Did Medieval Women Work? Making Some Practical Head Coverings from the 12th through 15th centuries

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 32

  • @canucknancy4257
    @canucknancy4257 2 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I grew up on a small farm and would often put a scarf over my hair when I was out working in the very large garden that we had. Not only did it keep the sweat out of my eyes, but it definitely kept the dirt out of my hair, especially when the wind was blowing. All three of these styles look charming on you. Thanks for the history lesson too. Take care.

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Yes, the modern bandana is a very similar idea, especially to the 15th century look (the banded triangle)! Thanks for visiting my channel today :)

  • @harmlesschicken7018
    @harmlesschicken7018 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    I'm a Muslim and I'm shocked at how similar my hijab (i.e. inner and outer) looks to wimple and veil. Today's hijab styles are getting simpler and more minimalist, so here I am turning to a medieval European video tutorial to learn how to secure my hijab in this style 😅

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      There are a ton of different veiling styles from medieval Europe I didn't even touch on and so many more from around the world. Plenty to draw inspiration from!

    • @manchagojohnsonmanchago6367
      @manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yeah i think generally women, especially married women were expected to couver their hair in most middle eastern and european societies even well before the spread of Christianity, roman and greek women did this, the germanic tribes did this, illyrians did so as did most middle eastern cultures, it seems to have been common in these regions

    • @scouttyra
      @scouttyra หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 and it makes sense, if you have long hair covering it is a way to help keep it clean

    • @manchagojohnsonmanchago6367
      @manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@scouttyra naar it wasn't the reason.. it was an ancient public modestly custom among Indo-European and near eastern cultures. It was nothing to do with keeping hair clean

    • @scouttyra
      @scouttyra หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 those modesty customs came from somewhere. Covering your skin with fabric makes sense in a world without modern heating or sun protection. Covering your hair protects it from dirt and muck, keeping it cleaner in a time before modern hygiene. Also, it often helps keep your hair out of your face (or the food you're cooking).

  • @MrsBrit1
    @MrsBrit1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    The first one you put on at the end is my favorite. Why is that so cute?? Seriously!

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I think it's very similar to a modern bandana and it low-key may be something I wear while working in the garden this season!

  • @GrainneDhu
    @GrainneDhu ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Lovely video!
    Speaking as someone who once went through an Iowa winter in a house mostly unheated (except for the bathroom, which utilised heat tape and a space heater to keep the plumbing from freezing), a night cap doesn't just promote health. It can be the difference between lying miserably in bed for a few hours struggling to be warm enough to stay asleep and feeling warm enough and cosy enough to sleep comfortably all night.
    It was surprising to me at the time (the late 1970s) just how much heat I lost through my head--having enough blankets on my bed was definitely not enough if my head was not covered.
    At the time I had hair long enough to literally sit on and there's nothing more annoying when outside than to have my hair conveniently braided or even just confined to a ponytail but have stragglers blowing across my face. Wearing a bandanna (the modern equivalent of a veil) helped keep all hair out of my eyes and mouth while working outside.

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  ปีที่แล้ว

      Wow, thanks for sharing your experience!

    • @debbylou5729
      @debbylou5729 ปีที่แล้ว

      You don’t lose any more or less heat from your head. If you had left any other area with the same surface size you would’ve lost the same amount. The difference is closing the area around the mouth. Your exhaled breath is usually around the ‘normal’ of 98.5. Even this area must be covered loosely or obliquely to prevent moisture from accumulating.

  • @OdessaDenby
    @OdessaDenby  ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hey all, this video very briefly touches on some of the paid work women did outside the home in the medieval era. If you are interested in learning more about women's lives and work (did you know women could be part of guilds and sponsor apprentices?) Please check out "The Once and Future Sex" by Eleanor Janega.
    It was just released this year (well after I released this video, so it's not in my original references) and offers a nice overview of women's lives in medieval Europe.

  • @elizabethmcglothlin5406
    @elizabethmcglothlin5406 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What a pleasant voice you have!

  • @gofish7388
    @gofish7388 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I'm kind of sad about how medieval European women are looked down upon as oppressed victims in our modern feminist culture. Thank you for giving them the credit they deserve!

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I think it's the same issue you see with how people look at history overall. It's an attitude of looking down-- "we're so much better/smarter/freer/more civilized" and it strips away the humanity of our ancestors. Change doesn't always equal progress or improvement, after all.

    • @HamnimationStudios
      @HamnimationStudios 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Amen!

  • @AR-mu4zq
    @AR-mu4zq 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Hello, I am an artist and writer. I am illustrating a novel I wrote and am trying to find the correct dimensions so I can make a wimple and veil for a prop in a live drawing. Any tips and advice is appreciated. Do you sell them? That may be easier to have you custom make one if you are interested. I need it to be accurate for the early 13th century.

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      In my description box you'll find some resources that I used in my research to make these. There are some patterns with measurements to help give you the size, but of course, since most people were making them custom for individuals at the time, they could vary somewhat depending on the person's stature and head size. Fashions also changed throughout the century.
      I don't sell anything at the moment, but there are a lot of talented makers who sell things for the SCA and historical reenactment on Etsy and personal websites.

  • @gofish7388
    @gofish7388 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hats and caps are just practical in a world without heating and poor hygiene.

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  ปีที่แล้ว +5

      People always did their best to be clean and smell good, it's just harder without showers delivering hot water on demand. So caps were very helpful.

  • @henriettanovember4733
    @henriettanovember4733 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I do not understand what you are talking about when it comes to women working. It is as obvious that women have worked since the time of Adam&Eve as they have been breathing and eating and sleeping. Who on this entire planet think that the concept of working women is from the 1960s???? This is all very odd.

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I suppose it depends where you are from and what culture you are exposed to, but it is often depicted in the media as a modern and "revolutionary" concept for women to have a job. A "traditional wife" is often shorthand for one who stays home and tends the children, not seeking any sort of paid employment.
      I am happy for you that you are better educated in the subject than many, but things that seem obvious aren't always taught about or treated as common facts. I wanted to give a brief overview of common paid work for women, even married women in this period.
      Thanks for the interaction.

    • @leoc.poppen1387
      @leoc.poppen1387 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@OdessaDenby You made that very clear in the video. (The modern concept of working women as opposed to the work that they did throughout history).

    • @Finepikin
      @Finepikin ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@OdessaDenby women always worked. It’s just that in those times women weren’t paid for their work. Ppl are just mad that in todays modern times women are getting paid for our work

    • @OdessaDenby
      @OdessaDenby  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ​@@Finepikinactually, even paid labor for women was more common than most people realize. Please check out "The Once and Future Sex" by Eleanor Janega. She gives a lot of valuable info about women's lives in the middle ages and their pays and unpaid work.