March 2011
Revised September 2018
This past fall, I had opportunity to make Anglo-Saxon style garb for the escort procession of Anne, Queen of Northshield. Given the name of
my blog you can rightly assume that Anglo-Saxon is not my specialty. I have a
ringer of a resource, however, and I highly recommend it as readable and
accessible: Owen-Crocker, Gail R. Dress
in Anglo-Saxon England, revised edition. Boydell Press; Woodbridge, 2004.
One of the things that immediately stood out to me was
the apparent Byzantine influence on Anglo-Saxon dress in the 8th -10th
centuries. It’s a very subtle influence—certainly not as much as the 7th-9th
centuries--, but the minimal decorations that were chosen for women’s garments
in the period exhibit it, in my estimation. I believe there is similar influence on Sicilian and
Abbasid dress during the same period. Given the wealth and power of the Eastern
Roman Empire, as the Byzantines called themselves, this is not surprising.
Elements of Garb
Based largely on Owen-Crocker's research, women’s Anglo-Saxon garb of this period follows the
standard formula found across the Western and Middle Eastern world at that
time: Two distinct visible layers of tunics, at least one head covering,
covered legs, and a cloak or wrap over all. Jewelry was common; however I noted a distinct lack of necklaces in this period. I will discuss the choices I
made for this garb, and encourage to reader to seek out scholar Owen-Crocker’s tome for expanding her knowledge.
Tunics
As part of the retinue/retainers for the Queen, we were
directed to wear muted versions of the Northshield patriotic colors at the top
layer (black and gold, muted to grey and pale yellow). I selected a herringbone tropical weight wool in dark grey for
this project. I also made hosen and a new veil. For the undertunic I used an
existing gold linen Byzantine-style tunic from my closet. The cloak is simply my
regular rectangular wool wrap, and my existing shoes leather turn-shoes were nearly perfect for presenting my estimation of the period look. The jewelry was also selected from my wardrobe.
After examining the images from Owen-Crocker’s book, and
from Internet searches, I choose to modify my existing Middle Eastern tunic
pattern—already designed to accommodate a luxury sized body (the following post
will explain this in more detail). Knowing that I would need to be able to set
up break-down thrones and tote many things, I selected a modest sleeve style that gently
narrowed to the wrist. I also elected to make a scooped neckline, rather than
my standard slit neck. In extant images, women’s veils cover their necklines.
Veil
For the veil I purchased “veil weight” linen from on-line
and was very disappointed. Once washed, the fabric looked distinctly like
cheese-cloth; the linen fibers appear to have been cut before spinning and produced a
“hairy” look that more resembles cotton. The yarns were not as fine as I would
have preferred for a veil, and were loosely woven. Being tight on time and
resources I advanced with this fabric anyway. I cut two rectangular veils from
2 1/3 yards of fabric, each 30 inches wide, and used Eithni’s Magic Veil Stitch http://eithni.com/library-htm/ to finish the edges.
Wrapping an Anglo-Saxon veil from this period appears to
be tightly prescribed, judging from the images included in Owen-Crocker's research. The “tails” of the rectangular veil appear to always be on the
right shoulder, with the tail falling straight off the head staying in front of the crossed tail, rather than
being “held” by the tail that passes across the body. For this Minnesota girl,
quite accustomed to wrapping modern winter scarves tightly, the difference
causes pause every time I dress.
The veil is secured to the head with pins. Owen-Crocker
explains that while pins are rarely depicted, extant pieces indicate that their
use was quite common. I used glass-headed pins made by Master Ivan Matfeevich
Rezansky, of Jararvellir. Having a modern haircut means finding creative ways
to attach a veil to my head. Working from the crown of my head, I make two
little standard braids. If I held them up, they would look like antenna poking
out from my head. Then I finish my hair as I normally would. These little
braids are where I secure my pins.
Footwear and accessories
Owen-Crocker suggests that footwear for women was typically ankle shoes with a
slightly pointed toe, in black leather. The leather shoes that I wear for
Middle Eastern garb meet the description except for the color, so I was lucky
there. Lacking these shoes, I would have worn felted slippers. The hosen I made
have a separate entry in this blog, above.
The brooch I selected was made by Raymond’s Quiet Press,
a place I highly recommend for timely, affordable service and excellent
products. My earrings were drop pendants of amethyst, and I wore a Byzantine
style ring. I will probably make a wire wrapped ring such as those mentioned by
Professor Owen-Crocker for future wear with this outfit.
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