The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

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The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Cimrandir »

This one goes out to Greg and Manveruon as our resident jerkin enthusiasts. :lol:

So in my readings of threads long past, I have seen many times the lament that the ubiquitous fantasy leather jerkin is nowhere to be found in the historical record before the 16th century. I think I am not alone in considering the world of Middle-earth to have the aesthetic of cultures much earlier in the timeline.The jerkin is a defining piece of Ranger kit in the average person's mind and many folks here and in other places simply retain it in their kit as one of the pieces that signify "fantasy ranger." Historically speaking, we just can't justify it.

Or can we?

I would like to present the Globa - a late Roman leather jerkin.
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Truthfully, I do not recall where I first stumbled across the mention of this garment but I remember perking up at the description - a thin leather covering worn under the armor or by itself, primarily for protection from the elements and in the case of being worn under the armor, extra padding.

There are two main references for the globa -
"XVI – Presenting the Thoracomachus.

Among all the inventions for military use made by the ancients in their foresight for their posterity, they made against the weight and rubbing of the armor, the thoracomachus, surprisingly convenient to relief the body. This kind of garment, made in felt to fit and protect the human chest, has been conceived both inspired by fear and with an impressive ingenuity from soft wools. When worn it first avoids the cuirass, the mail armor or their equivalents to hurt weaker body parts with rubbing caused by weight, and it also helps the fighter other limbs to endure hardships through such a relief, among the dangers of war and bad weather. To avoid the said thoracomachus, beaten by rain, to become a burden, it is convenient to array it with Libyan skins, well made to fit the said thoracomachus. When as we have said, he would have done this thoracomachus – whom take its name from the Greek expression for the body protection – and would also have don “socks” that are boots and greaves, cap his helmet, hold tight his shield or sword and grip firmly his spears, the soldier will be fully armed to face the fight on foot.”

Anonymous,
DE REBUS BELLICIS. Late 4th century (Jouffroy, Frézouls and Groupe de recherche d’Histoire romaine de l’Université des Sciences Humaines de Strasbourg, 2004). Translated from French by the author.
"Book I, 12, 3-6: In time of peace, they (the soldiers) wore skin garments hanging from shoulders to legs; they decorated them with what is called podeones – the location of paws. They called those garments ’globae’, that is ‘spoils’, for spoiling is globare in Latin. 4. The custom was that not only the soldiers but also the generals to dress like this. 5. Today’s soldiers copy the barbarians, whom in return try to copy them; the only exception are the palace guards – whom are called excubitores, ‘awaken guards’ in Latin; Tiberius Caesar was the first after Romulus to use this system. That equipment was kept from the time of Romulus, its origin coming from Aeneas.”

Jean Lydus,
DE MAGISTRATIBUS. Mid-6th century (French translation Michel Dubuisson) (Carney, 1971). Translated from French by the author.
Now, as with many things from this time period, there are no surviving examples of the globa and the references are limited to the two above. Rather thin, I'd agree. In addition, the DE REBUS BELLICIS is known to present innovations and not actual objects at times.

I took my questions about the Globa to Facebook and asked around in a pretty nifty group called "The Authenticity Office" which is a rather rigorous group that fact checks and answers questions about various re-enactorisms. Most of the information and all of the photos here comes from two wonderful members - Flavius Stilicho and Benjamin Franckaert. They are both involved in Late Roman reenacting and focus specifically on the Brittany area of France when it was the British territory of Armorica. They provided a great writeup in this Academia article.

A putative portrayal of a 5th century centenarius from Britain. Benjamin Franckaert, association Letavia, October 2017.

To quote the relevant section -
No complete example of this protective garment is known but they often seem to have been depicted on contemporary iconography. Most often we find depictions of pteryges or podeones, the bands covering arms and thighs. These figures help us to get a general idea of the garments shape. They are not depicted on the Vergilius Romanus and so other sources had to be used.

The reconstructed thoracomachus was made from two layers of felted wool inside two layers of crude off white linen, giving a total thickness of about 1cm. Vertical stitching and one horizontal band (an interpretation of the 3rd century tombstone of Severius Acceptus) were then added. A roundish neck opening was managed, further strengthened by a band of sheep leather. The garment bottom has a U shape in front to cover the whole abdomen and cover the sacrum on the back. Shoulder pads in linen padded with wool were stitched to the main garment. Two layers of felt pteryges, lined with thin white diamond wool twill were stitched to a linen band, itself stitched inside the main garment. A single row of pteryges was added to protect the upper arms. It is made from felted wool lined with thin white diamond wool twill. These were stitched at their base and at four points to short linen sleeves. The goal was to be close to figures showing pteryges all around the upper arms, allowing for a better protection. A lot of thoracomachus reconstructions have loose hanging pteryges that are not evidenced in most late Roman iconography and which offer only light protection if any. The overall impression was to be close to that of Herod’s and other armoured characters’ representations depicted on the Santa Maria Maggiore church mosaics (c. 430 AD), from a depiction of Pontius Pilate on a sarcophagus from Arle’s museum and also representations of the V Macedonia soldiers on an ivory from Trier museum.

The globa worn on top of the thoracomachuswas made of sheep skin. It also had added shoulder pads. The leather was dyed with red ochre and neatsfoot oil. The smaller U shaped podeones are part of this garment and are edged with a band of goat or sheep skin dyed black with iron oxide.

Thoracomachus and globa have only one side opening, on the left for the first and right for the second. The lacing system has been based on a possible fragmentary protective garment found in a Nubian burial, of probable Egyptian origin (D’Amato and Sumner, 2005).
Two things to note- as with most things this old, there is some debate on what exactly Libyan hide is and if that is in fact referring to the globa. And in the case of the second quote definitely referring to the globa, most people assume it was made of goatskin.

So what does all this mean for Middle-earth? Well, discounting my personal theory of post-Roman British culture being a very very rough analogue of the Dunedain, I like to think that for at least a brief period in the late-classical/early medieval time, they were aware of the idea of wearing a leather garment on its own to protect from the elements. Innovation or not, they were thinking it. Since it was also referred to in the DE MAGISTRATIBUS, that lends a little more weight to the theory it was an actual garment. And as also we see in DE MAGISTRATIBUS, it was popular with the militaristic crowd and their "barbarian" counterparts in both war and peace. For a historically based Middle-earth, I think that's just about a solid enough base to include it as one of the historically inspired bits. As long as we keep in mind it is a "reconstruction proposal" where we think of it as a possibility, and not the complete truth.

Thanks. Please let me know what you think! :mrgreen:
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Greg »

Excellent write-up!

As as noted in the opening article of the most recent edition of Edge of the Wild, the Dunedain are a MAJOR topic that receives surprisingly little detail for material culture, and so much effort must be poured into being creative with that we're given, extrapolating where we can, and simply doing what 'feels right' in other instances. To that end, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and more than one way to dress a Ranger that could be determined as 'correct' or 'accurate'.

With that in mind...this is excellent. I really like in-depth dives into specific garments, particularly when we start out knowing so little. It's a really cool garment, and the late- to post- Roman Britain is a period I'm interested in myself! Any plans on making one of these? Any idea what direction you might take the rest of your kit alongside it?
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Cimrandir »

Thank you!

It really is an interesting piece and I was psyched to come across it. I will admit that I do have personal hang-ups about some of the more fantasy-oriented pieces of kit. I love them on everybody else but have trouble accepting it for myself and usually go for more historical kit inspiration. I tend to forget the whole "fantasy" bit sometimes and sometimes it doesn't mesh with Middle-earth the way it should. I had trouble with the jerkin as it is such a ubiquitous piece of gear and as you've said in the past, ingrained into the picture of a Ranger in the public consciousness. I had planned (and am still planning honestly) on making a stylized warrior coat from the early medieval period for warmth, the aesthetic layering, and to replace the jerkin. But now I will admit that I am coming around to the idea of a leather jerkin for my persona. I most likely will make a version down the line - probably for the warmer days in the fall. Right now if I had to adapt it for Ranger use, I'd lengthen it a bit to hit just above mid-thigh and I would open up both sides for better ease of movement. I would actually keep the paw-like pteruges as they have kinda grown on me. Though I would decorate them with some culturally appropriate motifs.

I am glad that I am not the only one that has an interest in the sub-Roman period in British history. I am probably reading way too much into it but that whole time period reminds me of Middle-earth with the "fallen" empire and trying to retain the former glory of Rome really putting me in mind of the Dunedain. Of course, that is just my personal thoughts and as you say, there is a lot of room for interpretation which is super-cool.

As far as how it could influence the rest of my kit, I'm still looking into it but it probably will in some fashion. I have some ideas for tunics for example but I'm still thinking about that.
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Manveruon »

WOW! Wow wow wow! What a cool deep dive you've done here, as Greg has said!

First off, I want to say that I LOVE that FB group, the Authenticity Office! It's a fantastic resource and I love watching all the amazing info shared there! That was a fantastic place to go for more info on this topic!

I hear you on getting hung up on History, for sure. While I personally don't generally have that exact hang-up, the thought often occurs to me when I'm venturing into more fantastical territory. And for folks coming from a more strictly historical-reenactment background I'm sure that can be quite a strong instinct.

Personally I can't wait to see what you come up with if/when you decide to work up something like this for yourself! And I'd be very interested to see that coat as well! I have found myself wishing on several occasions that someone would try incorporating a Viking style wrap-coat into their kit. I'm a bit tempted to try it myself.
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Cimrandir »

So following up on this topic after some time away. Like I said above I was initially not planning on including an over-garment in my kit, instead planning on just a woolen tunic and cloak. The globa was intriguing and so I've had it in my mind that one day I might construct something along those lines. But I filed it away and only recently has it come back to mind. Only now, I bring a different garment to the table.

First meet the Ionar coat or Irish Sea Coat.

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Photo credit - John Fletcher of Morvleydh the Cornish Early Medieval Warband.

Now the Ionar is technically a later medieval coat but there is speculation that the later coat is a descendant of an early version so most folks use that name for simplicity's sake.

Quoting from Early Gaelic Dress: An Introduction by Scott Barrett -
There was until recently a commonly-accepted view that there were two distinct styles of dress in early Gaelic culture. The first was that of the upper classes--the léine and the brat. The second was the lower class wardrobe, consisting of two garments called the ionar (eye-nar) and trius (trews) or osain (au-shin). The ionar, sometimes spelled “inar”, was a jacket--a short coat or tunic. It was likely made of wool, though it may occasionally have been fashioned from leather for martial reasons. Very little is known of this garment and much speculation abounds, such as that it was associated with the working folk and the military. McClintock is generally credited with this hypothesis, and his reasoning is sound.

...

Other images in the Book of Kells may indicate the presence of ionars. St. John appears seated in a blue chair, a book in his left hand a quill in his right. His léine skirts are dark, his brat burgundy, but his sleeves are covered by a garment with an almost lavender hue. The Book of Kells portrait of St. Matthew shows him dressed in a pink léine over which he wears an open purple coat or robe, a knee length garment that may be an ionar. If so, the ionar was probably accepted by all classes as a basic item of dress, or came to be by the time the Book of Kells appeared. Dunlevy gives this definition:

It was a tunic which was worn by both men
and women over the léine but at such a
length that both garments were visible. (p.21)


So, in the modern mind, a short “over-tunic”. Care must be taken with descriptives like that, as ionar means jacket, which implies occasional outerwear. “Over-tunic” would reduce the
léine to an under garment, which it certainly was not. However, thinking of the ionar as a coat or jacket leads people to believe the garment would open in the front. McClintock thought so, and concluded that the brooches he spotted on soldiers’ chests were closures for a jacket. Considering the garment St. Matthew wears in the Book of Kells, this seems plausible. So does a simpler, more tunic-like garment that simply slipped over the head like many tunics of the age. The brooches may be closing large neck openings. If it did open in the front, it may have been both belted and brooched closed, or allowed simply to hang open at the neck, like a jerkin. We don’t know yet, and may not for some time.

...

We lack any real hard evidence concerning the ionar, but it appears to have sometimes been a colorful garment. The Virgin’s is blue with trim at the cuffs, while a soldier sporting a javelin in the Book of Kells wears a green ionar with sleeves that reach to just below the elbow. Both McClintock and Dunlevy believe it likely the ionar was made of wool and dyed. It probably received decoration befitting the status of the wearer. This is a garment that could be worn alone if the wool is soft, or over a short léine for casual wear. For more formal occasions, it could be heavily decorated and cut with more length, though it would appear to be consistently shorter in length than the léine. The reenactor has lots of room for personal expression with this enigmatic garment, and it provides for experimentation using the decoration techniques described earlier. One suggestion I make is to remember how effective layers can be in keeping warm. Better to have a lightweight wool ionar with a brat over the shoulders even in chilly weather so that you can control your comfort level more easily. Avoid thick wool and friezes for a close-fitting ionar, as they can have you sweating even when snow covers the ground.

Some try to differentiate between the ionar and the inar, claiming that the inar was the coat worn over the léine while the ionar was a short working jacket worn against the skin. I have found nothing to support this thus far. It appears to me that “ionar” is simply a variant spelling for “inar”, and that both words translate as “jacket” (a rather nonspecific word).

As mysterious as the early Irish jacket remains, we know that wearing a jacket was an accepted fashion statement in Ireland and Scotland for centuries. By the time the Tudor Era arrived, the jacket had become the familiar pleat-waisted coat with it’s hanging sleeves, its Dark Age forebears forgotten and lost to time.
Early Gaelic Dress: An Introduction by Scott Barrett (LINK)

An additional article about it can be found here - How to make a Viking Coat (Hiberno-Norse style)- In The Shield Wall (LINK)
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And a reconstruction based off the Book of Kells illustration. Beautiful work.
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Now this was intriguing as it reminded me strongly of the Norse klappenrock or Migration Period "warrior coat." but Irish or Pictish. What then sealed the deal for me was a post by Benjamin Franckaert in another reenacting Facebook group. This one being "Brittonic, gaelic and pictish early medieval living history - 4th-11th c AD" (As an aside, fantastic group if you are interested in those cultures and time period.)

Basically he posted the following pictures with the following text.
Some thoughts on the 'ionar', early gaelic jacket, following a discussion on John Fletcher's kit.
I have always thought it inspired by the germanic (known in early anglo-saxon/scandinavian but also frankish context as described as a part of Charlemagne's dress by Eginhard) riding coat/warrior coat/klappenrock, itself possibly adopted after eastern roman/steppic influence, somewhere between the 5th and the 7th century. But recently I have discovered those 1st century AD depictions of the gallic god Esus, depicting very clearly a jacket opened on the front. I'm starting to think there could have been a western european tradition for this kind of garments. Ionar and other jackets are depicted of course on early irish iconography, most famously on the book of Kells. It's also possibly depicted on 8th century pictish stones, and on a 9th century breton psalter from Landévennec.
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TO BE CLEAR - this is currently all speculation based on iconography which can be weird in the first place so take it all with a grain of salt if you wish to pursue real-world reenacting. But given that we don't play by the rules here, I consider it a valid starting point for an addition to my kit. I've been a wee bit concerned about tromping through the woods in a nice fine wool tunic and getting tangled up in the briars and brambles endemic to my state. To that end, I'm strongly considering making a Ionar coat out of brain-tan and lining it in linen much like Greg's jerkin.

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I feel fairly confident in the use of animal hide (brain-tan) as I found another reference to a potential leather garment in Letter XX from Sidonius Apollinaris [c. 470 CE].
You take such pleasure in the sight of arms and those who wear them, that I can imagine your delight if you could have seen the young prince Sigismer on his way to the palace of his father-in-law in the guise of a bridegroom or suitor in all the pomp and bravery of the tribal fashion. His own steed with its caparisons, other steeds laden with flashing gems, paced before and after; but the conspicuous interest in the procession centred in the prince himself, as with a charming modesty he went afoot amid his bodyguard and footmen, in flame-red mantle, with much glint of ruddy gold, and gleam of snowy silken tunic, his fair hair, red cheeks and white skin according with the three hues of his equipment. [2] But the chiefs and allies who bore him company were dread of aspect, even thus on peace intent. Their feet were laced in boots of bristly hide reaching to the heels; ankles and legs were exposed. They wore high tight tunics of varied colour hardly descending to their bare knees, the sleeves covering only the upper arm. Green mantles they had with crimson borders; baldrics supported swords hung from their shoulders, and pressed on sides covered with cloaks of skin secured by brooches. [3] No small part of their adornment consisted of their arms; in their hands they grasped barbed spears and missile axes; their left sides were guarded by shields, which flashed with tawny golden bosses and snowy silver borders, betraying at once their wealth and their good taste
Sidonius Apollinaris, Letters (LINK)


So to emphasize the "layered aesthetic" for a more Rangerly vibe, I think ditching the sleeves would be on the list of modifications. I need it mainly for bramble protection (RIP sleeves) but if it gets cold, it should still do the trick for core-warmth. I'm currently thinking about not having a fastening system at all and relying on the overlap and the belt to keep it shut. Or if it's warm, leaving it open. I'm not sure how much overlap I would go for so I might circle back to that. In another modification, I'm considering having a slit up the back for ease of horse-riding (though when I'd get a chance to do that I haven't a clue.)

Thoughts?
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Iodo »

Awesome write-up, I didn't know a garment like that was actually a thing in history but it makes a lot of sense that something so useful should exist

I essentially stumbled upon this idea by accident (if you remember this: viewtopic.php?p=48671#p48671) and I was very surprised at how practical it is, and how much extra warmth even short sleeves gives you

However while the short sleeves on my dwarven coat work well with my dwarven kit, when I'm wearing a wool hood, surcoat and tunic underneath with vambraces to keep my lower arms dry, when I have worn it with everyday clothing I learnt two things: The first is that a short sleeved coat is brilliant for doing practical tasks (like gardening and working on cars, farming would be a more realistic historic task LOL, but I don't have a farm) simply because the sleeves don't constantly rub on surfaces, get dirty and get caught on stuff. The second, the sleeves on that coat are too short, air still blows straight down them and you still get cold, they don't do a lot unless there is a wool tunic or surcoat underneath to keep your core temperature

For this reason when I made a long wool jacket for my Halloween costume last year I made it with approximately 2/3 length sleeves instead in an attempt to make it preform better as an everyday garment. They are about 1'' less than the sleeves on your first picture and I have to say, it's perfect, it's still warm, it's a lot more practical that the dwarven one (that I'm still not remaking), and more practical than modern jackets with full length sleeves. So much so that it leaves me wondering why 2/3 length sleeves on jackets isn't a thing in modern fashion?

So why did I just write all that?

Cimrandir wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:14 am
Quoting from Early Gaelic Dress: An Introduction by Scott Barrett -
The Virgin’s is blue with trim at the cuffs, while a soldier sporting a javelin in the Book of Kells wears a green ionar with sleeves that reach to just below the elbow. Both McClintock and Dunlevy believe it likely the ionar was made of wool and dyed. It probably received decoration befitting the status of the wearer.

It's exactly what I just described, I know your thinking of maybe not having the sleeves for the layered ranger look, I get that, but also do consider that if it's warmth your after, the "just below the elbow" sleeve length is potentially perfect, and it will still look layered if you have a longer sleeve tunic underneath
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Cimrandir »

Iodo wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:59 pmHowever while the short sleeves on my dwarven coat work well with my dwarven kit, when I'm wearing a wool hood, surcoat and tunic underneath with vambraces to keep my lower arms dry, when I have worn it with everyday clothing I learnt two things: The first is that a short sleeved coat is brilliant for doing practical tasks (like gardening and working on cars, farming would be a more realistic historic task LOL, but I don't have a farm) simply because the sleeves don't constantly rub on surfaces, get dirty and get caught on stuff. The second, the sleeves on that coat are too short, air still blows straight down them and you still get cold, they don't do a lot unless there is a wool tunic or surcoat underneath to keep your core temperature

For this reason when I made a long wool jacket for my Halloween costume last year I made it with approximately 2/3 length sleeves instead in an attempt to make it preform better as an everyday garment. They are about 1'' less than the sleeves on your first picture and I have to say, it's perfect, it's still warm, it's a lot more practical that the dwarven one (that I'm still not remaking), and more practical than modern jackets with full length sleeves. So much so that it leaves me wondering why 2/3 length sleeves on jackets isn't a thing in modern fashion?

...

It's exactly what I just described, I know your thinking of maybe not having the sleeves for the layered ranger look, I get that, but also do consider that if it's warmth your after, the "just below the elbow" sleeve length is potentially perfect, and it will still look layered if you have a longer sleeve tunic underneath
Hah, funny you should mention that. As I understood it, short-sleeves are a later period innovation but after recently seeing this warrior coat variation from Matt Bunker at the Gudenåen & Jernalderen 2022 event-

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Maybe not? I asked after the decision for a short coat since he is impeccable with his sources and he sent me the following image of a guldgubbar (art-objects, amulets, or offerings found in Scandinavia and dating to the Nordic Iron Age.)

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He said it might simply be wear or damage on the image but it looks awfully even to me and if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

So again, this is all highly speculative so it wouldn't do for real-life reenactment without a lot more research but it's enough, I think, for me to say, "There might be precedent for this sort of thing so for a historically based interpretation of Middle-earth, it should do the trick." So yeah, now I'm thinking to add on some short-sleeves.

Now I'm concerned with how much brain-tan I'm going to need. I'm a big fella and it's going to take a couple hides I think to make this thing.
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Iodo »

cool stuff, Matt Bunker's coat looks really nice, and very dwarvish actually :mrgreen: yep, it will take a lot of material, I think my short sleeved coat pattern used 2 yards of upholstery width bolt when I made it, and I'm small

I would love to see something like this made from brain tan, it would be quite some project and it would look amazing, but don't fully discount wool, if you used something dense/tightly woven and partly felted it won't snag on undergrowth too much, most of my stuff ends up with pulls and snags around the lower edges but nothing that will stop it functioning, and that just makes it look more used
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Cimrandir »

Iodo wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 7:05 amI would love to see something like this made from brain tan, it would be quite some project and it would look amazing, but don't fully discount wool, if you used something dense/tightly woven and partly felted it won't snag on undergrowth too much, most of my stuff ends up with pulls and snags around the lower edges but nothing that will stop it functioning, and that just makes it look more used
Oh, I fully agree. Wool is an amazing textile and if I have trouble sourcing enough leather to do it in brain-tan, the secondary idea to do it in a nice tight wool. I'm thinking leather really for one purpose. As folks have said before on this forum, no matter how "high-fidelity" you make your kit, at the end of the day it's still based on a fantasy novel from the 1950s and as much research as folks have done with archaeology and historical sources, it's still all fantasy. I try not to fool myself any different. This is my concession to that. Concession is perhaps not the right word but it's what comes to mind. We all have a basic idea of what a Ranger "should" look like and for better or worse, most of the time that includes something along the lines of a leather jerkin. That aesthetic is what separates Middle-earth from real history. It's what differentiates a 7th c. Anglo-Saxon or a 12th c. English archer from a "Ranger." And really, as I'm very interested in joining MERS one day, I need to be "reenacting" a Ranger, not a 7th c. Anglo-Saxon or a 12th c. English archer. So all that to say this, most of my kit is/planning on being historically based but this is me letting my fantasy side come to the foreground. It's based on some speculative historical garments but spun in a way that's hopefully a little different. We'll see if it works as well as I'm thinking.
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Greg »

I’m sure it will!
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Elleth »

Well said Cimrandir!

.. if I recall correctly, the frontier longhunters preferred wool to braintan for their leggings, BUT that's in the contest of a leg covering with presumably not much underneath it.

Braintan alone gets kinda cold and clammy when it's wet. I've no idea how lined braintan works, but as an extra layer on top of one's wool tunic I imagine would be just fine.

One of these days... :)

And I love those open coats!
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Jack »

Cimrandir wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:04 pm at the end of the day it's still based on a fantasy novel from the 1950s....
Haha yeah... 50's fantasy novel... totally
*slowly hides Peter Jackson film inpired kit components under bed with foot*

But no all jokes aside youre absolutely right. Well said. Especially on letting the fantasy side come to the foreground.
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Cimrandir »

Thank you for the encouragement everyone! Haha, I'm talking a big game at the moment and now it seems I'm locked in and will have to actually follow through.

Hopefully the above two short compilations of historical sources, reconstructions, and speculation can inspire other folks for their projects.

Greg wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:38 pmI’m sure it will!

I'm sure I will be coming to you with a list of questions at some point in the process. :lol:

Jack wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:23 amHaha yeah... 50's fantasy novel... totally
*slowly hides Peter Jackson film inpired kit components under bed with foot*

But no all jokes aside youre absolutely right. Well said. Especially on letting the fantasy side come to the foreground.

Haha, I'll try not to judge lol. People can be inspired by anything and that includes the movies. :mrgreen: I'm trying to think of anything I have or am planning on having in my kit that's pulled from the movies. Only thing that comes to mind is the arrow sock in the quiver and that's from the Rangers of Ithilien, not the Northern Dúnedain. But there might be more that I'm forgetting at the moment.

Elleth wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:50 pm Well said Cimrandir!

.. if I recall correctly, the frontier longhunters preferred wool to braintan for their leggings, BUT that's in the contest of a leg covering with presumably not much underneath it.

Braintan alone gets kinda cold and clammy when it's wet. I've no idea how lined braintan works, but as an extra layer on top of one's wool tunic I imagine would be just fine.

One of these days... :)

And I love those open coats!

Hmm, that definitely makes sense regarding longhunter leggings. I knew they had both but I've never really looked into it in any great depth. Unrelated to the coat discussion with a bit of a spoiler for future plans but I'm working on three different variations for leg coverings/trousers. My main trousers will be a nice sturdy linen and most likely made in the style of the Thorsberg or Damendorf finds. I've just learnt about the Dätgen trousers as well so I need to do a little more research before I make a final decision. The trousers will be knee-length (much like Erfaron's recent video) in accordance with the breeches/braccae comment in Letter 211. My mind's eye interprets the line "males, especially in northern parts such as the Shire, would wear breeches, whether hidden by a cloak or long mantle, or merely accompanied by a tunic." as being short enough to be covered by a standard length cloak. And shorter trousers are well-attested to in the early medieval period so it works in the historical angle as well. To cover the lower leg whilst tromping through the woods and avoid those pesky ticks and scratches, I've commissioned a pair of winnegas/leg-bands from Kram Bu. In addition, I've got some leftover wool to I'm going to make into a pair of Søgård Mose II legwraps to swap out with the leg-bands. For the colder months, I'm looking into some thicker wool to make a pair of footed hose. The idea is to cycle through the variations as needs dictate or just leave off the lower leg covering if the day is warmer than expected. Sort of like medieval zip-off hiking pants. :mrgreen:

And yes, open coats are very stylin'! Almost too stylin' for a rough and ready Ranger. :lol:

On the properties of braintan in the wetter conditions, yeah it's not ideal. Linen undertunic, wool tunic and then a lined braintan over-coat with a woolen hood and a woolen cloak over all should be okay in a short rain or light drizzle. But I've thought much about more extensive rainy conditions and my current line of thinking is a poncho-like Birrus Britannicus (like Pictavia's interpretation here )(or Andy's watch cloak!) in a very very tightly woven wool and treated with a weather-resistant mixture. While it would be nice to utilize the over-coat as a layer for rain protection, you are very right that the braintan type of leather wouldn't be the best choice.

In essence I chose brain-tan for the following reasons -
  • Leather over wool for the aesthetic choice detailed above. I might still make a coat in wool at some point later but first the leather.
  • Brain-tan over veg-tan for the looks. I love the texture of braintan and I'll admit that even though veg-tan is period-appropriate I still see large garments made of it as a little ... fantastical. And braintan is much more fabric-like than veg-tan and will drape quite nicely. Bark-tanned is entirely too expensive to make into a full coat hah.
  • Even in winter, Texas is not so bitter cold to need that much warmth. With the layers detailed above and a brisk moving pace, I would be much more appreciative of braintan's breathability.
  • The coat's primary practical function beyond the aesthetic styling of a Ranger is protection against brambles and briars in the undergrowth. Being tough yet supple, brain-tan would do nicely for that, I think.
Though I should say that all of my experience with braintan personally is briefly handling various bags and shirts at frontier days and reenactments so I may be overstating some of the properties of it. It's not a magical Elvish garment after all. :) :lol:
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Elleth »

As regards the arrow sock, my memory is the original WETA drawings used it for everyone - the earliest Mirkwood quiver and Rohirric quivers both used them. I'm afraid I can't recall what made it to the screen, but.... waitaminnit. Didn't Aragorn's quiver use a sock to? Regardless, even if one is doing "WETA Eriador" I think one is safe with a sock. :mrgreen:
Hmm, that definitely makes sense regarding longhunter leggings. I knew they had both but I've never really looked into it in any great depth.
I'm afraid the reference is dim in my memory. It might be in the second volume of Mark Baker's Pilgrim's Journey, but I suspect it's one throwaway line buried in one of the many many many frontier narratives I read like a decade and a half ago at this point. Bother.

Regardless, I think all those reasons for choosing braintan are perfect, especially in your environment.
On the properties of braintan in the wetter conditions, yeah it's not ideal. Linen undertunic, wool tunic and then a lined braintan over-coat with a woolen hood and a woolen cloak over all should be okay in a short rain or light drizzle. But I've thought much about more extensive rainy conditions and my current line of thinking is a poncho-like Birrus Britannicus (like Pictavia's interpretation here)(or Andy's watch cloak!) in a very very tightly woven wool and treated with a weather-resistant mixture. While it would be nice to utilize the over-coat as a layer for rain protection, you are very right that the braintan type of leather wouldn't be the best choice.
AH! THOSE PEOPLE! I'd forgotten them. Wow. That is quite a good looking cloak for the money they're asking. Neat neat neat.... and someone finally made that Irish leather canteen! Amazing!!! Thank you for the link!

I'm really looking forward to seeing your rendition of the coat. :mrgreen:
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Re: The Globa - a Late Roman Jerkin

Post by Eofor »

Cimrandir wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:14 am First meet the Ionar coat or Irish Sea Coat.

Thoughts?
Have you seen Heimirs version of this coat? It's rather spiffy and though made of wool has had no issues in real world use. Warm too.

I can share links if it's not shameless self promotion? Though it may finally reveal that he exists and isn't just a figure of my imagination.
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