Wednesday 9 November 2011

How Medieval is That?

Doc, over at Medieval Cookery, has posted an article about how medieval a given "medieval" meal is.

And you can more or less use his three points - medieval ingredients, medieval recipes (or techniques) and menu (kit) consistency.

Speaking of medieval or not-really-medieval stuff, medievalists.net have outdone themselves. They have actually posted an interview (which is more or less really a plug) with a lady making "medieval leather clothing". I am not going to post a link to it - but I will tell you that I watched it, and that I could not decide whether to laugh hysterically or cry into my coffee. Leather garments in the Middle Ages are something that is not easily grasped due to the relatively sparse sources, and most leather finds we have are from shoes. Let's just say that the things shown in that video are not medieval in ingredients, recipes or menu consistency.

Wisely, medievalists.net have closed the interview article to comments.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had to watch that video. Like you I do not know if I should laugh really, really hard oder cry.

Gruß
Susanne

PS: I had to look at the website linked below the video... Let me just type 2 words: leather codpieces !!

Anonymous said...

Medievalists.net never enable comments, which means that some complete and utter rubbish can pass unchecked. It's not even that they don't know their stuff; they just don't check anyone else's. I recognise your reaction, let's say.

Andreas Klumpp M.A. said...

You can make comments on their Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Medievalistsnet/5740303430
They got some harsh replies allready but are defending their decision to post the vid and the "authentic pieces" shown. I checked the website of the designer and there I didn't find anything medieval - all fantasy. Not to speak of historic cutting and sewing techniques... Don't get me wrong, fantasy is ok. But if you call it "authentic" it has to be as close as possible to actual finds or at least to historic illustrations.

Gillian said...

Does this mean I can't dress all my men in black leather, head to toe (just like the TV Middle Ages!) in my novel. I now have to go back and change a zillion references! (Before you refuse to speak to me ever again, I was lying. Shoes and purses and messenger bags appear, but no really cool armless vests or trousers or other garments. It's very sad.)