Lucky coincidence?

I just realized that the dark brown with minty green "spots" wool that I bought last week to make a skirt from may be a prefect match to the minty green wool blend I got from my mum. Maybe. The brown wool won't be here until next week, since I left it with a friend so that I wouldn't have to carry it on the train, so I'll just have to wait and see.

16th century women's clothing in Sweden

A couple of months ago the principality of Nordmark was contacted by a Nest verch Tangwystl (I recognize the name, but don't know her - does anybody here do?) asking if someone could give her information on 16th century women's clothing in Sweden. I volunteered, but haven't had the time to write anything proper yet. I did, however, offer to send her my collection of images, but didn't get an answer; maybe my e-mail ended up in the trash-box. Be that as it may, I thought that if I'm going to write a good enough answer I may just as well write it in a form that can make an article for the Kingdom Newsletter, if not for a scientific journal (no time for that, and not enough new research yet). So that's what I'm doing now. It's also a good start for thinking about the section covering this period in my next book about gender and clothing (in Sweden) 1500-1830.

Woodcuts showing 16th century Sweden

While you (and me) are waiting for that article on swedish clothing you can always look at woodcuts from Olaus Magnus 1555 book History of the nordic peoples.



Some of the images are borrowed from other books of the period, but you can quite easy see which these are. Others are made especially for the publication and ought to give reasonably truthful image of nordic life in the 16th century. There are, however a lot of legendary stuff and kings in antique armour, but they are also easily spotted. Too much warfare and too few dresses of course, but what can one expect?

Dressed for court

Me and amonik posing by my new pavillion just before court during Visby medieval week.







The sunlight was really strong, so the colours look weird and off, even though we're both standing in the shadow of the pavillion.