To buy a printed booklet containing most of this material, see the SCA Compleat
Anachronist Order Page and order CA # 108. Please note the errata
for this document; the errata are fixed in pages on this
website. The patterns 24 and up in "The Braid Patterns" are not in the
CA, nor are the "New Sources". A second Compleat Anachronist is
currently being worked on.
Preface
Fingerloop braids are braids woven using loops (or "bowes") of string
on your fingers. Fingerloop braiding reached a high point in Medieval
Europe and England between 1200 and 1600 CE. This braiding technique
still survives today in isolated areas of Europe, the Middle East,
South America and Japan.
This article focuses on the 15th through 17th century English-language
instructions for making braids. We studied the braid directions in
sample manuscripts (the late examples had silk and metallic thread
examples still stitched into the pages). We both came to this study
with knowledge of basic fingerloop braiding. Zoe learned fingerloop
braiding when she was 12, and she has taught children as young as 7
years old. Lois learned fingerloop braiding from Ed Franquemont,
who was taught by village women in mountainous Chinchero, Peru. Zoe and Lois
met at Pennsic War, when they took each other's classes on braiding.
As points, laces or cords, braids have a multitude of uses. They
fastened hose, laced bodices, trimmed sleeves, frogged dress fronts,
closed purses and held wax seals to parchment. Modern uses include
drawstrings for pants, hair ties, shoelaces, and friendship bracelets.
You can braid in the car on the way to faraway events and use all
sorts of loop patterns, string, yarn and colors you choose - try
heraldic braids to hang award dangles from. You'll come up with some
bizarre braids on your own: while trying to decipher a particular 2
worker braid, Zoe and Victoria Dye accidentally made up the 'Frog
& Lobster' braid. Bizarre modern braids - that's another book...
Video
This video, made by a fan of this website, shows many of the basic braiding moves:
Acknowledgments
Thanks go to everyone we've had the opportunity to braid with.
Special thanks to Mistress Grace (Laura Morgan), Lady Anna (Victoria
Dye), Master Gregory Blount (Greg Lindahl), Master Bedwyr Danwyn
(Ted Lazcano), Lord Stefan Wolfgang (Rob Westfall) and Lord Alain
(Berry Williams).
Contact Information
Mistress Azza al-Shirazi
Zoe Kuhn Williams
azzazazo zat yahoo.com
Mistress Rhiannon y Bwa
Lois Swales
P.O. Box 282
Etna, NY 13062
las52 zat cornell.edu
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