|
I have so much to say about the Else Østergård's books covering the clothing finds from Greenland, but will try to keep it to the necessities. I will note first that I feel that, in my library, that these books are regularly pulled off the shelf and put to use.
Woven into the Earth and Medieval Garments Reconstructed are companion volumes. The former is a very detailed book that first discusses the excavations of the medieval Herjolfsnes churchyard, and then gives excellent information on the process of crating textiles in period. If you are interested in wool, spinning and weaving, this book is a must-have for your library. Textile production tools, wool locks, and some extant cloth is well photographed and included. The next sections cover the construction and decorations of the garments, including some diagrams of stitches. Following that there is discussion of other extant garments, such as the Moselund kirtle, that are similar to those found at Greenland. Finally, each existing Herjolfsnes garment is photographed and described. The book concludes with tables of the textile finds that have information such as weave and thread counts. Medieval Garments Reconstructed is an elaboration on previous volume and specifically speaks to the individual who wishes to recreate one of these historic garments. There is even more detail here in terms of things like stitches and seams and gives a breakdown of the sizes for each of the existing items and then offers diagrams that can be blown up for use as patterns for reconstruction. |
   
The above images will allow you to click through to Amazon so that you can add them to your wishlist!
|
I will note here that the Herjolfsnes finds are dated several hundred years past the Viking Age. However, most of the information on textile production is still highly relevant as the use of dual coated sheep and the warp-weighted loom continued longer in Greenland than it did in many other places. These books are fantastic for that information alone. Beyond that, it is also important that Inga Hägg, in her work with the Hedeby textiles and garments, describes the construction of the garments there to be very much like those at Herjolfsnes. Indeed, Hedeby shows us that the Viking Age Norse had some advanced methods of tailoring such as set-in sleeves, and, with some careful research, the patterns in Medieval Garments can help you to construct items that would fit well into the late Viking Age. I personally used the books to pattern my first gown which I used for my Beyond the Aprondress class and handout. ( awanderingelf.weebly.com/blog-my-journey/beyond-the-aprondresss )
I actually have both of these books in an electronic format, but also own the hard copies as well (and tend to reference those more often than my electronic copies). They are great reference volumes and I often take Woven Into the Earth to events if I need to illustrate the process of crafting wool in period without taking my own bulky display.
Because I also like to include some additional resources that fit well with these volumes, I also recommend downloading the two articles below:
Dress, Cloth and the Farmer's Wife by Michele Hayeur Smith: This article gives additional details on textiles from Greenland, but also provides insightful information into what was being manufactured/used in Iceland at that time. It can help provide insight into how the Greenland cloth evolved, and this information assist a Viking Age researcher better determine what information in the books above might be unique to Greenland.
www.academia.edu/7441906/Dress_Cloth_and_the_Farmer_s_Wife_Textiles_from_%C3%98_172_Tatsipataa_Greenland_with_Comparative_Data_from_Iceland
The Burgundian Hat from Herjolfsnes Greenland by Michele Hayeur Smith: This study redates one of the hats from Herjolfsnes. The information given is very fascinated and shows us exactly how precious (and how often reused) cloth was in period.
www.academia.edu/23015256/The_Burgundian_hat_from_Herjolfsnes_Greenland_new_discoveries_new_dates
I actually have both of these books in an electronic format, but also own the hard copies as well (and tend to reference those more often than my electronic copies). They are great reference volumes and I often take Woven Into the Earth to events if I need to illustrate the process of crafting wool in period without taking my own bulky display.
Because I also like to include some additional resources that fit well with these volumes, I also recommend downloading the two articles below:
Dress, Cloth and the Farmer's Wife by Michele Hayeur Smith: This article gives additional details on textiles from Greenland, but also provides insightful information into what was being manufactured/used in Iceland at that time. It can help provide insight into how the Greenland cloth evolved, and this information assist a Viking Age researcher better determine what information in the books above might be unique to Greenland.
www.academia.edu/7441906/Dress_Cloth_and_the_Farmer_s_Wife_Textiles_from_%C3%98_172_Tatsipataa_Greenland_with_Comparative_Data_from_Iceland
The Burgundian Hat from Herjolfsnes Greenland by Michele Hayeur Smith: This study redates one of the hats from Herjolfsnes. The information given is very fascinated and shows us exactly how precious (and how often reused) cloth was in period.
www.academia.edu/23015256/The_Burgundian_hat_from_Herjolfsnes_Greenland_new_discoveries_new_dates
|
|
|
A Wandering Elf participates in the Amazon Associates program and a small commission is earned on qualifying purchases.
RSS Feed