Garment Cloth Weaving, Suitable for Viking Age Leg Wraps

Brgia Vadesbana (Brenda Gerritsma) Feb 1, 2008 For Avacal Princi alit! A"# $%am ions%i

The majority of cloth oven in !orthern "urope #uring the Viking Age as of ool or linen$ %or the purposes of this paper & am focussing on ool, as the fin#s of probable leg rap material is pre#ominantly of ool$ There ere a variety of sheep available at this time, ith fine hite ool from importe# 'oman bree#s, an# coarser hite, grey an# bro n native stock$ ( The sheep oul# have been sheare# to obtain the ool, as the most of the bree#s use# #o not go through an annual moult$ The fleece oul# be separate# into coarser an# finer ools an# usually ashe#, then combe# to pro#uce a more regular ell)spun yarn$ * The yarn oul# have been spun on a #rop spin#le, usually in a +) spin, as that is the spin that comes most naturally to a right)han#e# spinner$ , -ost cloth in early -e#iaeval "urope as ma#e on a arp) eighte# loom, hich consiste# of t o uprights, usually leaning slightly against a all or ceiling beam, an# toppe# by a revolving beam to hich the arp en#s, or a tablet oven starting bor#er . ith long efts emerging from one si#e, hich become the arp for the cloth/ are secure#, an# onto hich the cloth is rolle# up as it is oven$ 0n the uprights are brackets in hich to rest the he##le ro#s hen they are lifte#, an# in front of the arp rest the he##le ro#s, to hich the arps are tie# ith loops of cor# to open she#s for the eft to pass through$ !ear the bottom a she# ro# is fi1e#, an# the arp threa#s are place# over or un#er them, to create the 2natural3 she#, the she# hich is open hen none of the he##le ro#s are lifte#$ At the bottom of the loom eights are tie# to hol# the arp threa#s un#er tension$ The loom is orke# most easily by t o people, one on each si#e of the arp$ The eft threa# is passe# through the open she# to the other person, they raise or lo er the appropriate he##le to create the ne1t she# an# pass the eft back$ A eaving s or# or batten is use# to beat the eft up into position$ A eaving comb or pin beater can be use# as ell, for smaller areas of eft$ The pin beater is also use# to pick out an# apart knots an# tangles$ Warp) eighte# looms seem best suite# to eaving balance# t ills in fine orste# an# semi) orste# threa#s, hich form the majority of te1tile fin#s in northern "urope circa 455)(555 C"$ 6 Another possibility is the t o)beam loom, intro#uce# by the 'omans into northern "urope$ T o) beam looms ere free)stan#ing an# secure# to the floor$ The upper beam serve# as the anchor for the arp threa#s, an# the revolving beam on hich the as)yet)un oven arp threa#s ere oun# .i$e$ the arp)beam/$ The arps then passe# over the she#)ro# an# oven from the bottom up .in contrast to eaving on a arp) eighte# loom in hich the eaving is #o n from the top/, an# the oven cloth is rolle# onto the cloth beam at the bottom$ The eaver oul# likely have been seate#, an# the loom can be orke# ith only one eaver$ 7 The thir# possibility is a form of ban# loom$ While no ban# looms have been foun# in the Viking Age, neither the arp) eighte# loom nor the t o)beam loom oul# be all that practical for eaving narro ork$ Simple ban# looms consisting of nothing more than some she#)
( *

Walton)'ogers, *55, pg (*7 Walton)'ogers, *554 pg (7 , Walton)'ogers, *554 pg *( 6 -unro, *55, pg (8*), 7 -unro, *55, pg (8,

creating #evice like a rigi# he##le an# a arp secure# to some fi1e# point an# tensione# ith the bo#y of the eaver are possible$ The he##le #evice coul# be strings or a stiff material like oo#, ire, or ree# stretche# bet een t o parallel ro#s, ith perhaps si#e ro#s for support .necessary ith string he##les/ hich oul# allo the eaver to pull up the he##le to create one she# an# push it #o n to create another$ 9 Cloth as finishe# after eaving by stitching loose threa#s into the eave an# securing an# ti#ying up the arp en#s$ The cloth is then ashe# to close up the eave$ -ost ool as use# as it came off the loom, 4 though some ool as fulle# for greater ability to hol# armth$ %ulling involve# scouring, beating, possibly bleaching .for #yeing in the cloth/, an# teasing hich raises a nap in the cloth$ :o ever patterne# t ills ere rarely fulle#, as it oul# obscure the patterning of the skille# t ills hich ere the particular lu1ury pro#ucts of the arp) eighte# loom$ ; <ye analyses in Anglo)Sa1on te1tiles in#icates #ye# cloth as a lot less common than previously thought, an# occurre# ith greater fre=uency in accessories such as veils an# scarves an# in trimmings than in hole garments$ 'e#s an# purples ten#e# to be confine# to threa#s for embroi#ery, narro ban#s an# hea##resses$ >lues, greens, bro ns an# yello s ere a bit more common on larger pieces of clothing, an# also use# for accessories an# trims? blue in particular$ 8 The same is true in Scan#inavia, here un#ye# clothes ere the norm in #ay)to)#ay garments$ -ost un#ye# clothing came from naturally pigmente# ools, hich ere rarely #ye#, an# natural or bleache# linen$ <ye# ools ere pre#ominantly hite originally$ >lue is one of the commonest colours mentione# in relation to clothing in the sagas$ &t is also the usual colour of a specific type of cloth calle# >irka)type, hich is generally #ye# a #eep blue, as are the fine tabbies in high)status graves$ (5 >lue #ye came from oa#, in northern "urope$ While the chemical component in oa# is the same in in#igo, hich pro#uces more #yestuff, in#igo is a tropical plant that #oes not gro in "urope an# oul# have been impractical to import at that time, hen oa# as available$ &n#igotin is the only source of natural blue #ye$ (( 'e#s primarily come from ma##er, though some importe# #yes silks ere coloure# ith kermes, an# be#stra as also use#$ While ma##er as gro n in both "nglan# an# %rance, it as sparingly use# in both places an# rare in Scan#inavia$ @ermes is #erive# from a beetle, hich lives on the @ermes 0ak in the -e#iterranean$ (*

9 4

>arber, (88( pg ((9)4 Walton)'ogers, *554 pg ,; ; 0 en)Crocker, *556 pg ,5, 8 Walton)'ogers, *554 pg 9*), (5 " ing, *559 pg (76 (( Walton)'ogers, *554 pg 9, (* " ing, *559 pg (77)4

Aurple is most commonly #erive# from lichen$ Several lichens ill pro#uce this #ye in various sha#es$ &t as particularly favoure# in <ublin, (, but rare in much of "nglan#, perhaps reflecting a scarcity of the types nee#e#$ (6 Bello can come from a number of sources, one an uni#entifie# plant labelle# 2Bello C3 hich is only kno n in Scan#inavia$ (7 Among the Anglo)Sa1ons el# an# #yer3s green ee# ere use#$ They give bright, fast yello s, an# green ee# in particular as commonly use# ith oa# to pro#uce greens, hence its name$ (9 >ro n, asi#e from naturally pigmente# ool, came from the tannins in alnut shells$ Without a mor#ant, it gives a rich, re##ish bro n, (4 an# over)#ye# ith oa#, a #eep blue)black$ (; -uch of the eaving ork as #one in sunken floore# huts separate from the main house an# set asi#e for te1tile ork, ith looms permanently set up$ Such huts, ith loom eights still in place have been foun# in !orthern Lo er Sa1ony, central an# north est Germany, "nglan#, (8 an# Scan#inavia$*5 Literary evi#ence sho s signs of estate an# village orkshops as early as the 9th century in Continental "urope$ *( -any of the huts ere foun# in villages, ith loom eights still lai# out in ro s$ Some of the ro s ere over * m in length, suggesting looms ere too i#e for one in#ivi#ual to ork alone, an# eaving as a communal effort of several members of a family or community$ ** The eaving oul# have been #one by the omen of community, as suggeste# by the burial of spinning an# eaving tools ith omen, but almost never ith men$*, &n rare male graves ool combs are foun#, but eaving an# spinning tools ere foun# e1clusively in omen3s graves in Anglo)Sa1on "nglan#$ While orkshops ere often staffe# by slaves an# servants, even high) born omen ere often e1pecte# to learn to spin an# eave *6 &n the 4th to 8th centuries, increasing royal control over lan# cause# larger estates to start gro ing, hich fre=uently collecte# an# pai# their ta1es in goo#s$ "states often ha# eaving orkshops, hich pro#uce# the te1tiles for the estates an# for tra#e an# political e1change, *7 but as to ns began to gro again, the eavers an# spinners move# into the to ns$ *9 There as more organiDe# pro#uction in urban centres? in the 8th century at Coppergate, Bork eaving as separate# from the other te1tile processes, like at estate orkshops, but by the mi#
(, (6

ibid, pg (76)7 Walton)'ogers, *554 pg 9,)6 (7 " ing, *559 pg (74 (9 Walton)'ogers, *554 pg 9, (4 " ing, *559 pg (77 (; Walton)'ogers, *554 pg 96 (8 Eorgensen, *55, pg (*6 *5 " ing, *559 pg (9( *( :enry, *557 pg 76 ** :enry, *557 pg 7( *, Walton)'ogers, *55, pg (*7 *6 :enry, *557 pg 7*, 76 *7 :enry, *557 pg 7, *9 Walton)'ogers, *55, pg (*8

(5th century, each tenement seeme# to be involve# in all processes, hich may in#icate that estates ere moving their pro#uction into the cities closer to the markets an# setting up a piece ork system for their eavers >y the ((th century, the processes ha# all separate# to #ifferent parts of to n an# a more commercial system as emerging$ Along ith this came the intro#uction of the horiDontal trea#le loom an# the increasing involvement of men in certain areas of te1tile pro#uction$ >y (*th century eavers, #yers an# fullers ere forming guil#s, mostly ma#e up of men, suggesting that several parts of the cloth an# clothes making processes ha# become the purvie of men *4 There ere a number of common types of eaves use# in the Viking Age in northern "urope$ The most common eaves ere plain tabby, plain *F* t ill, broken chevron *F* t ill, broken #iamon#FloDenge *F* t ill, an# occasionally *F( t ill$ -ost threa# as +)spun, though eft threa#s ere not infre=uently S)spun for chevron an# #iamon# t ills, ith a +)spun arp$ *; "arly Anglo)Sa1on eaves in ool ere most often ;)(9 threa#s per cm$ Coarser fabrics ere also foun#, but people ten# to be burie# in finest clothes$ *8 Te1tiles in <ublin an# Bork ere similar to Anglo)Sa1on te1tiles$ ,5 Scan#inavian te1tiles ere similar as ell, but also ha# t ills of finer ool ith repeats at every (5)*5 threa#s in +F+)spin, in a higher threa# count per cm than else here$,( Leg rap cloth as generally of broken chevron t ill, 4$7)(5 cm in i#th, oven to siDe, rather than cut from a i#er piece of fabric$ They coul# be coul# be #ye# or un#ye#$ ,* They ere often of very fine cloth, ith high threa# counts, ranging from (6)*6 arp threa#s per cm, an# efts ;) (; per cm$ 'epeats at 9 or (5 threa#s ere the most commonly foun#$ Woa# an# lichen purple are the most common #yes use#$ ,, Accor#ing to the &celan#ic sagas, leg raps ere orn by men, an# only men$ Some form of cloth rappe# aroun# the leg as orn by omen, but it as #istinctly #ifferent from that of men, though the sagas #o not #escribe ho , other than that they probably #i#n3t cover all the same parts of the leg$ ,6 &n "nglan#, men ore leg in#ings from early Anglo)Sa1on times$ Later illustrations give the appearance that they ere like puttees, being i#e ban#s oun# spirally aroun# the leg, though a s=uare or rectangular piece of cloth can also be oun# aroun# the legs in such a ay as to create a similar appearance$ ,7 &n the (5th an# ((th centuries men of all levels of society ore rappe# leg)bin#ings in many illustrations, that appear to be rappe# over the foot as ell$ ,9 &llustrations sho ing omen3s legs are rare, but at least one (5th)((th century manuscript sho s a oman ith a strip of cloth oun# aroun# her leg from mi#)calf to ankle$ ,4
*4 *;

:enry, *557 pg 77, 7( Walton)'ogers, *55, pg (*7)9 *8 Walton)'ogers, *55, pg (*7 ,5 Walton)'ogers, *55, pg (,( ,( Eorgensen, *55, pg (,7 ,* " ing, *559 pg 87 ,, >eatson ,6 " ing, *559 pg 87 ,7 0 en)Crocker, *556 pg ((; ,9 0 en)Crocker, *556 pg *74 ,4 0 en)Crocker, *556 pg **9

&t is possible that hile ealthier members of society likely ha# purpose oven leg ban#s, poorer members coul# have simply use# strips salvage# from other cloth$ ,; &! $lot% -y cloth is ma#e from orste# ool threa#, less than 5$7 mm in #iameter, +)spun an# S)plie#$ As & am not a competent spinner, & must use commercially spun threa#, an# in this case, to use hat & ha# available at home$ >oth arp an# eft are the same threa#, as my only other choice as an acrylicF ool blen# .yuck/ of a slightly thicker #iameter$ & have oven a sample ith this thicker threa# for comparison$ The eave is a broken chevron t ill ith repeats every (5 threa#s$ -y selve#ges are not reinforce#$ & ha# consi#erable #ifficulty ith eaving this piece, partly #ue to lack of practice, as & have not oven on my loom in t o years, but also because & chose to eave in as perio# a manner as possible, something &3ve never trie# before$ & #i# not have a perio# loom available to eave the cloth on, so use# my horiDontal floor loom$ The arp as threa#e# through my he##les an# ree# .for spacing hen starting the ban#/ an# the trea#les ere use# to create the she#, as he##le ro#s of the sort use# on arp) eighte# an# t o)beam looms are not feasible ith a horiDontal arp$ >ut & chose to e1clusively use my shuttle .being the closest thing & have to a eaving s or#/ an# a eaving comb to beat in the eft$ This create# a great #eal of #ra )in at the e#ges an# #rifting of the arp threa#s as & ove$ To counteract this & use# a temple .basically a stick ith a pin at each en# slightly less far apart than the i#th of the arp/ to try to force the eave to revert to the i#th as it as originally threa#e#$ This is similar in function to a mechanism on arp) eighte# looms that involve hooks hooke# into the cloth just above here it is being oven an# attache# to the upright beams to control #ra )in$ While this #i# cause the overall i#th to increase close to the original i#th, the arp threa#s bet een the pins continue# to #rift, an# & as force# to use a secon# temple hich ha# pins appro1imately every 5$7 cm$ This controlle# the #rift of the arp threa#s some hat$ The ool is un#ye# hite ool$ Truthfully, & think hite leg raps to be a bit silly, an# ha# inten#e# to #ye them once & ha# oven t o of them an# coul# #ye them together$ Gnfortunately, as & coul# not finish enough for even one, the cloth is still un#ye#$ %or interest sake, an# to e1plain hy & have only * m of cloth, & as averaging 7)4 cm per hour$

Bibliogra %!
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,;

0 en)Crocker, *556 pg ((;

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