Early Gaelic Dress Guide

**marvelredneck** · 13th March 11, 02:04 PM

I don't know if this has been posted before, but I found THIS while surfing, and I found it very informational. It puts heavy emphasis on reenacting, but even if you're not a reenactor it is very informational.

**Tartan Tess** · 13th March 11, 06:18 PM

Hey, Thanks for posting that.
SCAdians are serious about their history!

**Morris at Heathfield** · 14th March 11, 03:34 PM

Pretty interesting, especially the speculation regarding "five-folded" and "seven-folded" brats. Taking the author's hypothesis as fact, could this be a precursor to the pleated, belted plaid? Just hold the folds/pleats in place with the belt instead of a brooch, and you've begun to invent the kilt.

**Captain_Cogle** · 14th March 11, 10:31 PM

Great article. Looks like some one has been doing their research and is trying to get that info out there to better historical representations and further understanding of the period they wish to portray. Hard work like that always pays off and is a great starting point for those new to the hobby.

The Society for CREATIVE ANACHRONISMS are serious about their history? Perhaps its different where you are located, which I could see reasonably being the case, one cant really judge all groups by witnessing one of them and by their own name.

The ones I have had the misfortune of witnessing here are historically themed circus clowns. Few of them were wearing spray painted hockey gear as armor, utili kilts, mini 1831 pattern brass basket hilt swords and were representing the Mary Queen of Scots guards, bucket top boots, a mix of Spanish and Greek armor those that were actually even wearing steel armor. It was bad.

**T-Bone** · 15th March 11, 05:54 AM

I did my 10 years and got out after all of the small injuries received started to catch up and become serious problems. It was fun while it lasted.

The SCA has about 30% of it's populace interested in being historically accurate. The other 70% take information that might have been fact and twist it for SCA use. I am not trying to bad-mouth the SCA, it is just what I experienced.
As for the armour and such, the modern world does not look kindly on people beating the crap out of each other, especially insurance companies. There are armour standards in place to minimize the risk of serious injury. Other than a full set of plate armour, not much else will take the abuse that SCA heavy weapons fighting will inflict. Plate armour happens to be fairly expensive and most people who join are in their early 20's. This is where the hockey gear steps in. They just want to get on "hats and bats" and get out there swinging a stick. So they go out and get some modern hockey "armour", paint it black, call it leather, and put on a tabard. Hopefully when they get more experienced, they either start buying more "period" kit or learn to make it themselves. Unfortunately, some stick with the modern sports equipment. It's cheap and affective.
As for mixing and matching time and location periods, that is where the Creative and Anachronism comes into play. People take what they like from different periods and cultures, there are no serious rules against it.
In short, "Just make an effort" is what I was told when I joined. They are not reinactors, they are recreators, if that makes sense.

**AllenJ** · 15th March 11, 12:16 PM

It's a shame their "fighting" isn't as well researched.

**Lallans** · 15th March 11, 01:04 PM

Very interesting stuff to add to my accumulation of lore, thanks!

**T-Bone** · 15th March 11, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by AllenJ

It's a shame their "fighting" isn't as well researched.

It is more of a sport or a free-form martial art with a few safety rules and an honor based 'winner' system. Obviously they cannot kill or maim each other to determine the victor. Hits are thrown at about 80% force, enough to leave some serious bruising and welts. You can research all you want on fighting styles, but once you are on the field, there is no choreography, it is skill on skill. In eastern martial arts, you can go through all of the kata's till you can do them in your sleep, but unless you learn to fight, you are going to get your butt handed to you by a street thug.

T

**Dale Seago** · 15th March 11, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by T-Bone

It is more of a sport or a free-form martial art with a few safety rules and an honor based 'winner' system. Obviously they cannot kill or maim each other to determine the victor. Hits are thrown at about 80% force, enough to leave some serious bruising and welts. You can research all you want on fighting styles, but once you are on the field, there is no choreography, it is skill on skill. In eastern martial arts, you can go through all of the kata's till you can do them in your sleep, but unless you learn to fight, you are going to get your butt handed to you by a street thug.

T

Some of my Bujinkan students, as well as a few of their friends/colleagues from other Bujinkan dojo, are very much into armored SCA combat as a means of "live testing" their polearm (mainly yari and naginata) and swordsmanship (tachi) skills in as near a "battlefield' setting and intensity level as can be managed. And they're finding that what they've been taught works very well indeed. Now one of my black belts is spending nearly every waking moment at The Tech Shop working on sets of "functional" Japanese armor for himself and others.

**AllenJ** · 23rd March 11, 03:18 PM

oh I agree as well, T-Bone. As an MMA fighter as well, I'm painfully aware of how certain things just don't work once you get into something that really involves pain (even if it may not be lethal). For the record I find katas to be pretty darn useless outside of just a warm up and getting someone familiar with moves.
To comment on Dale- I would agree that spear and polearm techniques are probably the best choice in an SCA environment if you want to be as close to accurate as you can be under the rule set. There seems to be less restrictions there than the other weapons.