin from the sun in loose clothing is cooler.
Where do I live? Honolulu. Our winters are like medieval spring.
English wood did suck! Adam Smith pointed this out in his book The Wealth of Nations. It was propaganda that it was better. Sheep in England were raised mostly for their meat. Also, export restrictions on wool were to the benefit of weavers. So one could export cloth but not raw wool.
Never heard the myth of black being unattainable. A rich jet black was just expensive, right?
A true black would have been hard to obtain, though possible, and likely wouldn't have been colourfast. Having said that, what they called black back then is different to what we think of it as now.
@@YlvaTheRed Ah yes, interpreting colour terms between languages (and even between different forms of the same language) can often be tricky!
The colour issue is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, particularly in relation to some bodice rippers.
I was watching one on the television some years ago where the Victorian working class people were all portrayed as wearing various shades of dark grey and no jewellery or ornaments of any sort. (It might have been a dramatisation of a story by Dickens.) When I compared and contrasted that in my mind with pictures of refugees from the latest crisis it wasn't adding up. The refugees virtually all have some forms of jewellery or ornamentation, even if it's just some cheap beads. There is a natural human tendency for us to want to decorate ourselves, whether with makeup or embroidery or found objects.
Anilin dyes 1850 were a revolution
Yellow hoods may also be a holdover from the ancient Roman idea at one point that prostitutes had to bleach their hair blonde. The Eastern Roman Empire continued with many of its laws, beliefs, and customs well into the early to middle medieval period. "Way back in your great-great-granny's day, her golden hair constantly had people calling her a prostitute, even though she never did a lick of that work! When you put your yellow mantle (archer's hoodie) on yer head, that makes me think of that story, it's just the same color as she was said to have had!"
I'm wearing turn shoes right now. Modern leather slippers are still made that way.
What about frayed and unfinished clothes? Clothes are valuable and were left in wills so they aren't going to have frayed hems. Just saying.
1:37 It is clear you mean "sumptuary laws" (laws against sumptuary or luxurious behaviour or limiting such) and not "sanctuary laws" (like you cannot arrest a criminal given asylum in a sanctuary, unless ....).
A probably difficult question is _did medieval people wear underwear?_
It's one of the mundane and yet taboo topics that get barely mentioned and probably depended a lot on the local culture. I know that even until recently socks were rare and pants not used in some regions (especially if you've got a kilt, or skirt). Bikini are also far more recent than most people realise...
If you haven't already, check out Rosalie Gilbert's work, she's on fb and instagram, and has her own website. She tackles LOTS of taboo topics (and recently released a book on the sex lives of medieval folks)! Love her work!
Wool is my superfabric.
It's so great, right?
What would priests who weren’t part of a religious order wear? I’ve never found much on the subject. Thanks!
That's a pretty niche area of research that I'm not very familiar with, but perhaps the folks over at Popula Urbanum would be better equipped to answer it!
@@YlvaTheRed thanks!
Interesting video, but one that would benefit greatly from some visualisations of the things you're talking about.
Did people wear shoes woven from grasses and plants like yucca like were work by native tribes here?
I teach people how to make footwear from the 1700-1800's that was worn in my area. I wondered if everyone was rich enough to get full grain leather then or if people made do there as well?
Yucca woven shoes are surprisingly comfy and last a season. Of course they are not warm for winter but were great for summer
There are a remarkable number of leather shoe finds from different regions in Europe from across the medieval period. I have seen far less evidence for plant based footwear in the same areas. Some shoes may have had moss or straw stuffing/padding, but the structure of the shoes are primarily leather. Having said all that, I have definitely not read 100% of the literature on medieval shoes, I am only speaking to what I have seen thus far.
@@YlvaTheRed would be fun to pursue the knowledge! I now have yet another thing I will study when it snows more!
I enjoy your videos, I learn so much, I appreciate that you never pretend to know more then you do and encourage others to learn more as well.
YOU ROCK!
I am making hand warmers for the gentlemen at the veterans home here, they really like them.
No YOU rock!
I believe honest conversation can be had if we're willing to admit we don't have all the answers but are open to learning. That's how we grow!
I'm sure the veterans really appreciate what you're doing for them ❤
It has been a long time since I've dug though the literature, and I'm not even certain which sources I'd go look at to confirm, but in the early 2000s I did a lot of research into pre-roman celtic society and I do recall references made to celtic and gaulish sandals made from straw or reeds, but this was the chalcolithic to pre-classical ancient world and I cannot right now recall if these references were made in regards to oral tradition or because of a find of some sort. (In the back of my mind I'm thinking there was a story about one of the Fianna receiving/stealing a pair of shoes from Manannán Mac Lir made from special reeds which allowed him to walk on water.) However, I have never seen anything remotely like a woven sandal in a medieval context. Pattens and clogs made of wood, leather shoes, and slippers made from wool and silk; but no plant fiber.
@@TheTurnipOfTerror I wonder if they are mostly a First Nations item? I have found they were and are still made in South America too, different climates perhaps?
OHH, so excited, THANKYOU for the extra ideas dear Turnip of Terror! love the name!
Another point Cotton did exist but wasn't used in Norther Europe since it was hard to grow there!!!! It does appear in Eastern and southern Europe clothing, as does imported Silk from Asia for the very wealthy!!!! Those baggy pant, do appear in the Moorish Arabic fashions of Spain, and very far East Europe in the steps, and in the Ros of Russia. Influenced by Asian Influences!!!
I wouldn't say it wasn't used in Northern Europe, after all, trade is a thing. People didn't have to grow their own cotton to have clothes and fabrics made out of it. It might've been less common in the Northern region, but definitely not unheard of.
The notion of things like cups or mugs on belts did happen in period painting for peasants, however it wasn't everywhere. They didn't seem to use goblets or have straps holding them!! It is true wealthier people had Servants and tableware was in locked chest when nobles traveled, sometimes traveling with rooms of furniture!!! Most people who could afford knives had them, the mullite tool of the age!! And if wealthy a purse for money, in latter periods they also sometime had keys! But no they didn't load there belt down with crap!!! For knights a sword!!!
what was used to spin fiber
Depended on the location and time period, but pretty universally, you could assume europeans probably used a spindle. Whether or not it had a whorl will depend on some variables.
In Scotland a drop spindle called a Daelgan.
@@YlvaTheRed when was the spinning wheel popularized? I'm afraid my knowledge of historic fabric work does not go quite as far as the medieval period so forgive me - but my grandmother (born in 1934) didn't even know what a spindle is when I asked her, but she has had a spinning wheel.
One of the earliest renderings of a spinning wheel in Europe is the Luttrell Psalter, though the Ciba Review puts its arrival in the 1400s. It was invented in India c.1000 at least, and first used only for plying threads spun on a drop spindle.
I really enjoy listening to such information, thank you. I have a burning question though - did the folk in Medieval times find themselves slipping and falling all day on account of their smooth leather soles? I doubt it... So - they MUST have resolved the issue, if only in part... So, how?
A large part of it is probably just practice. That's the only kind of shoes they knew (other pattens and the like) so they just would have been more familiar with how to walk in them on different terrain than the average person today is. But also, I am familiar with some viking age evidence that suggests a pitch- or tar-like substance might have been applied to some shoes to assist with grip. And on top of that, they probably DID misjudge things and fall over on occasion, they were only human after all!
They walked differently. You develop muscle habits from walking in modern shoes, and they serve you ill in moccasins, Hullacans, and other soft soles. You have to learn to step down on the ball of the foot, rather gently, rather than slamming down on your heel. Also, they weren't much on concrete and asphalt. Packed dirt feels different.
But going up wet grass in smooth soles never works, even men's dress shoes. You have to try it sideways, like you were on skis, and that's why you have a walking staff.
I see nmany clothes for women do not have front openings. How did they nurse their babies?
A highly contentious topic, most certainly!
My Medieval clothing are all different colours and none are black or brown .
I have actually seen at least one person claim that historically accurate Knights, with their fancy tabards and crests, looked like clowns. Excuse me but, if you were an important person in your community, would you prefer to be gunned down like a dog? Or, would you rather be able to be recognized? The Knights' regalia was *NOT* there to scare you or make you laugh, it was f-ing insurance!
I knew almost all of these. I thought these where comon knowledge facts
Am I the only one who thought she said lycans and not lichens?
I mean, I'm sure if you tried hard enough you could get purple from lycans too 🤣
Welllllllllllll my girl crush is complete. That movie is my most favorite
Isn't it great?!
I'd add one of the most common misconceptions here, which is: "There was no cotton in Medieval Europe" or "Cotton was super expensive".
This has been proven wrong by many researchers who collected their work into books, most notably Mazzaoui about the Italian cotton industry. It's been proven not only that there were major cotton manufacturers in Italy, France and Southern Germany starting from the 12th century, but that the price of cotton was, in a lot of cases, lower than linen. Cotton was also heavily mixed with other fabrics, like linen, wool and silk. Priest's robes and women's dresses were made of fustian from the 13th century on, which is a heavy cotton cloth, just to name one material.
As long as we allow wealth inequality to exist, we will have privilieged people who can afford to be effectively above the law.
It's sad people think of Medieval colors as grey green iron brown. I like to point out sumptuary laws were passed only after the lower classes were found dressing like nobles. I tell 0eople watch The last fuel then The adventures of Robin Hood 1938. Then understand the 1938 movie was closer to reality in the color palette. Greens, browns & yellows were cheap so yes outlaws wore them. Reds, blues, orange were harder & hence middle class finally to the purples & scarlets of the wealthy.
The game of thrones series wasn’t accurate to the books.
so this was ENGLISH medieval not a blanket all over medieval?
Says “myth busting” is one of their favorite things, but still calls medieval Norwegians “Vikings”………
Just a reminder that a “Viking” is to go raiding.
It is some you DO, not something you are.
Accessibility of information is also one of my favourite things, which can often involve meeting people where they are, not where I think they should be. I often use the term Viking in the way layfolks use it, because we can't educate and gatekeep at the same time, and expect to be effective in our endeavours.
"Vikings" in the lay context can refer to EARLY medieval Norwegians, sure, but also the early medieval Hiberno-Norse, Swedish, Danish, Germans and more, so it is an easily digestible cover-all term, which is great for effective communication with people new to the subject where "viking" is the only point of reference they have.
this content is mighty interesting. only too bad the quality is a little less. get urself a pro camera, get more moving instead of just reading a text in front of a camera and you got urself a hotshot channel xxx
I appreciate the feedback, when I'm earning enough YT revenue to buy a better camera I will, but for now, I'm working with what I've got. Feel free to check out some of my other videos and give feedback on those too!