Sumptuary laws -or- Who may wear the weasel-fur?

[Ros]

Sumptuary laws -or-
Who may wear the weasel-fur?

Knights with land worth four hundred marks
may wear no weasel-fur, no ermine,
no precious stones except the jewels
that glimmer in a woman’s hair.

Knights with land of two hundred marks
may not wear cloth of gold, no miniver
nor ermine sleeves. Their women have no
weasel-fur, no precious stones except
the jewels that sparkle in their hair.

Esquires and wealthy merchants may sport
in silk and silver, their womenfolk
wear miniver, but cannot touch
the weasel-fur, nor strut the streets
in precious stones, excepting just
the jewels that twinkle in their hair.

If you should see a lady in a hood
of scarlet brown, with stars of pearl
and trim of gold, each star of seven
even pearls, or in a beaver-fur,
the inside lined with velvet, adorned
with pearls of white and gold baboons,
then doubt no more: she is a queen.

[Oskar]

Ros

Loved it. Where did you get your information? I'll let others analyse the poetry. All I want to do is enjoy the history.

Here's another list relating to Tudor costume:-

Only royalty could wear gold or purple cloth.
Nobody below the rank of earl could wear sable (fur from a marten).
Nobody below a baron could wear cloth of silver/satin, or blue or crimson velvet.
Nobody below the rank of knight or lord's son could wear a silk shirt, unless he had an income from the land worth £20 per year.
Nobody owning land worth less than £5 a year could wear scarlet or violet.

This is the one I like the best - Apprentices were not allowed to wear ruffs, jewels, embriodered shoes, or fancy garters. If they disobeyed, they would be publicly whipped!

Thanks. Thoroughly enjoyed.

[Ros]

Thanks, Oskar! This is 14thc - from The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England (soon to be out in paperback!) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-travellers ... 834&sr=8-2 He quotes his source as the National Archives.

Apparently the men in particular started the century wearing quite practical stuff, and by the end had enormously long sleeves, shoes so long the ends had to be tied to their garters, figure-hugging tunics etc.

Ros

[Ros]

What really amused me was the golden baboons, but I can't find out if they were actually models of baboons (would they have seen baboons?) or if it's a term for something else. He doesn't elaborate.

[Oskar]

What really amused me was the golden baboons, but I can't find out if they were actually models of baboons (would they have seen baboons?)

A Royal Menagerie was established at the Tower of London in the thirteenth century. It was apparently stocked with animals such as lions and camels, so it's quite possible that baboons were a known quantity to Europeans by that time.

[Helen Bywater]

Fascinating stuff, Ros. I read this earlier, but like Oskar I was too interested in the history to try to analyse it as a poem. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Cheers,
Helen

[Ros]

Thanksfor the read, Helen - glad you enjoyed it.

I thought I'd try a rather different style, so I'd be interested to see how people think it works (or not!) poetically.

[BenJohnson]

Ros I hope to come back to read this again and comment properly, but in case I don't I must just say what an excellent title, it made me want to read this. History can be so amazing.

[ray miller]

Weasel-fur had me visualising Lord Mandelson again, and I hate it when that happens.Is there a hint of a comma splice in the 3rd verse? It is fascinating and nicely written. I except we'll be seeing a whole bunch of new avatars for the Moderators very shortly.

[Ros]

Golden baboons are probably just that, then!

Ben, thanks, look forward to further comments.

Ray, I do apologise, wouldn't want to make anyone think of Mandelson. Looking at it again now, I think there probably are too many commas. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Oskar]

Ros

I've come back to this as it certainly deserves a closer look.

Superficially, it reads like a simple list. However, once you get past the bumpy opening lines of S1,2 and 3, you achieve a pleasing rhythmic balance without compromising the treasure trove of historical references within each ordinance. You employ some very subtle rhymes and the alliteration is not overdone. Nice work.

The variations on jewels in their hair makes it even more of a poem, although I personally felt that words like glimmer/sparkle/twinkle tend to work against the general prescriptive tone of the piece.

Each successive stanza builds in duration towards the concluding verse, giving a feeling of foward momentum. S4 is more overtly a narration. I like the close, confidential tone you achieve. The final line pulls up abruptly. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, I just didn't want it to end!

VERY well done.

[Mic]

I found it kind of hypnotic. I know but little about poetic forms, this has elements of a rondeau, no? I know but little..

Yours, edified and mesmerised,

Mic

[David]

I love this period of history, and you've hit that particular funny bone really well here, Ros. The poem (qua poem) (I've always wanted to put "qua poem" in brackets) reads at first like a bit of found poetry, although I agree with Mic that there's also a hypnotic quality in the repetition of some of the phrases. Also a bit of clumsiness in the phrasing, methinks, but I like the whole thing a lot and the final stanza is a cracker.

I've already recommended "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman to you, I think; I do it again.

Cheers

David

[Ros]

Thanks all, much appreciated. The phrases were almost a found poem, which made it harder, as I wanted to stick to the original wording as much as possible. I think it could be refined a little, and I'll consider your thoughts. It's great to find a more unusual subject and be able to make it work (more or less!)

Ros

[Elphin]

Terrific Ros,

Aside from the subject I just think the whole structure, the repitition, the closing lines on women's hair and your last line in the last stanza add up to a great read.

No nits from me - and of course the title must be Who may wear the weasel fur?

elph

[Ros]

Thanks, elph!

[Lovely]

Beautiful so beautiful. Loved it friend so ever much.

Thank you. What a beautiful write this is!


loads of love xx

[Ros]

Thanks, lovely. Glad you enjoyed it.

[bodkin]

Knights in white satin...

not allowed.

[Ros]

Knights in white satin...

not allowed.

Just what the truth is
I cant say anymore.