[Regia-NA] Sumptuary Laws

[Jan Ward]

Hrolf wrote:
<ideally linen underdress..poor colour, woollen
overdress, undyed, head covering and shawl/ cloak.
This is what we start our new comers in.>

By "poor colour" do you mean a colour poor folk could
afford, or fabric poorly dyed?
And why undyed woolen dress? Almost any weed will give
some color to wool. Wide range of yellows and tans.
Reds, blues and greens might be expensive, but the
yellows and tans aren't. Well, weld is pretty
expensive here, but onion skins are free. 
Was it a case of slaves not being allowed colored
stuff (or the time to color it)? 
I'm not arguing for you to change policy or anything,
I'm just curious. 
Is Gale Owen-Crocker OK for costume sources?
Does your group hold workshops for persona development
and things? I'm trying to put together a library of
books that an Anglo Saxon woman might have read. I
have Asser's  _Life of Alfred_, the Leech Book of
Bald, Lacnunga, and some Anglo Saxon poetry. I had
Bede, but lost him in my last move. Just checked David
Brown Book Company (Oxbow U.S.), and they have it in
stock again. Bede describes using shellfish to dye
reds. I think it's a "dog whelk", or something.
There's one along the coast of central America that
also gives a red dye. 
Did they have Books of Hours then, or is that a much
later invention? They would have had books of Psalms,
at least. 
I imagine as a beginner I'm expected to be illiterate,
but when I move up in the world, I plan to read a lot.
Ohmigosh--am I supposed to learn to read AngloSaxon?
Do they have books for that? 
Lacnunga and the Leech Book are printed with the
modern text on one page and the O.E. on the facing
page. Whew. I'd better get busy.
Edwinna


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