[Regia-NA] getelds

[Steve Etheridge]

Hi, Jennifer

Just a few notes on the tent patterns/designs

First, remember that the "geteld" patterns are based on manuscript 
illustrations.  Thus all sizes etc are speculative - as are the pole 
arrangements.  It is difficult to scale from AS manuscripts, although I tend 
to think that the tendency would be to scale the people up relative to the 
tent, so the tents _might_ be larger than they seem.  Having been inside a 
replica of the Oseberg tent I can verify that this one is huge - designed to 
be transported by boat, not car!

Most people have getelds with a simple "goalpost" style set of posts.  (that 
would be what you would call a soccer goal, not what we would call an 
"american football" style of goal!) - two upright posts and one crossbar 
that extends through the "ears" at the end of the tent.  The "ears" are 
(IMHO) tubes to prevent rain etc from coming through vents in the tent - 
useful if you have candles and fires in the tent (not recommended today on 
safety grounds - but very likely that they would have done it).  It is 
entirely possible to have an A-frame arrangement for these tents - AFAIK 
there is no evidence for how the upright poles were done.

Wether there was a stitch line going underneath the crosspole is a matter of 
debate - as is so much else.  Such features are shown - I have interpreted 
it as being a piece of cloth lying along the ridge to act as a 
re-enforcement.

Many re-enactmet tents (mine included!) have a "side opening" flap - where 
the whole of the side of the tent can be lifted up.  AFAIK there is no 
evidence for this - we allow it so that the Members of Public who wander by 
can see what we are doing in our tents.  (we also allow "firepit covers" so 
that on the rare occasions that it rains in Britain our fires don't get put 
out - but we have only a little evidence for these.)

Please note that although these tents are called "saxon" or "english", they 
are probably based on late antique models.  The pictures in the Harley 
Psalter, for example, are copied directly from the Utrecht psalter.  Most of 
my sources are English in origin, but I suspect that continental sources 
would show something similar.

Of course, this begs the question about how much we can trust the evidence 
of the manuscripts.... but that's a whole different can of worms.

Hope this helps

Steve

BTW, I take it you've looked at http://www.regia.org/houses.htm

Ben levick did a good summary of the available evidence for tents before he 
got abducted by the C17th.  I'll probably dig it out for the revamped 
handbook



>From: JuditheileenY@netscape.net (Eileen Young)
>Reply-To: list-regia-na@lig.net
>To: list-regia-na@lig.net
>Subject: [Regia-NA] getelds
>Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2003 16:00:56 -0400
>
>Jennifer,
>
>Try this
>
>http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/miscellany_pdf/Other_Articles_I.pdf
>
>http://ask-vikingekampgruppe.dk/english17.html
>
>One of the California people made his first geteld out of painters drop 
>cloth canvas.  Not too expensive and ok for good weather events and to make 
>mistakes on.  Good luck.
>
>Eileen
>
>
>
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