Ancient Polish Folk Costume from Bilgoraj

In researching early slavic clothing, I have come across an interesting regional stroje ludowe, or regional traditional costume in Poland.  These folk costumes appear to have their origins in peasant traditional dress from around the 19th century.  However one isolated region in Poland has a traditional costume that appears to be a bit older.  The Biłgoraj region of Poland is isolated by swamps and forests.  Elements of this costume could give hints about the ancient peasant clothing style that was its origin.

Stroj_bilgorajski_damski
Women’s folk costume from Biłgoraj, Poland

The women’s costume is a flat round cap and long veil, blouse, skirt and apron.  All are made in white linen with simple backstitch, straight, and chain stitches in a single color , red, or blue depending on the village. Lines, spiral S and triskel, and asterisks are common designs.

Stroj_bilgorajski_meski
Men’s folk costume from Biłgoraj, Poland

men wear a brown square cap with blue tassels and a long brown wool coat with blue woven trim around the neck.  Their shirts and pants are white linen.

Latvian Pastalas

The shoes are very similar to Latvian pastala shoes.  These are skin shoes with a drawstring around the top edge and leather thongs wrapping around the lower leg.  There a photos of the Polish ones from the 19th c. on the Muzeum Lubelskie W Lubinie.

Lamus Dworski  – Biłgoraj costume – a guide to Polish folk costumes

Muzeum Lubelskie W Lubinie – Stroje ludowe Lubelszczyzny

Wiktionary – Pastala

Polish Costume Tumblr – Lasowiacy

Saxon Tablet Weaving

I had a lovely fiber play date at Khalja’s place.  I was warping up a new loom to weave a new vitta (Saxon headband).  I had found Shelagh Lewin’s article on the Laceby band, which is from Laceby, Lincolnshire, around 600 AD.  A Band from Laceby:  An early Anglo-Saxon band from Lincolnshire, with additional motifs from the Maaseik textiles by Shelagh Lewins 2015.  The Maaseik textiles referenced are di075041.jpg thought to be Anglo-Saxon (Budny & Tweddle), and currently reside at the Kerk Sint-Catharina in Maaseik, Belgium.  The motifs on the  brocaded tablet woven bands included a vine with leaves that looked looked like it could work for laurel regalia.  I think this is going to result in another terribly period, yet not blingy enough to read as regalia object.  I’m having fun getting my new loom warped up and working through the mechanics of this new (to me) technique.

 

 

Mildred Budny and Dominic Tweddle, “The Maaseik Embroideries,”  Anglo Saxon England 13 (1984): 65–96.

Budny, M., & Tweddle, D. (1985). The Early Medieval Textiles at Maaseik, Belgium. The Antiquaries Journal, 65(2), 353-389.