ANST - Celtic History Question

[Spatsman at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/15/01 12:45:10 PM Central Standard Time, 
maria_elfsea at hotmail.com writes:

<< Why did they think we were doing Anglo/Saxon? I think because they are 
just 
 misinformed about that time period (the Medievil/Rennasaince period that we 
 study). I'm afraid that many people who saw "Braveheart" (and I used to be 
 one) believe that all people Scottish and Irish people wore kilts and fought 
 with sticks and stones.  The arts that were presented were primarily 
 "Celtic" looking (knotwork, bone carvings, etc).
 
 Personally, I think we did an excellent job.
 
 Maria >>
I agree, it sounds like you may be dealing with ignorance or modern 
misconceptions if the tunic/cloak (or leine/brat) look was thought of as 
Anglo-Saxon. The use of chainmail or ringmail is mentioned in the document I 
quoted, yet many people think of that as a Norman look, and it is heavily 
associated with the early Crusades.
I don't know if this is good news or not, as I have little faith in the 
entertainment industry, but it is worth noting that a movie is in production 
in Ireland at this moment that chronicles the life of Brian Boru and the 
Battle of Clontarf.
That this film will be brimming with inaccuracy I don't doubt, but the 
production teams have stated that much research has been done dealing with 
Irish, Danish and Norse clothing and armor from that era. They actually used 
the phrase "no kilts", so who knows? This film may actually help to dispell 
at least a few of the myths surrounding early Irish fashion.
Of course, with my luck, they'll dress the Irish in Elizabethan era leines 
with huge baggy sleeves and ring-hilted swords, like Durer's illustrations.
I'd personally dress a medieval Irish warrior in a cotun or a leine with 
either a thick leather inar(jacket) or a chainmail shirt over it, with a 
cone-shaped helmet and a round/oval sheild.
I would also HIGHLY recommend the following url

http://www47.pair.com/lindo/Textiles_Page.htm

As for the Gauls that fought Caeser in the nude, most scholars seem to think 
that only about 40%-50% of the military Gallic forces dressed in little more 
then a torc and woad.
So, yeah, they fought nude, sometimes. But the custom had died out and 
recieves no further mention once the early christian era had started.
~Fionnagan
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