Medieval things and whatnot

Clothing in medieval times tells us quite a lot about the times themselves as well as the people in those times. In general, people wore woolen clothes with linen undergarments. It is also true that brighter colors, better materials, as well as more complicated and intricate clothes in general were a sign of wealth. Wealthy women in the middle ages wore long, flowing gowns and various forms of headdresses with extremely intricate and detailed embroidery. This headwear could be anything from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall caps and even Italian turbans.

In some cases, clothing was actually used as a means of separation between economic classes. The lower classes simply did not have access to many of the clothing options of wealthier people because they often made their own fabric and clothes while wealthier people could afford to pay tailors and furriers. It was also impractical for many working class people to have complicated and high quality clothing simply because they worked for a living and would dirty and ruin clothes in the process. On the other hand, royalty often had tailors and other craftsmen essentially on staff in their household to create elaborate, high quality clothing for them. Also, certain colors of clothing were a big indication of the wealth of a person. At some points, scarlet tones, such as red and purple were colors in clothing that were generally reserved for kings and princes.

Dancing in medieval times is an interesting part of history as well as important to understanding the culture of that time. In the early middle ages, most of the records we have of dance is actually primarily from religious sources. It is not until the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that we have the first records of actual dance music. One of the first dances we see in the thirteenth century is the carole. The carole was first popular in France and then in England and is thought to have possibly descended from some forms of Greek dancing. Following this time, many other forms of dances become known such as the French ductia, estampie, and nota, and many others.