Calling all googlers!

[ambitious_wench]

I'm performing at King Richard's Faire this year, and have decided to play a Scottish noblewoman of the Elizabethan era. I need help finding information on the ranks of nobility of Scotland from that time period. Also, I would like to find period headdresses of the same time frame--illustrations, not necesarrily actual hats. I just need ideas.

Yes, I can use Google. No, I don't have the time to wade through all the stuff I see there. That's why I'm asking for help from friends who have a variety of areas of expertise for some help here. I have no way to weed out the crap from the gold.

Character is still in the formulative stages: I do know this: I want her to be of Clan MacGregor. Alt.devilbunnies folks will get the connection. *grin* And yes, I plan on giving tickets to the Mayo family again this year. And I want to make sure that we sing "Halantow" if they arrive: "We were up, long before the day-o, to welcome in the summer, to welcome in the May-o..."

Thanks,
Edie

Comments

[panacea1.livejournal.com]

What part of the Elizabethan era - Old Queen Liz lived a pretty long time, and fashions changed?

For lack of knowing any better, I'm assuming Scottish court fashion is roughly the same as English of the same period, plus or minus a decade, as fashion trends seem to move northward (from Spain and Italy) and westward (from Germany and Holland) through France to Britain, at least during the 1500s.

The headdress that's most likely period for this character is called a French Hood, and as best I can figure from the pictures, it's a sort of rectangle of black velvet, with one of the short ends running from ear to ear over the crown of the head (over some sort of lace-and-buckram frame, possibly), with the long sides sewn or tucked into a tube that falls down the back and probably contains the hair.

I don't do a lot of costume research online; I like books. I recommend Tudor Costume and Fashion, by Herbert Norris. Originally two volumes, now available in Dover paperback single-volume for $26.95 US. ISBN 0-486-29845-0.

Go to powells.com (or Amazon, if you must), buy this book, open it to about page 500, and you'll see the costumes you are looking for.

Addendum

[panacea1.livejournal.com]

Did more reading and thumbing. According to Norris, French hood would definitely be acceptable anywhere in Britain after ~1530.

If you were playing an older lady in early Elizabethan, you could get away with a gable headdress up to about 1550 or 1560, in the same way that one can still see little old ladies in vintage polyester pantsuits in 2003.

Tudor Costume and Fashion has a long section on development of headwear during this period, with some construction diagrams and plenty of pictures. Later in period a wire was used to shape the edge of the hood nearest the face into a sort of heart-shape; the whole shebang was probably anchored to some sort of cap.

For late period, you could do a caul (hair net) with a gentleman's cap (similar to a beret, but with a brim), also.

Go buy the book. Is very good costume book.

Go.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Hang on a moment here....


http://costume.dm.net/headwear/coif.html

http://costume.dm.net/headwear/snood.html

http://tasha.gallowglass.org/sca/garb/access.html and
http://sca-garb.freeservers.com/articles/howtolinks.html have lots of links but only a few are for your period.

http://www.sempstress.org/patterns/drafting/hats.shtml

http://patriot.net/~nachtanz/SReed/headrevlit.html for some serious scholarly stuff.

http://members.tripod.com/~GarbMonger/flatcap/index.html

http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/sca/tudor/gableinst.html - OOOH - Gable Hat.

In return - GIFS!!!!

MacGregor Background

[scascot.livejournal.com]

Crest Badge: A lion's head, erased, crowned with an antique crown, proper.

Motto: 'S rioghal mo dhream (Royal is my race)

Gaelic Name: MacGrioghair

'S rioghal mo dhream, "Royal is my race", is the claim of this, one of the most famous of Highland clans, and the principal branch of Clan Alpine. The clan claims descent from Griogar, son of Alpin, King of Dalraida in the 8th century. The home of the clan was on the border of Argyll and Perthshire, and included Glenorchy, Glenstrae, Glenlyon and Glengyle. The earliest lands of the clan, Glenorchy, previously owned by the Campbells, was bestowed on the MacGregors for services rendered to Alexander II in his conquest of Argyll. For a long time the MacGregors kept possession of their lands by right of the sword, but the enmity of the surrounding clans resulted in attempts to displace them, and their inevitable retaliation earned them the reputation of being a turbulent clan. During these conflicts the Campbells were able to obtain grants of MacGregor lands, the name of MacGregor was proscribed, and severe enactments were passed against the clan whose members were persecuted and prosecuted. Charles II, because of their support, repealed the acts against Clan Gregor, but upon accession of William of Orange the acts of proscription were renewed, and it was not until 1775 that the penal statutes against the MacGregors were finally repealed. Rob Roy (1671-1734), the celebrated freebooter and hero of Sir Walter Scott's romance, was a son of Colonel Donald MacGregor of Glengyle.