The English Literature Journal Vol. 3, No. 2 (2016): 573-575 Article Open Access
ISSN: 2348-3288
What sort of similarities and disintegration of Costumes do we find in between the Anglo-Saxon period and the Elizabethan period? Shantanu Siuli* Seakom Skills University, Birbhum, West Bengal, India.
*Corresponding author: Shantanu Siuli; e-mail:
[email protected] Received: 03 February 2016
Accepted: 25 February 2016
Online: 01 March 2016
ABSTRACT
In this paper my greatest endeavor is to present a multidimensional notions of the characteristics of the costumes of two genres. The dress of Anglo- Saxon refers to the variety of early medieval European dress from the time of their migration to Great Britain till the beginning of Norman Conquest. On the other side people belonging to the Elizabethan Period were not allowed to wear the costumes they wish to. This was totally dominated by the Law of English; i.e. The Sumptuary Law. And specifically these laws were designed to reduce the expenditure of people of buying different types of clothes. Definitely it was illegal to wear different types of clothes. Elizabethan men were only allowed to wear that types of clothes which were prescribed by this Laws. But this kind of rules and laws were not meant for the Anglo- Saxon Period. They usually used three types of clothes: Linen, Woolen and Slaves according to their class and social status. In the Elizabethan Period the nobility wanted to maintain the elite class system but they also wished to entertain the new form of entertainment that the theatre had to offer. They usually used costumes with tunic, medallion and cape. I wholeheartedly try to delineate, through this paper, the different ambiances of the social class and social hierarchy of this two different ages, two different cultures of the literary history of England.
Keywords:
similarities and disintegration, multidimensional notions, law, different ambiances, social
hierarchy.
INTRODUCTION
Anglo- Saxon clothing were made of mainly three types of fabric. Silk was an extremely expensive materials and also used by the excessive rich people and also used for decoration and trim. Next one was Linen which was harvested from flax plant. It was a finer materials used by the mediocre family. And the rest one is Wool which was used for most garments. Lower class people such as poor peasants, slaves could only use wool for their garments. The main garments for the women were made of wollen gown of ankle length. Two garments were usually worn- inner gown and outer gown. A mantle might be worn over the outer dress. Like men free women also bear a seax as a sign of their freedom. All women during the Anglo-Saxon Period, after the introduction of Christianity wear some kind of head covering. The primary garments made for men were of wollen tunic. These were made only for the poorer people. A linen under tunic and linen garments http://english.aizeonpublishers.net/content/2016/2/eng573-575.pdf
would be worn by rich family and nobility. During the 11th century the length of the garments decreased and the length of the hose increased. Over the tunic a cloak would be worn which was held together by a brooch of ring. There are several upgradations of people wearing headgear similar to helmets. But in Elizabethan Period each item was designed. Elizabethan’s clothing of women were associated with gowns, hats, corsets, ruffs and fashionable shoes and the clothings of men were linked with underwear, collars, hats and shoes and many other fashionable things. The Elizabethan Sumptuary Clothing Laws were used to ensure the specific codes of law of the society of that time. No doubt it heightens the status of the person wearing these clothes. There are several illustrations of warrior like persons who wear headgear that were similar to Phrygian caps found in 10th and 11th century Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. A single brooch fastened the square of rectangular cloak. 573
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The short lined cloak was designed so that the skin of the animal faced outward and the fur brushed against the undergarments. Men of the Northern Tribes of 5th and 6th century England dressed alike regardless of social rank. During this time the fashions consisted of the cloak and trousers and many things. However the woolen cloaks have also been found. The garments however opened either at the front or at the right shoulder. Other means of fastening the cloth together included tying, lacing were often made of natural materials like bones, wood or horns. Multiple tunics were worn so that the lower one served as a shirt. Clasps were not necessarily needed to hold the tunic togetherly and trousers were usually of ankle length. The excess materials was bunched around the waist. Pieces of fabric clinked to the trousers formed belt loops so that the garments could be held in place at the waist by belt. Most often belts worn at the hips were more of a necessity rather than a luxury. Buckles were of a common things to use. Owen- Crocker mentions that “belt ornaments and tags” dangled from the belts of the Anglo-Saxon in addition to the every equipments. Leather belts were often the most common known as 2 inches wide. Leggings were used for the additional protection for the legs. First leggings consisted of woven fabric or leather. The second, the next one was simply a piece of fabric used to tie on the leggings providing warmth and protection too. People belonging to the lower caste wore leggings made of cut pieces of old clothes, blankets. People belonging to the Anglo-Saxon Period covered their bare feet except when working. Shoes were made of leather and secured with straps. Clothing from the 7th to the 9th century was similar to that of the previous centuries and again all classes generally wore the same clothings. The common pieces consisted of tunics, cloaks, jackets shoes and trousers. Sleeves of the tunic were usually long and tight fitting and excess materials were pushed up the arms from the elbow to the wrist. And the neck of the tunic was opened so that the belt was worn around the waist. According to the social status embellishments adorned the collar of the tunic, waist or border and for the peasant and the poor people of lower class a plain tunic with sleeves were generally worn. The noble persons generally worn longer tunic than the lower class society quite dissimilar to that of Elizabethan Society. Elizabethan clothings of the Beaumont society was lavishly expensive. The materials were luxurious and covered a whole variety of colours. In fact due to the Sumptuary Laws enforced by Queen Elizabeth I in Greenwich on 15 June 1574, ordinary people of this society were not allowed to wear the fashionable dress of multiple colours. Almost all people of the Elizabethan Period understood the meaning of different coloured clothings; something like that of our modern era. Most of us would consider the purple colour to be associated with the Royal Society but each of the people of this Elizabethan Period was conscious about the meaning of the different colours. And this http://english.aizeonpublishers.net/content/2016/2/eng573-575.pdf
meaning was understood by the Elizabethan audience. Elizabethan Nobles and Upper Classes wore clothing made of velvets, furs, silks, lace, cottons and many others materials. But the dress code of the Elizabethan Women was completely different from that of men. The dress of women was extremely elaborated and decorative and was constructed with the many layers of clothings. The cosmetics usually and generally used by the women were highly poisonous and unhealthy and malignant for the skin. At the start of Queen Elizabeth I Reign fashions for women was modest and the body of women were covered from head to foot. Women’s fashion was emulated with that of a man. Clothes were decorated with jewels, pearls and many valuable things. Unlike the costumes of the Elizabethan Society there is quite dissimilarities with that of Anglo- Saxon Period. A cloak was fastened on either side of the breast or a shoulder with the assistance of a brooch. But for the lower classes the coat was made of plain clothings, lower in rank. The wrap over coat also highly deserving of great pleasure and worthy too. People of the AngloSaxon Period wrapped the knee- length coat over the front of their body. Collars and Hoods first used by the Anglo-Saxon People in 9th century. Use of jackets with waist length and broad collar was also introduced in this period of ancient time England, similar to the Modern Period. Trousers in the Anglo-Saxon period were shortened to mid-thigh and made of leather. Anglo-Saxon appreciated the uses of shoes of different colours and also used by all classes of society of that period. Most of the clergy of the both 9th and 10th centuries worn the such the dresses which were similar to the laity. They by the 8th century were forbidden to wear the clothes of colourful and expensive fabrics. Twill cloaks used by them usually shorter than that of laity. Besides by the 9th century silk was both used by the kings and the nobles person. During 11th century the main garments for a woman was the woollen garments of ankle length. Occasionally and correspondingly two garments were used: the inner was quite loose and flexible and the outer one was tight and skin- fitting. A mantle might be worn over the outer dress. Like man free woman would also carry a seax (O.E. word means “knife”; a type of sword used by Germanic peoples of the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages) as assign of her freedom. During the era of 11th century men continued to wear cloaks, trousers and tunics. It was the coifs that became popular for the head covering. The Elizabethan People were mostly associated with the colourful dresses but shudder to wear randomly due to this Law. In general people of the Elizabethan Period were concerned with this Law and lead themselves toughly. Short boots were introduced by the latter part of the century. In Anglo-Saxon period the soldiers wore wrap over coats decorated with chain and they also attached pouches which helped them to carry their weapons. And during the 9th and 10th centuries military attires were not alike from that of the civil attire. The main change was the form of the length of short linen tunics 574
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with metal collar. Weapons and clothes fittings worn on the battle field were adorned with the techniques of jewellery but the concept of the parade wear did not exist for the Anglo-Saxons period.
CONCLUSION
Both these ages were equally important and distinct from their own individual point of view of lifestyle, cultures, attitudes and the overall their costumes used by the people of Europe. Succinctly Anglo-Saxon period is different and indeed less difficult than that of the Laws of the Elizabethan Period. My greatest and strongest endeavor is to expose the similarities and dissimilarities of the cultural semblance and origin of this two ages. Culturally they were outspoken and smart enough from that of Anglo-Saxon period but intellectually the people of Anglo-Saxon period was more daring and naïve too in using their skillful and intellectual choices of their costumes throughout their entire society of different classes. Upper class fashions, hair styles, make up with modern cosmetics, uses of hats, gowns and shoes used by the women of Elizabethan Period was worthy of high praise which Anglo-Saxon period did not possess. Upper class fashion was highly elaborative and necessarily attractive at court. It should be noted that the men of Elizabethan Period were deserved of similar values like women due to their skillful and subtle caring of their dress codes, hair styles and beards which the people of Anglo-Saxon Period deserved less. But in both these period the class and slap of the society affected much on all genres. Cultural
values and dignity of the people of both these periods seem quite similar but a strong and intellectual distinction was there that is idealized and illuminated by this paper. Besides that the clothes worn during the Elizabethan Period were influenced by geometrically rather than the natural shapes of the body. Togetherly uses of padding and the quilting for stiffening purpose was the main motif to have the shape of geometric effect during this time. Men would wear the girdles to have the wasp waisted look like women. It is universally acknowledged in spite of lot of distinction having been found in between this two period of England, each has its culminating point and heights in that profound history of English Literature from other one since its beginning. My estimation towards this controversial justification through this paper is how much will be evaluated by the dignitaries and the profoundest worldly scholars, that’s all.
REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Notes on Costumes of Anglo-Saxon Period from Wikipedia.com Notes on the Cultures of Elizabethan Period and Its People from Wikipedia.com Journals on Anglo-Saxon Periods. History of English Literature by Albert. Notes on Elizabethan people’s Costumes.
© 2016; AIZEON Publishers; All Rights Reserved This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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