The Middle Ages: Clothing and literature

Middle Ages was the period in European history from the collapse of Roman civilisation in the 5th century to the period of the Renaissance in the 15th century. The middle period is subdivided into early, high and late middle age. The Early middle era is often considered to begin with the “fall of Rome” and end sometime in the 11th century. Over these centuries, Christianity spread throughout much of Europe and church evolved as the central power. The High Middle Ages saw medievalism at its peak. Feudalism was firmly established in Britain and parts of Europe. By the end of the thirteenth century, Europe was at an economic and cultural height, about to experience a downturn. The Late Medieval era saw the horrific results of famine and disease in abundance. The Black Death expunged at least a third of Europe and marked the end of the prosperity that had characterised the high medieval era. The Church, once so highly respected by the general populace, encountered reduced status and the reduction in population stimulated political and economical changes. Clothing In Middle Ages During the middle ages, the clothing varied according to the social standing of the people. The clothing worn by nobility and upper classes was clearly different than that of the lower class. The clothes wore by the nobility and upper class people were very elaborate and lavishly adorned with jewellery and the most significant difference was the emphasis on the garment sleeves.

Knights were known for wearing “surcoates” which also displayed the coat of arms. Woollen stockings covered their legs. The surcoat was emblazoned with the cote of arms or device of the Knight in order to identify the knight in battle.

In the early medieval times, men wore loose tunics, togas, trousers and laced sandals. They also wore undershirts with briefs and then covered by a sleeveless jacket. This was followed by an extra tunic. Lastly, they added stockings. Medieval men wore cloaks with round openings that could be slipped easily over the men’s heads. The cloak had the same purpose as a jacket. Medieval women wore full length tunics that covered to their ankles. This fashion in the Middle Ages  was known as “kirtles”, and it was often worn over a shirt. When in public, the women often wore an even shorter kirtle over the tunics. The richer and the more influential the woman was, the more luxurious her clothing was. Married woman wore tight fighting caps and nets over their hair with a wound up bun on their heads. Veils were also worn by some woman over their heads, and then their hair was usually braided tightly or just hanging loosely under the veil. Garments in the Middle Ages were mostly made of wool and the undergarments made of linen. Again, the wealthier upper class could be distinguished by their brighter clothes and more luxurious materials. Rich people also indicated their wealth by wearing longer jackets. To the end of the Middle Ages, aristocrat men wore hose, which replaced trousers, and jackets with pleating and a tunic with a surcoat. Women gowns became more flowing and more emphasis was put into headwear with hair dresses and turbans. Lacing of women’s clothes became tighter and more form fitting.

A girdle at the waist was worn to create the appearance of a long waist. Gowns and sleeves were longer and trailed more and tunics were narrowed and later evolved to become the doublet. Men took on a more burgundian style which was characterised by shorter and tighter clothes and more pointed shoes. The length of the points indicated status, with the longer points indicating a higher status.

Religious and holy people wore long woolen habits to adopt the same fashion style of roman clothing. The color of the habit exhibited the position of the person in the order. Benedictines wore black habits, while the Cistercians wore habits made of wool that was not dyed or was white. Monks clothes were plain and comfortable and they were allowed to wear linen coifs to keep their heads warm.

The clothing of peasants varied from other classes as they couldn’t afford expensive clothes. The men mostly wore stockings and tunics, while the women wore long gowns and sleeveless tunics and wimples to cover their head. In the winter they wore sheepskin cloaks and mittens and hats of wool to protect them from cold and rain. They wore leather boots with wooden patens. They never washed their outer garment, only the under garment was washed. Their clothes usually smelled of wood smoke due to wool that the woman spun into the threads and woven into the cloth for these garments to help absorb the wood smoke smell into these garments. This may have been their early attempts for deodorant. Wealthy people often lined their clothes with fur. It was only the upper class who could afford jewellery. They wore sumptuous jewellery. Diamonds became popular in the fourteenth century in Europe. Knights were not allowed to wear rings. Literature in Middle Ages Medieval literature lasted from the fall of the Western Roman Empire AD 500 to the beginning of the early Renaissance in Italy in the fourteenth century. It was characterised by the cardinal concerns of faith, the social collective, and spiritual salvation. By the eleventh century it was written in Latin, the language of the Church and learning. After the eleventh century, French became the dominant language of secular medieval literature. Most literary works of that time were of religious character and included numerous hymns and hagiographies, which were more popular and more often told than the Bible. Most works of that time were anonymous. Popular writings:

Book by Geoffery Chaucer written in the 15th century

• Allegories, which were usually told to convey morals. • Heroic and epic poems written in 10th century Byzantium • Troubadours’ love poetry in the 11th century France, Spain and Italy and Germany (Minnesänger) • Political, so-called goliardic poetry, was introduced in 12th and 13th century. The Goliards were clerical students at universities in France, Germany, Italy, and England who protested the growing corruption in clerical orders through satirical Latin poetry, song and performance • Travel literature