13th Century

[Woodsheal]

Sir D, a Scottish knight like Wallace would have worn exactly the same type of garb and armor as you wear in your avatar picture. However, a tartan cloak over all would add "Scottishness" to your appearance. Tartan fabric was in use, and Wallace was once mocked by some English soldiers for wearing an "Irish" (i.e. tartan) cloak....

[Ryan Ross]

Sir D, a Scottish knight like Wallace would have worn exactly the same type of garb and armor as you wear in your avatar picture. However, a tartan cloak over all would add "Scottishness" to your appearance. Tartan fabric was in use, and Wallace was once mocked by some English soldiers for wearing an "Irish" (i.e. tartan) cloak....

I didn't even think of that point. Highland men at arms automatically came to my mind, for whatever reason, rather than knights (highland or otherwise).

Nicely done, sir.

Out of curiosity, would a Highland knight wear the same clothing, as well?

[Woodsheal]

I didn't even think of that point. Highland men at arms automatically came to my mind, for whatever reason, rather than knights (highland or otherwise).

Nicely done, sir.

Out of curiosity, would a Highland knight wear the same clothing, as well?

The Highlands were extremely remote at that point in history, and still quite "tribal" in organization, as opposed to feudal. No knights (mounted men-at-arms) in the Highlands in the 13th C.! West Highland grave slabs do depict fighting men in long mail coats, or perhaps thickly pleated leine (no kilts!), with long swords bearing distinctive Scottish hilts.



Remember, Wallace was not a Highlander, and few if any Highlanders "came down" for his rebellion....

[serenitylala]

Remember, Wallace was not a Highlander, and few if any Highlanders "came down" for his rebellion....

Hah! I thought so! I was seriously beginning to wonder why the clan Wallace kept popping up in my ancestry when all the other clans they married into were Norman non-highland clans.

Thanks for the insight! Interesting information on the uniform of the day too.

[Ryan Ross]

No knights (mounted men-at-arms) in the Highlands in the 13th C.!

That was what I was figuring, but I was completely not sure.

Thanks much for the verification.

Thanks to all for the warm welcomes and replys. This reinforces what I've been finding. Unfortunatly, none of the sites that I regularly use cover Scottish attire from that period, and I've been hitting a lot of walls elsewhere. Most sources online are questionable at best, so when I happened across this forum I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask around.

I normally use effigies and manuscript miniatures to research, but none of the dedicated sites cover Scottland. Thanks to Woodsheal for that effigy. I'd say that he's wearing a gamboised gorget and akatin (padded long tunic and collar).

Looks right to my eyes, though I'm obviously no expert here.

[Sir Didymous]

Though all of this my sword brother and I were talking. He threw out the idea of trying a late 1600's fashon so that we will present the much more recignizable appearance for the crowd. The truth is that I have been wanting to put together a kit for the elizabethan era, but have been undecided as to the culture. I was planning on using the name Calin Ferguson. The kit I have in mind is a box ruffled shirt with a half sleeved chain maille hauberk over it and an unlaced doublet over that, a kilt and knee high boots. I was going to carry a great sword and targe. I have dabbled in that combination of weapons for the sake of knowledge of arms. Any thoughts?

[Father Bill]

Hey - whatever the information says, Welcome to the Great Rabble!

[Sir Didymous]

Thanks to all for the warm welcomes and replys. This reinforces what I've been finding. Unfortunatly, none of the sites that I regularly use cover Scottish attire from that period, and I've been hitting a lot of walls elsewhere. Most sources online are questionable at best, so when I happened across this forum I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask around.

I normally use effigies and manuscript miniatures to research, but none of the dedicated sites cover Scottland. Thanks to Woodsheal for that effigy. I'd say that he's wearing a gamboised gorget and akatin (padded long tunic and collar).

[Tobus]

Threads like this puzzle me. I mean no disrespect or ill intent, and I fully admit that I'm no expert on martial weapons or history, but it seems like we often see this topic arise under the guise of "historical reenacting", when in fact it appears to be just for the sake of entertainment, with only a cursory nod to actual history, and a lot of liberty taken with the facts.

I may be wrong, but I thought "historical reenacting" was supposed to be founded upon documented sources, with the intent of educating the audience on factual history. What I see this developing into, though (as is often the case), is the reenactor trying to create an image with which the audience will be pleased according to their Hollywood-based ideas of history. Wearing a manner of dress, or using weapons that "could have" been used in a particular time period isn't quite the same as wearing or using items that were documented to have come from that period.

Not that I'm necessarily against fantasy role-playing. In the proper place, it can be very entertaining. But there seem to be a lot of people doing "historical reenacting" by just making things up, or using expedient substitutes for period-correct items. And the public takes it as fact, which does a great disservice to history.

So I hope it's not in poor manners to ask this, but what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this event and costume? Is your intent to educate people on historical facts and give them a true glimpse of what we know of our ancestors? Or is it just to entertain them, with little regard for accuracy? The original post seemed to imply the former, but the transition seems to be leaning toward the latter.

[Bugbear]

You know, Tobus, it took me a long while to sort it out in my squirrel filled brain, but I agree with you from a different angle. I would rather the fantasy role-playing be kept separate from historical reenactment from the fantasy point of view. Having to constantly explain that you aren't trying to reenact, but creating a character in a fantasy world that is using the flavor of several different things mixed together or something like that really ruins the fun. I mean, I grew up watching Dungeons and Dragons cartoons etc, and I never considered it to be a history documentary.

For me, it would be best to try to steer clear of historical reenacting: I just don't have the knack for history.