Of Early Clothing and Other Things

So. I have been busy. I have, among other things, been hunting with black powder...longhunting, although I admit, I haven't been using my flintlock, Mary Elizabeth, due to not having the proper powder. I shall rectify that this coming weekend.

I have also been melding some of my longhunting kit with my paleo kit...like adding my fire drills into my blanket roll. Paleo folk probably would have had what amounts to buffalo robes (mammoth robes?) but those are a grand or more and there are none to hunt here so we make do as we can. Some neo folk had fiber arts and wool is among the oldest of those so a wool blanket works. Eh, I don't really need to justify it as I am not actually reenacting, but some folk might like a bit of explanation.

Research has shown that the dress of Otzi down through the Scythians, Celts, and even Woodland Indians here in America remained little changed. There are only so many ways one can make a pair of leggings..one of the most common elements...or tunic-dresses...after all. Cultural decoration can vary a lot, but the base garments and how they were worn..those are remarkably the same throughout. Otzi himself was wearing a loincloth, leggings held up by a belt, a tunic, and an over tunic, and a plaited reed cape plus hat. His quiver was nearly identical to many Native American types. In fact, overall, save for racial features, he would not have stood out at all....except he had a bronze axe. Forerunner to the axe and tomahawk.

I am working on making sets of leggings and the tunic dresses to go with them..and breechclouts. Yes, women wore them too, although mostly as a loincloth arrangement apparently. The clothing is simple, and given it persisted for some ten thousand years, functional. I figure it will do fine by me. I might get a lot of looks from folk, but between you and me, I would far rather be known as 'primitive' than as 'sophisticated'. Folk ought to look that latter word up sometime; sophistry comes from it, I might add. Yeah.

Yes, I am referring to daily wear. I have nothing to fear concerning a dress code since I am a stay at home parent...and even if I weren't, I would most certainly walk away from any job rather than have to conform to something that made me feel repressed. I have principles...I stand by them. End of story.

My ritual kit is also taking on the form of clothing I have been speaking of. Eventually I would like to make it entirely of brain-tan doe skin with the fur accents of course. No, I am not afraid to wear fur. While I absolutely detest the farming of animals for the purpose, I am not squeamish about being a predator in the natural order of things and taking hides from animals I hunt, or that other hunters get, is fine by me and I will wear them. Spit on me at your peril; I will most assuredly arrange a stay in the local hospital for you if you do so. Or worse.

Anyway, the type of clothing worn by longhunters was derived from Native Americans..and the types of clothing worn by Scythians, Celts, and even Otzi and his folk were all extremely similar. After all, we are all aboriginal if we go back far enough.

I am a Druid Archpriestess...and an independent one too. Suitable clothing for me I think..and it has the major benefit of making it easier for Seekers to find me, if they need and wish to do so. Visible and active....setting a kind of example for independence and self expression. Caution! Once outside of the box you can't really get back in...even if the box residents allow it for some reason. Thinking and self reliant people are not wanted in there.

So yep, I can do pretty much anything in a basic sort of clothing. Decoratively I am coming up with my own style and motifs...I really do not wish to step on any other cultures' way of doing things if I can avoid it. A little respect never hurts anyone. As I say though, there are only so many ways to make clothing for a human in the earlier periods so no one can claim sole right to elements of that clothing. They belonged to my ancestors as much as anyone else.

By switching out some types of gear for other types, I can easily switch between periods or even worlds. What are hosen, after all, but cloth leggings? Think about it. Pants are simply hosen that were joined together to create one piece. But I like the leggings so that is what I am going to use.

I will be making more moc-boots too. Creamy ones for ritual use, browns for other uses....although it is very possible that except when hunting the off-white or cream outfit will be my standard. For winter wear, a hat with fur. For Summer rites..a lightweight headdress with veil. For Winter, a muff to keep the hands warm between needs of exposure. Thick felt and wool. For Summer, linen, and brain-tan skins. The more I 'shift', the happier I become and happiness is a seriously desirable state in these times.

I am being myself. Following my Path. Doing the Work that has been set for me. More...I am enjoying it all. I cannot ask for more than that....for that is already some, that is.

Ken; pics of Otzis' quiver will be forthcoming soon. I am now working on a similar quiver for atlatl darts. I already have some buckskin bags for the fire drills and similar equipment. I even have a nice tobacco pouch....the herb is used in a lot of rites that I practice. Medicine pouch, making knife sheaths, and generally working with leather. Even without serious decoration, leather is lovely. I'm after beading...on some of the smaller bags I am after putting different designs of beading so I can readily identify them in the larger shoulder bag or pack without having to see them.

That's the update. Take it or no, as best suits you.

Eledhwen

Update

Popped into the Ranger forum a bit ago; it has been a bit since I was last in there. It has become a bit too medieval/norse for me, who is a fearsome Tolkien Middle Earth fan. I save my historical reenactment for paleotech, medieval hunting, and similar. Too much of a purist I guess; a character flaw.

Anyway. I have three atlatl darts...these have archery field points for target use and so I can become proficient with the weapons system without shattering flint tips, which require a fair bit of work to make. Flint tips would also do horrible things to the target. ;)

Looking at adding a plunge drill to my collection; it could make fire or be used for drilling holes when it was tipped with flint bits.

I will hopefully be working with bone and antler soon, to make needles, awls, shuttles for weaving, and whatnot.

Mulling over a kind of...I dunno what to call it...a kind of experience. Ah, can't go into detail at this point but it would involve some folk doing a number of things of paleo nature and then relating the experience. Sounds lame that way but I really do not want to go into details just now.

Anyway, hoping to be able to brain tan some hides here soon...and then make some garments of it.

Eledhwen