Post by mthrguth on Mar 8, 2021 21:55:27 GMT
In Barker's Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome, figure 105; p 126, we find a Dark Age Scots Irish warrior of the lower nobility.
His cloak features a rather regular pattern created by 'small tufts.'
Splintered Light and Forged in Battle have followed this example by casting 'tufts,' on many of the Scots-Irish cloaks.
I could not find the original source for this figure.
My research from the internet led me to the following conclusions.
1. Some surviving Scots Irish cloaks are leather or animal skin and not cloth.
This makes sense to me. It can be rainy in Scotland and Ireland. Animal skin=Gortex of the ancient world. Wool equals a soggy mess. One article suggested that this was like wearing your sleeping bag.
2. I could not find any reenactors or modern manufacturers of cloaks with tufts.
3. I found one figure of a renaissance Irish figure with a few tufts on his cloak in red and white; perhaps a national field sign? but much later than the Dark Ages.
4. Could the 'tufts' actually be leather suture used to hold a stiff hide to an underlayer?
5. I cannot find any other 'tufted' Irish on the net.
Would anyone with Scots Irish or Norse Irish expertise like to comment?
I was rather hoping that the tufts would be human scalps. Irish legend does describe taking heads, but not scalps. An Irish Warrior appeared at a village one night and demanded hospitality. He was large and ferocious looking. Around the fire he boasted of his fighting skills. Tired of his bravado, one village soldier said, 'Wait until my brother gets back, he'll show you a thing or two.'
'Oh, don't worry about your brother getting back,' stated the warrior. 'He's already here!' And with that he tossed the brother's head across the fire......
His cloak features a rather regular pattern created by 'small tufts.'
Splintered Light and Forged in Battle have followed this example by casting 'tufts,' on many of the Scots-Irish cloaks.
I could not find the original source for this figure.
My research from the internet led me to the following conclusions.
1. Some surviving Scots Irish cloaks are leather or animal skin and not cloth.
This makes sense to me. It can be rainy in Scotland and Ireland. Animal skin=Gortex of the ancient world. Wool equals a soggy mess. One article suggested that this was like wearing your sleeping bag.
2. I could not find any reenactors or modern manufacturers of cloaks with tufts.
3. I found one figure of a renaissance Irish figure with a few tufts on his cloak in red and white; perhaps a national field sign? but much later than the Dark Ages.
4. Could the 'tufts' actually be leather suture used to hold a stiff hide to an underlayer?
5. I cannot find any other 'tufted' Irish on the net.
Would anyone with Scots Irish or Norse Irish expertise like to comment?
I was rather hoping that the tufts would be human scalps. Irish legend does describe taking heads, but not scalps. An Irish Warrior appeared at a village one night and demanded hospitality. He was large and ferocious looking. Around the fire he boasted of his fighting skills. Tired of his bravado, one village soldier said, 'Wait until my brother gets back, he'll show you a thing or two.'
'Oh, don't worry about your brother getting back,' stated the warrior. 'He's already here!' And with that he tossed the brother's head across the fire......
