FW: Re: sources & misconceptions

[V. Allan Endel]

At 11:58 AM 10/3/96 -0700, you wrote:
>My apoligies to anyone who already recieved this missive but I would like to 
>know from you all if any one else has found any documentation supporting the 
>tankard hanging off the belt.....
>
>
>On Wed, 2 Oct 1996 19:03:10 -0300  Margaret Rae Carignan wrote:
>
>>> Here's one that come from the Ren Faire circuit: : everyone in 16th century
>>> England wore a tankard or goblet  hanging on their belt.  Is there any
>>> actual documentation for this?  Not that I want to discourage actors from
>>> fending off heat exhaustion, but I've actually been told that my middle
>>> class costume was incorrect because I keep my tankard, scissors, money
>>> pouch, eating knife, and spoon in a basket instead of hanging from my 
>person
>>> (and probably bashing my toddler in the head.)
>>
>>You're right - they're wrong. In all my years of research, I have NEVER
>>seen a tankard hanging off a person. A pouch, perhaps (especially on a
>>man, but ocassionally on a woman) - I've seen spoons worn as hat pins, and
>>(I hate to admit it) have fed the fallacy by wearing all my sewing tools
>>hanging off my belt at once. I stopped doing that, not because it was
>>hideously inauthentic, but because telling people that it is didn't stop
>>them from copying me! (I'll take responsibility for my own inauthenticity,
>>but NOT any one elses!)
>>
>>Apart from the total lack of documentary evidence (so far) think how
>>impractical and dangerous - a cutpurse is a bad thing, but a cuttankard? A
>>cutentirepersonalpossession?
>>
>>Meg/Francesca

There is likely little or no documentation, but chances are a few people at
least would tie their wooden drinking vessels to their belts to keep both
hands free (even carrying a basket over the arm limits use of that hand).
This would most likely be found in the lower classes, and only when away
from home or if they had no home.
Alan
V. Allan Endel, Laird Alan MacRonan MacCalum of House Mac an Ghabhann and
Keep of
the Haunted Grove, resident of Dragonsfire Tor and the Barony of Elfsea

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