[Regia-NA] Sumptuary Laws in Regia?

[Wulfhere]

on 9/24/03 2:13 PM, Jan Ward at hawksbluff@yahoo.com wrote:

> I ran across a Regia page that showed the rank
> structure of Regia membership, and what the individual
> could wear for each rank.
> I probably won't be visiting England (or even New
> England) anytime soon, but when and if I ever get to a
> real Regia event, I would really like to be able to
> wear more than a sleeveless wool shift. First off, I
> can't tolerate wool next to my skin. So what do I have
> to do to graduate to linen?
> Also, was there a craftsman class living in the larger
> towns? I know that guilds are a much later invention,
> but were there people who made a living producing
> pottery and textiles and wood products in a workshop
> environment?
> Edwinna
> 
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  My research indicates "yes" on some levels, but "no" to what your
indicating. My SCA name is Wulfhere se Treowryhta(to use modern roman
script). Which would translate roughly to Wulfhere the wood worker.
According to the Academy of St. Gabriel that wouldn't be normal in period
because the habit of taking on a trade as a byname would indicate status.
Most scolars believe this was not true. Pottery was "rarer" than not and
textiles were women's work. I have recently been reading a book from the
York Archeological Trust about wooden finds at Coppergate. The general flow
of the research indicates that in the period 935-975 there was a continued
"commercial" production of turned wooden items on that site. Other finds
from earlier periods support that concept. The evidence in and of itself
only points to the fact that wood turning was done on this site. Because of
the skills involved it wasn't common slave labor. Documentary evidence does
not suggest that being a "tradesman" gave you any particular status however.
I have read comments that the tradesman could acheive the rank of Ceorl but
I'd bet that was based on how much land they could accumulate and not on the
value of their particular skill. I don't study garb but I have observed that
tradesman in illumination are dressed more like the peasantry than the
nobility. So, my suggestion would be to Marry into money.