Exhausted and excited

[frualeydis]

I'm back from Varberg. I'm exhausted. I have handled the Bocksten bog man costume: touched, looked at seams and construction and the structure of the fabric. I have four CDs with photos from 1936 when they found it and from the conservations in 1936 and 1982. Repeat: I have touched the Bocksten bog man costume!!! The only complete preserved medieval man's costume and 650 years old!!!
I also got a package from Sock Dreams.

Comments

[melaniesuzanne.livejournal.com]

Oooh! I am envious. It sounds like you had a wonderful time.

[gea-gilwen.livejournal.com]

That's not fair. You know that everyone's going to envy you, so why do you tell us? Don't boast about your socks.
Ok - all jokes aside.
The thing about the Bocksten bog man is just cool. You're competent, it's your job, you're nice - so it IS fair. 100% fair. :)
No envy... just a tiny little bit. ;)

[isenglass.livejournal.com]

OMG! That is so awesome. I tremble in your shadow. *grin* Seriously, I'm jealous!

[tattycat.livejournal.com]

Eeee! *excited* Waiting with bated breath for when/if you post photos. Also reminded I need to find better storage for the ensemble I have ("It's curious, how your mind leaps about so.")

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

That is so neat! I hope you will post/publish your research so we can all see it.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to take any photos, the photo rights belong to the museum. But they are working on a web site, so pictures and research will be much more available. I stressed that there is lots of international interest so I hope they will make an english version.

Eva

[therru.livejournal.com]

*swoons*

...Will you speak to us mere mortals, now?
so if I shake your hand, I will have touched somebody who has touched the Bocksten Bog Man's clothes? The mind reels...

Seriously, congrats! You've earned it. And enjoy your socks, too.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I wore gloves so my skin hasn't _really_ touched the costume. It was really fun and more exciting than I had thought it would be.

Eva

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

That is very cool!

The socks, too!

[m-nivalis.livejournal.com]

*grovels*
I'm not worthy...

[systemgoddess.livejournal.com]

Wow! That is so cool! So what did you think about his clothes?

[tattycat.livejournal.com]

Hurray!

[myralea.livejournal.com]

good girl! ;)

sounds lke you had a great time.

/m

[dame-eleanor.livejournal.com]

I'm very thrilled for you...and very envious. *sulk*

;D CONGRATS!!! How amazingly wonderful.

[systemgoddess.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Do you think the hood was felted in order to repel rain? And I wonder if the looser weft was to trap warmth in the cloth of the cloak. Like those loose weave blankets that are so warm? How neat to actually see something that old.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Most fabrics were felted. At least if you move away from the cheaper fabrics so it probably shows that a more exepensive fabric was used.
As for the weft, the weft is (almost) always spun looser than the warp so I don't think that was something special. The weave of the cloak is very cleverly used though according to Nockert, who has done the most recent analysis. It's a three shaft twill and on on eside you see more of the worsted yarn warp and on the other more of the woollen wft. The worsted yarn is shiny and rain slides off it while the woollen yarn gives a warm fuzzy surface.

Eva

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

It is incredible that something that old and that has been buried in a bog for 600 years should be in such good shape. I could have worn them without breaking them. We looked at them and discussed them but didn't coem up with anythign revolutionary. It was great seeing the fabric though, really seeing the difference between the fabrics in the garments. The cloak had a very pronounced difference between the darker warp and the looser spun lighter weft, while the tunic had more similar warp and weft. The hood's fabric was much more felted than the others and also darker.

Eva

[therru.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll just harbour some ordinary, good-natured envy, then. :)
It takes a certain kind of mind to find 600-year old textiles "fun and exciting". Feels nice to be in good company.

[systemgoddess.livejournal.com]

I'm just utterly fascinated by this. Thanks Eva!

Bocksten Man Costume

[(Anonymous)]

I would wholly agree that this must have been a fabulous experience to be able handle the real thing!

I bought a copy in Visby of the book that was published in 1997 and has an English summary.

It always amuses me the number of hoods I see during Medieval Weekthat are modelled directly on his. But of course they are closest to the real thing so in my view are as accurate as you can get.

What an exciting experience!

Paul Smith

Re: Bocksten Man Costume

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Hi Paul!
I was thinking about you the other day (I found the Mr Andersson picture you sent by accident while looking for something else). I like the hoods and for once it is a "re-enactors' fashion" that is base don reality; a lot of men in the 14th century are dpeicted wearing a hood. They're not as common for women in pictures but there's lots of them in women's wills. I have made a buttoned hood (http://web.comhem.se/~u31138198/bilder/bluehood.jpg) based on the 14th century finds from London, but all this working with the Bocksten costume makes me want to make a copy. I just have to find someone who's the right size, since I want to use the original measurements. Maybe armillary, he's pretty skinny.

Eva

Re: Bocksten Man Costume

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Eva

Just getting over one of the worst colds I have had in years - more like flu! I like hoods as well, though my persona Master Adam of Edwardstow doesn't always wear them! He does have a green one that I actually bought at Visby. I like hoods that have the long liripipe at the end, so the Bocksten Man is of course so very exciting as it is the real thing. From the pictures it looks as if it was quite close fitting - most that I see and have photographed usually look rather loose. If you manage to do an entire reconstruction of the whole costume, it will be very exciting and well worth doing.

Best Wishes

Paul