toys-msg - 10/29/16
Period and SCA toys.
NOTE: See also the files: dolls-msg, child-gam-msg, child-gam-msg, teething-toys-msg, children-msg, babies-msg, Toys-in-th-MA-art, dollhouses-msg, chd-actvites-msg, 2-Hobbyhorses-art.
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This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
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Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: Maryanne.Bartlett at f56.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Maryanne Bartlett)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: kids/dolls/toys
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 1994 03:30:00 PDT
Organization: The Overworked Dragon BBS (503)256-8451 PDX
I'm hunting for pictures/photos/locations/books on period kids' toys.
I've run across a *lot* of tertiary sources, some of which seem to be
really unreliable, but very little of primary or secondary source
material. Can anybody out there help? Even hints of books or museums that
have this kind of stuff would be helpful! Just so you know, I have seen:
the Brueghel pictures of all kinds of kids and toys
all kinds of games, both board and dice
the late period portraits of Arbella Stuart,
Edward VI as a baby,
James VI's children,
and been told of several interesting ones that I haven't yet found photos
of, such as the one where a child is holding what appears to be a
mechanical bird.
I am indeed looking for pre-period things as well, and have
considered the Pompeii finds (although I've no line on good books, anybody?)
I am particularly interested in a rumoured Egyptian marble game, (polished
stones and small pillars,(for "marble arch"?) found wrapped in a small
girl's mummy. Anybody know where this one is?
If anybody can track down the references in Ovid to games, I would be
extremely grateful, as I've had no luck. Supposedly there are marble-type
games described, played with nuts and a variation on "Buck she" that
begins "bucca, bucca, quo sunt hic!"
(Hey, are dominos period?)
All you Norse out there, anybody have any of this info on toy
boats? Again, I've heard rumours, but...
Has anybody seen references to children playing with blocks? I could
swear I have, but haven't been able to track 'em down.
Of course, dolls! Anything? Arbella Stewart is holding a doll, but
what was it made of? Richard II's (?) wife was a child, so several were
ordered? (I keep seeing references to this one in books, but they never
give any documentation!) There is a terra cotta jointed doll described as
being Greek but when/where/how can I find out about it? How about wax
doll/religious figures like the Infant of Prague (not a toy, obviously, but
was the technique used on playthings?)
In other words, this search is far-ranging. Anything that you could
give me in the way of sources, references and locations would be much
appreciated. Yes, I'm planning to write it up, and yes, I will give credit
to all who help!
Thanks in advance!
In Service to the Dream,
Anja Snihova'
From: Maryanne Bartlett (6/8/94)
To: markh at sphinx
RE>kids/dolls/toys
Uu> I'll look and see what I may have found previously. I would appreciate
Uu> seeing any replys that you get with referances. Thanks for the works
Uu> that you did cite.
I'll post you a bit more when I've time, but there are several
pictures in "The History of Children's Costume", Ewing (don't remember the
first name!)
In a rush,
--Anja Snihova'--
--
uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!180!1414!14!Maryanne.Bartlett
Internet: Maryanne.Bartlett at f14.n1414.z180.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: kids/dolls/toys
From: jab2 at stl.stc.co.uk (Jennifer Ann Bray)
Date: 10 Jun 94 11:26:53
Organization: STC Technology Ltd., London Road, Harlow, UK.
> All you Norse out there, anybody have any of this info on toy
>boats? Again, I've heard rumours, but...
I've tried to reply via regular email and I don't seem to be getting
through, though Maryanne can write to me. the ways of email are
various and strange. Anyway I shall see if I can get a message as far
as the Rialto forgive the waste of bandwidth, hopefully someone else
might be interested in this info anyway.
Maryanne asked me for the British Museum's address, it's
The British Museum, Great Russel Street, London, WC1B 3DG
Their 'phone number is 071 636 1555 (from the USA you'll have to
delete the first 0 and put your international access code followed by
44 to get the U.K.)
Anyway here's a couple of references for the books with toy boats in,
I've got more info on other viking toys and games, if you're
reading this Maryanne perhaps you'd like to send me your snail mail
address and I'll try posting you the rest since our email connection
only seems to work one way at the moment.
**************************************************************
Title: Viking Age Decorated Wood
Author: James T. Lang
Publishers: Royal Irish Academy
Copyright: Royal Irish Academy 1988
ISBN 0 901714 68 2 hardback
0 901714 69 0 paperback
Page 33 fig 51 Toy wooden sword
"form reflects known viking-age sword types"
Page 34 fig 54 Toy wooden horse
rather crudely made, and it's lost it's front legs. Someone's carved
crude doodles into its sides.
Page 80 fig 94 Toy ship
"mid eleventh century" this has an elegant shape recognisably similar
to excavated viking ship hulls.
This is a great book if you're interested in Viking age carved wood,
there's lots of other stuff in it besides the toys: spinning and
weaving tools, bits of furniture and crosses, writing tablets, boxes,
stoppers etc. etc.
***********************************************
Title: Viking Artefacts
Author: James Graham-Campbell
Publishers: British Museum Publications Ltd
Copyright: 1980 The trustees of the British Museum
ISBN: 0 7141 1354 9
"92 Wooden Gaming Board
Balinderry, Co. Westmeath Ireland"...
"Rectangular gaming board carved from yew, with two projecting heads (one
human and one animal); the raised border is ornamented with eight panels
of interlace- and-fret-patterns. The playing surface is marked out with
a grid of forty nine peg holes (7x7). the central hole is surrounded by
a pair of concentric circles; the hole in each corner by an arc."
Probably a hnefltafl board. It has a carved gead sticking out from
the board at each end. the general opinion seems to be that this is
a travel board (possibly for use on ship?) and that these heads were
handles for the players to hold. The central panel of ornament on each
side is sunken suggesting that the board had a lid at some time which
was held in place by these sunken parts.
"93 Dice"...
"Three oblong dice of walrus tusk (?). All have the same arrangement of
ring-and-dot 'spots': 'one' on both ends (no 'two'); 'three' opposite
'four' and 'five' opposite 'six' on the sides. L 3.2;W 2.8x 2.5 cm."
These are some of the wierd dice I told you about.
94-101 are various playing pieces in Bone, Bronze, Ivory, Jet, Amber and
glass.
"104 Wooden model boat
Hedeby, Schleswig Holstein"...
Model boat carved from a single piece of wood, but now in fragments and
much damaged except for one end, consisting of a high squared stem
projecting beneath the curved lines of the hull. surviving L 30cm.
The squared stem of this toy boat, although not found on a Viking Period
Ship to date, is cxlosely paralleled by the prow of the ship incised on
the Loddekopinge whetstone [281]. there is another boat from hedeby (also
fragmentary) with a more conventional prow (Jamkuhn 1936 fig. 15). Viking
Period and medieval Toy boats are known also from Dublin [105], the faroes
and Greenland. miniature vanes, such as 285 may have been metal fittings
for mode; boats, as may also have been the dragon head produced in the
mould from Birka 'Black Earth' [443]."
(Numbers mostly refer to other exhibits in the catalogue.)
"105 Wooden Model boat
Dublin, Ireland"
"Model Boat carved from a single piece of wood, but damaged with one end
missing. the curved stem projects above the broad and shallow hull, which
has a pronounced keel. the stub of the mast survives, stepped centrally;
there is a hole through the gunwale on either side for stays, and another
pair of holes at the surviving end of the boat for further stays.
Surviving L 11.0; W 4.1 cm."
"106 model Duck
Birka, Uppland Sweden"
"Profile of a duck carved from elk antler. there is a vertical perforation
through its back. L(Body) 13.2; T 2.1 cm.
>From the 'black Earth'. Presumably a toy or mascot(attached to a stick?)
as, for instance, the toy horses of wood from Kvivik in the Faroes.
date E/MVP."
"107 model cat
Birka, Uppland Sweden"
"Profile of a cat carved from amber. L 3.0; T 1.0cm.
from the 'Black Earth'. Presumably a toy (as 106), although, being of
amber, it might possibly have been a talisman."
"Date E/MVP"
If you have a viking persona and you haven't seen this book try and
find it somewhere, It doesn't have a lot on costume, but all the other
bits and pieces are there from jewellery to ironing boards!
Each piece in teh catalogue is photographed and described with
references to further publications describing the piece.
*************************************
Jennifer/Rannveik
Vanaheim Vikings
email: J.A.Bray at bnr.co.uk
Warning: this email address will be disabled after June 14th when I
am moving jobs. Do not reply to this address after that date.
From: Raven <JSINGLE at MUSIC.LIB.MATC.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: RE: Toys?
Date: 26 JUL 94 08:01:57 EST
Organization: Milwaukee Area Technical College
b.woods6 at genie.geis.COM writes:
> I would be very grateful if anyone would suggest sources I can
>use in making period toys (wood or metal--does not matter).
I have no books to recommend, just a few general ideas for toys:
___
Tops (the kind that spin). ----> | |
| | <-- cylinder (for string)
Hoop-and-stick. ___| |___
\ / <-- cone
Dolls / poppets. \ /
\ /
Gameboards (9-man morris thru chess). \_/
And -- I don't know if this is period, but it'd be educational & fun --
wooden construction blocks suitable for building castles, cathedrals,...
depending on how ambitious you are, this could range from smooth
geometric shapes that vaguely suggest arches etc., to full building
components (barbican, keep) freely rearrangeable by the child.
"Raven" (JSingle at Music.Lib.MATC.Edu) Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: rzex60 at email.sps.mot.com (Jason Magnus)
Subject: Re: Toys?
Organization: The Polyhedron Group
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 18:36:14 GMT
In article <199407260431.AA200677083 at relay2.geis.com>,
b.woods6 at genie.geis.COM wrote:
> I would be very grateful if anyone would suggest sources I can
> use in making period toys (wood or metal--does not matter).
>
> There were children in period, and there were doting parents in
> period, so there *must* have been toys. Please, I would like to make
> some things to play with. ;-)
>
> Hmm...could the fact that I have a year-old niece who will be
> growing up all too fast have anything to do with this request?
> Surely not... ;-)
There's a variety of period board games for older kids - stuff like
nine-man-morris goes well.
For younger kids, one really neat idea I saw a while back was a wooden
knight and horse, with a stick attached to the horse. Kids could hold
'jousts' with them. Another was a horse and rider mounted over a board, and
when you tapped the board, the horse 'galloped'.
For really little kids, wooden rattles filled with dried beans are nice.
===========================
PLANS FOR A TOY FOLLOW
===========================
The favorite toy that I make for younger kids is the 'climbing bear'. It
can actually be done as a Knight, a Lady, a Lord, or any other four-limbed
anthropomorphic shape that can be represented in sort of a 'gingerbread
man' flat form. I rather like the bear, for some strange reason <grin> (see
the name of my shop, below). I'm fairly certain this is a period toy idea.
The climbing bear is a flat wooden doll that climbs a pair of cords. At the
top of the cords there is a stick with a hanging loop in it's middle. The
cord from this loop is several inches long. The loop is attached to a tree
branch, rafter, or other high point, anywhere from a few feet up to 20 feet
or more. The long cords hang from each end of the stick, go through holes
in the doll's hands, and end in a large wooden bead to keep the doll from
slipping off of the cords. They should be long enough to reach the floor.
The holes in the dolls hands angle inward, toward their head. This is
important! Without that angle, the doll won't climb. I usually make the
angle such that for an inch-diameter hand/paw, the top of the hole is 1/4
inch closer to the centerline than the bottom of the hole. The climbing
cord should slide freely through the hole. For cord, I use a cotton mason's
twine. It's easy on kids hands, and seems to work well.
An option is to hang a 'prize' or goal at the top, below the center of the
toggle stick. For a bear, the goal is usually a bee hive or honey pot. For
a lord or lady, it could be a crown, a gem, or a hat. Make it whatever you
like, so long as it's something the doll might want to climb to get to!
To make the doll, design a pattern that places the figure standing, like a
gingerbread man cookie, with legs slightly spread and arms to the sides or
raised upwards at a 30 degree to 45 degree angle. Size is relative. I
wouldn't make it too large, 'cause the toy slides down the cords when it's
done climbing. You wouldn't want to bonk the child on the head with
something heavy! I make mine about 6 inches tall head to toes, and 4 inches
wide at the outstreached arm tips. Trace the pattern onto a 3/4 inch thick
hardwood board, cut it out, and decorate it as your skills allow. Assemble
it as follows:
O <--------- Hanging loop
|
______|______
|_X____X____X_| <-- Toggle stick (string tied/glued at the 'X')
| | |
| GGG <-|------ A 'Prize' or goal (optional)
| |
| O___O | <---- Climbing cords (each side, actually much longer)
| (o o) |
| ( u ) |
_|___| |___|_
|/___ ___\| <-- Cord passing through hole in paw/hand (slip fit)
| ( ) |
| ( ) <|----- The climbing bear / doll
| ( _ ) |
| / / \ \ |
| /_/ \_\ |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
B B <--- Bead at end of cords (each side)
Well, hopefully my ASCII Picture gives you the idea.
To make the bear climb, hold both cords so the strings are tight and the
toggle stick is level. The doll starts with its hands/paws resting on your
hands, or you can hold both cords tight in one hand and slip the doll a bit
up the line with the other hand.
Pull the cord in your right hand. The string through the doll's right paw
will straighten out, lifting it's other paw. Draw the slack through that
paw, and then pull on the other cord. As you do this, maintain just enough
tension on each line so the doll moves smoothly. repeat, alternately
pulling on each cord. With a little practice, you can make the doll climb.
If you release the tension on the cords, the doll slides back down. If you
hold tension, it stops sliding.
For very small kids, an adult or older child runs the toy for the babe's
amusement. As the child gets more coordination, they will learn to make it
climb. It's a popular toy with children of all ages.
--
Regards, Jay Brandt --- Austin, Texas, USA --- <rzex60 at email.sps.mot.com>
In the SCA, HLS Jason of Rosaria, JdL, GdS, AoA --------- (Member # 3016)
Owner / Designer / Craftsman ------------------------- Bear Paw Woodworks
From: sandradodd at aol.com (SandraDodd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Toys?
Date: 28 Jul 1994 09:28:04 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
There's a 1560 painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder which shows all kinds
of recognizable games, and some involve equipment--tops, knuckle bones,
hoops, a couple of different propeller toys (one to pull a string and have
it fly up, one on a stick, like a windmill, so that if the child runs
along it will turn in the wind (like a pinwheel, but only two vanes, and
the stick mounted straight on and held horizontally, rather than
perpendicular as our modern pinwheels). There are stilts, balls, baskets,
a sack of something hanging from a stick (you'd have to see the picture to
appreciate this one). They're playing with brooms (as horses, balancing
them on their fingers), there's a fancy stick horse with reins, dolls
(doll furniture is shown), masks, caps, blindfolds, they're tumbling and
doing handstands, swimming, climbing trees, playing on a pile of dirt
(king of the mountain), they're playing leap frog, buck-buck, they've
dressed one little girl like a queen and are having a processional with
smaller girls throwing petals from a basket out front... There's lots
more. It's worth trying to buy a large print of this painting if you're
intending to pursue this seriously.
My print says "Kunsthistoriches Museum, Wien" which I take to mean that's
where the painting is. Can anyone verify this?
As to copies, I ordered mine from a frame shop specializing in
African-American art in Albuquerque, which must mean it's not all that
hard to get.
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: orbons at fys.ruu.nl (Bart Orbons)
Subject: Re: Toys?
Organization: Physics Department, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
Date: 28 Jul 94 14:37:47 GMT
<I missed the posting where AElflead is responding to, but let me
elaborate on basis of her posting>
In <318bp4$kj1 at search01.news.aol.com> sandradodd at aol.com (SandraDodd) writes:
>There's a 1560 painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder which shows all kinds
>of recognizable games, and some involve equipment--tops, knuckle bones,
[Lots of deletia...]
Aelflead, I don't know which Painting you are talking about, but there are
a LOT of paintings by pieter Brueghel the elder (and the rest of his
family) with village life on it. A lot of these painting display playing
childeren... They are absolutely worth looking at, if you want to dig
into the medieval toys and games.
Here in the Netherlands a lot of books with reprints are available, also
for fairly reasonable prices.
I am no certain, But I have allways been told that the largest brueghel
collection can be found in "l' Musee des Beaux Arts" in brussels.. I
have seen that collection, and a lot of Brueghels are hanging there...
(But it is a mix of B. the elder and his sons).
>My print says "Kunsthistoriches Museum, Wien" which I take to mean that's
>where the painting is. Can anyone verify this?
Can you give the name of the painting.. That makes finding out where the
painting can be found easier...
Well.. I hope this will put you on a track that might help you further
in finding medieval toys...
Bertrik van Triecht
--
drs. B. Orbons, Warande 193, 3705 ZP Zeist, The Netherlands
orbons at fys.ruu.nl
From: meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org (meg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Toys?
Date: Sat, 30 Jul 94 18:00:33 EDT
Organization: Stonemarche Network Co-op
sandradodd at aol.com (SandraDodd) writes:
> There's a 1560 painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder which shows all kinds
> of recognizable games, and some involve equipment--tops, knuckle bones,
> hoops, a couple of different propeller toys (one to pull a string and have
> it fly up, one on a stick, like a windmill, so that if the child runs
> along it will turn in the wind (like a pinwheel, but only two vanes, and
> the stick mounted straight on and held horizontally, rather than
> perpendicular as our modern pinwheels). There are stilts, balls, baskets,
> a sack of something hanging from a stick (you'd have to see the picture to
> appreciate this one). They're playing with brooms (as horses, balancing
> them on their fingers), there's a fancy stick horse with reins, dolls
> (doll furniture is shown), masks, caps, blindfolds, they're tumbling and
> doing handstands, swimming, climbing trees, playing on a pile of dirt
> (king of the mountain), they're playing leap frog, buck-buck, they've
> dressed one little girl like a queen and are having a processional with
> smaller girls throwing petals from a basket out front... There's lots
> more. It's worth trying to buy a large print of this painting if you're
> intending to pursue this seriously.
>
> My print says "Kunsthistoriches Museum, Wien" which I take to mean that's
> where the painting is. Can anyone verify this?
>
> As to copies, I ordered mine from a frame shop specializing in
> African-American art in Albuquerque, which must mean it's not all that
> hard to get.
>
Megan here...this is an excellent source for toys...Claus has modeled a
number of his toys after this one. The propeller thing he calls "DaVinci
Devices" they are common here in New England, where they are called
"Whirleygigs". YOu hold them between the outstretched palms of your hands
( like you're praying) and spin the device, letting go. If you do it the
right direction it flies up 10-20 feet, if you do it wrong, it hits you
hard on the knuckles.
Oh, good God, I sincerely hope this doesn't spawn another heliocopter in
period times discussion....
Megan the keyless.
==
In 1994: Linda Anfuso non moritur cujus fama vivat
In the Current Middle Ages: Megan ni Laine de Belle Rive
In the SCA, Inc: sustaining member # 33644
YYY YYY
meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org | YYYYY |
|____n____|
From: ercil at astrid.UUCP (none)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Toys?
Date: 31 Jul 94 23:38:03 PST
Organization: Private Node
In article <318bp4$kj1 at search01.news.aol.com> sandradodd at aol.com (SandraDodd) writes:
>There's a 1560 painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder which shows all kinds
>of recognizable games, and some involve equipment--tops, knuckle bones,
>hoops, a couple of different propeller toys (one to pull a string and have
>it fly up, one on a stick, like a windmill, so that if the child runs
>along it will turn in the wind (like a pinwheel, but only two vanes, and
>the stick mounted straight on and held horizontally, rather than
>perpendicular as our modern pinwheels). There are stilts, balls, baskets,
>a sack of something hanging from a stick (you'd have to see the picture to
>appreciate this one). They're playing with brooms (as horses, balancing
>them on their fingers), there's a fancy stick horse with reins, dolls
>(doll furniture is shown), masks, caps, blindfolds, they're tumbling and
>doing handstands, swimming, climbing trees, playing on a pile of dirt
>(king of the mountain), they're playing leap frog, buck-buck, they've
>dressed one little girl like a queen and are having a processional with
>smaller girls throwing petals from a basket out front... There's lots
>more. It's worth trying to buy a large print of this painting if you're
>intending to pursue this seriously.
>
>My print says "Kunsthistoriches Museum, Wien" which I take to mean that's
>where the painting is. Can anyone verify this?
This means the Painting is in the Art History Museum in Vienna.
Hope this is what you wanted. Any good museum shop or library should
have books on this and other artists for reference to specific paintings.
It is one of my favorite things to do and Your idea to others re: toys
is a good one.
Astridhr Selr Leifsdottir
E. Howard-Wroth
...uunet!astrid!astridhr Shire of Heatherwyne
astrid!astridhr at uunet.UU.NET Kingdom of Caid
70327.1614 at compuserve.com
From: kellogg at rohan.sdsu.edu (kellogg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Period Toys (Re: babies and smalls at events)
Date: 8 May 1996 14:53:09 GMT
Organization: San Diego State University Computing Services
David Friedman (ddfr at best.com) wrote:
: What reasonably period toys have people had success with? Our kids like
: their hobby horses, but don't play much with the cloth ball Elizabeth made
: them.
One game I made, based on a period illustration, was to make wooden
paddles, then stuff multicolored feathers into a cork ball. Teenagers
in our household would stand around and bat the ball back and forth for
hours. Adults, too, for that matter, if they could get it away from the
kids. Lady Jana Aoihbeall has made cloth dolls for her daughter, and
we made my goddaughter a cloth doll with a cat's head and feet dressed in
viking clothes.
Avenel Kellough
From: jeffebear1 at aol.com (JeffEBear1)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Toys (Re: babies and smalls at events)
Date: 9 May 1996 13:36:59 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
The best baby toy I ever saw was a wood cage with a bell inside it for a
rattle. The ends were round disks with thin dowels for the bars all
around it and bells in the center. You can roll or shake it.
____________
(___________)
Morigianna
l l l l l
l l l l l
l l l l l
(___________)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: destry at netcom.com (Fellwalker)
Subject: Re: Period Toys (Re: babies and smalls at events)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 17:52:15 GMT
David Friedman (ddfr at best.com) wrote:
: What reasonably period toys have people had success with? Our kids like
: their hobby horses, but don't play much with the cloth ball Elizabeth made
: them.
At a recent tourney (My kid's first) they loved playing with the
miniature catapults (of course, this requires an area set up where they
can shoot, big people to call "hold" while they run around picking up spent
ammunition, etc). They also played for HOURS, sitting quietly, with a
borrowed bowed psaltry (these are 4 1/2 year olds, by the way.). Never
underestimate the power of something that makes noise.
I can also recommend bean bag target games, or throwing hoops.
--Morgan
--
-- ...with rings on her fingers and bells on her toes... <destry at netcom.com>
From: mhwag at aol.com (MHWag)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Toys (Re: babies and smalls at events)
Date: 12 May 1996 11:09:43 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Musical instruments (inexpensive bodhrans, finger cymbals, tin whistles,
recorders)
Scarves for dancing (very popular with the 4-8 yr girls, but use only if
you wish to encourage that age group's natural flirtative-ness).
Puppets - have them make or decorate their own first, then put on a show.
It's amazing the sort of timely political commentary you get.
The advantage of these is that they produce entertainment for others. The
disadvantage is that the kids are not "quiet and out of the way."
Aileen
From: ejpiii at delphi.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: babies and smalls at events
Date: Thu, 9 May 96 23:07:18 -0500
Organization: Delphi (info at delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice)
David Friedman <ddfr at best.com> writes:
>What reasonably period toys have people had success with? Our kids like
>their hobby horses, but don't play much with the cloth ball Elizabeth made
>them.
Greetings from Eddward, Well, your grace, I have found that my 2 played
well with hoop and stick, as well as my millet filled and cloth covered
juggling bags that are about the size and weight of baseballs, but much
softer.
Eddward
From: woofie at capital.NET (Susan Evans)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Dolls - documentation
Date: 1 Jun 1996 22:42:33 -0400
Organization: The Internet
In the Dover edition of Jost Amman's Kunstbuchlin/293 Ren. Woodcuts for
Artists, there is a print of children with a fairly fancy doll. The date
of the book is 1599. The print is #12
Shoshonnah Jehanne ferch Emrys/Sue Evans
From: taram <taram at postoffice.ptd.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period wares (was jurying merchants)
Date: 6 Jul 1996 22:15:41 GMT
Organization: ProLog - PenTeleData, Inc.
cclark at vicon.net (C. Clark) wrote:
> What I'd like to see is a few more merchants with documentation. Why is
> it that we can go to A&S competitions and see documentation for things
> that we're never going to have unless we spend dozens of hours learning
> to make them and another dozen hours making them, but when we actually
> see things that we can buy for our own use we're usually offered no
> documentation whatsoever? As long as we take it for granted that only
> experts (or walking libraries) are able to identify and buy period goods,
> we should also take it for granted that such goods will rarely be
> available--even if they could be sold at affordable prices.
>
> Henry of Maldon/Alex Clark
>
How about "supply and demand"? The more "authentic" the more the cost.
And since I merchant to children, I have a bigger concern: HEALTH.
Some non-authentic stuff: lead-free paint on the toys, Polyfil rather
than the hay, rags, or leaves they used as "authentic" stuffing.
Plus, since many parents I see spend $200 on a sword and then give their
kids "a buck" to buy something, having a $20 "authentic" toy is a bit
out of range. As my personal quest to avoid seeing kids in perfectly
good garb playing Nintento at events, I try to keep 60% of my merchan-
dise under "a buck". And all "PERIOD". But that means simple building
block, dice, and glass "gems".
Just above that, a few bucks for cup-and-ball sets or pouch games.
The most expensive is the hobby-horses, hobby-dragons, etc. But by then,
I'm spending almost $10 in material and 10 hours HAND-SEWING AND TACKING
each piece.
My other stuff, I get what 5%-10% mark up from cost to cover my labor:
that makes something I pay $.40 in materials $.50 on the table. Then
people only want to give me $.25 for it. Again, Supply and Demand.
By the way, all the stuff I sell is documentable.... But again, I do
this to have something kids can afford. No one can make commuting with
the stuff worth the trip unless they were already going there. If I
were to make any money off this, kids (and many parents) wouldn't afford
it.
- Seana Whitehawk/Endless Hills
From: taram <taram at postoffice.ptd.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval toys
Date: 9 Jul 1996 00:15:26 GMT
Organization: ProLog - PenTeleData, Inc.
markh at risc.sps.mot.com (Mark S. Harris) wrote:
> Do you have any recommendations of referances for those who are looking for
> documentation on medieval toys?
>
> Stefan li Rous
>
Greetings to Stefan!
References....
Well, three that I can dig up right away...
1. The Known World Handbook: 3rd edition, Pg.100. That's what started
me looking...
2. Medieval Games: By Salaamallah the Corpulent. (3rd edition: Aug. 1995)
3. ... oh drat! I forgot to note it on this copy. Well, when I
get the original copy back from my friend, I'll post that too.
I found the book at my public library under "History-Toys" or
"Toys-History" It lists and describes what toys were and how
they were made from 4,000 years ago and how they evolved to
current (1950's) toys. Excellent work. I'll send a copy with
my toys to Pensic. I probably won't make it myself, or if I do,
it would only be Sat. and Sun. of the last weekend. Double drat!!
From: Patsy Dunham <Patsy.R.Dunham at CI.Eugene.OR.US>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval toys
Date: 9 Jul 1996 16:06:59 GMT
Organization: City of Eugene, Eugene OR USA
Good day all, I tried the "KS Toy history" thing and actually found
_Toys through the ages_ by Dan Foley, 1962, on the shelf. It's not much
for illustrations but there is definitely history and references in
chapters 2-6, 10-11 including the one period illustration in the book, a
15th C. illustration of St Dorothy and the Christ Child riding a
hobbyhorse. Includes a bibliography of 3 pages of fairly small type.
Also, there's a new crop of photographically illustrated children's
non-fiction about life in past ages out in the last 3-5 years, try your
local children's section of the public library for, say, the Eyewitness
series from Knopf, with titles like Castle, Knight (both by Christopher
Gravett), Medieval life (Andrew Langley) and Viking (Susan Margeson),
1994-1996 (tho if anyone out there can DOCUMENT the game at the top of
the page-- you'll know it when you see it-- in the Viking book, we'd sure
like to hear about it!)
And I'm real sure both Usborne and Dorling/Kindersley have "Childhood
through the Ages" type books out, I have one of them at home.
Have fun; do talk to the children's librarians; I just remembered the
library world is in the middle of summer reading, so it may be hard to
find those items just browsing the shelves.
Have fun,
Chimene
chimenedes at aol.com (home)
From: taram <taram at postoffice.ptd.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval toys
Date: 11 Jul 1996 17:36:05 GMT
Organization: ProLog - PenTeleData, Inc.
Patsy Dunham <Patsy.R.Dunham at CI.Eugene.OR.US> wrote:
>
> Good day all, I tried the "KS Toy history" thing and actually found
> _Toys through the ages_ by Dan Foley, 1962, on the shelf. It's not much
> for illustrations but there is definitely history and references in
> chapters 2-6, 10-11 including the one period illustration in the book, a
> 15th C. illustration of St Dorothy and the Christ Child riding a
> hobbyhorse. Includes a bibliography of 3 pages of fairly small type.
Greetings to all (again)!
Yes, I read that one. Very good. Unfortunately, my friend still has
my refernce binder where I keep my photocopies and references. The
mentioned illustration triggered my memory of the book. In fact, I
think the book also mentions that Socrates and Plato also played with
wooden hobby-horses as children. I'm not too sure. So many books, so
little time.
But readers, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, MANY OF THE "PERIOD" TOYS WERE NOT
EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHILDREN. Wasn't there a Sultan in the tale of Aladan
that collected rare and prized toys. Prince and Princesses and rich
merchants children had some toys, but also lessons. Lower class and
serf children worked most of the day and played with a stick, piece of
driftwood, rock and their imagination.
Look in the adult section of libraries, under the 900 section (dewy)
for all sorts of toy histories. Games were used to entertain adults,
the same for such "toys" as cup-and-balls, dice, etc. Many toys are
still bought for and by adults. The Prince and Princess of Aethelmarc
(sorry if I spelled that wrong) have a hobby-horse named "Horsikins".
So limiting your research about toys to the children's area, will get
you a very limited collection. Children were sometimes only small
adults; they listened to the same storyteller as their parents; they
watched the same fools and public executions; they played the same games.
They only thing that marked them as children often enough was their
size and they're imagination.
It's a shame that many children at SCA events aren't included. Many are
just left to the whims of anyone who's set up "Children's Activities" in
some out-of-the-way corner, or sat down in some isolated place where they
sit with gameboy or coloring books.
If we're re-creating medieval times, why are children not included as
they were in medieval society. References: Marjorie Rowling's "Life
in Medieval Times"; Joseph & Frances Gies' "Life in a Medieval Castle";
and "Life In a Medieval Village". Even though children are sparely
mentioned in these books, they are also seen as involved in the social
life and not "Out of sight, Out of mind" or "Children Should be Seen;
Not Heard".
Sorry if I got on my soapbox there, but that sort of goes hand-in-hand
with my merchanting efforts.
-- Seana Whitehawk
From: dickeney at access1.digex.net (Dick Eney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: tiny Children in the SCA
Date: 16 Jul 1996 22:18:26 -0400
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
In article <9607161626.AA09879 at gcef.gc.maricopa.edu>,
Krista Kathryn Long-Shroyer <94002 at ef.gc.maricopa.EDU> wrote:
>Where can I find period sources for childrens products that look or are
>medieval? My son is 2, and I would love to get re-involved, but i think
>that strollers, sippee cups, plastic toys and other standard required
>items for young children are very gauche.
<rip>
wooden toys: try new-agey stores, educational sources (they tend to go for
the 'pure unfinished wood' type of toy when they aren't plastic) -
Creative Playthings used to have wooden rattles. Or get to know someone
who does woodworking. At 2+, rattles should be a good beginning.
Pulltoys can be of knights on horseback.
Have fun with it!
-- Tamar the Gypsy
From: cyberspace at midlink.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: tiny Children in the SCA
Date: 17 Jul 1996 21:39:39 GMT
Organization: Cyberspace
Krista Kathryn Long-Shroyer <94002 at ef.gc.maricopa.EDU> wrote:
>Where can I find period sources for childrens products that look or are
>medieval? My son is 2, and I would love to get re-involved, but i think
>that strollers, sippee cups, plastic toys and other standard required
>items for young children are very gauche.
Home-made rag dolls, wooden building blocks--my 5 yr old step daughter
cannot be kept away from her father's wood scraps :)-- a hobby-horse with
a cloth horse-head over a thick dowel-rod, etc. Just use your
imagination to make stuff, and ask the kids to help with it--at 2+ they
can glue yarn hair on a doll's head with supervision, or choose colors to
paint blocks, etc. _and_ they may like the toys more for having helped to
make them ;). Scraps of cloth, etc for them to just mess around with are
also relatively safe and let them pretend to be "just like mommy."
In service to the Dream,
Erzsebet
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: orilee ireland-delfs <orilee_j_ireland-delfs at wb.xerox.com>
Subject: Re: Children in the SCA
Organization: Xerox
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 1996 17:34:35 GMT
Cloth dolls dressed in garb (make it match what the child is wearing!); even
the modern dolls dressed in garb are more interesting to play with.
We have a whole set of wooden characters - King Queen Prince Knight Herald,
etc. that my daughters take to play with. (These we get every year at the
Pennsic War from Claus the toymaker - it's a regular shopping stop for my
daughters).
For older kids, pouches with colored stones to play with. Period games (fox &
geese, backgammon, etc.)
Mistress Orianna Fridrikskona
mother of Birgitta and Ingridr
AEthelmearc, East
From: karen at georesearch.com (Karen Green)
To: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Mon, 02 Jun 1997 17:50:55 -0400
Organization: GeoResearch, Inc.
Unto Stefan li Rous, greetings!
I was reading your page of Rialto postings on medieval toys, and found
many references to the images in Pieter Brueghel's painting "Children's
Games."
Those who read the postings at this site may be interested in seeing the
actual picture. It is posted (perhaps for a limited time, as it looks
to be a resource for an English poetry class at Emory University) at
http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/classes/Paintings&;Poems/games.jpg
Karen Larsdatter med det Usigelige Efternavn fra Skyggedal
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 16:33:30 -0800
From: fspfw at aurora.alaska.edu (Patrick Woolery)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
Concerning sources for information on period toys:
>Also the Regia Angolorum web sight mentions wooden horses, wooden swords and
>knucklebones/jacks, but states no sources.
I do not know what sources are used by Regia Anglorum, but one good
possiblility is the book
Viking Artefacts: A Select Catalogue
James Graham Campbell
Published by British Museum Publications Ltd
ISBN 0 7141 1354 9
Half the book is b & w pictures of artefacts, the other half lists
information and sources for each picture. I have found this book extremely
useful. If your library does not have a copy, it is worth inter-library
loaning it.
I am also interested in how children played in period, and was able to find
a fair-sized stack of books in my local library within half an hour. I
warn you that many of the books were only marginally helpful, as they
either concentrated on the easier-to-find toys of the 17th and 18th
centuries, or did not include such vital information as what the toys were
made of and when and where they could be found. I'm still not sure if
cloth-bodied (rag) dolls were period.
Good hunting,
Nataliia Tomasovna
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 21:38:40 -0500
From: theodelinda at webtv.net (linda webb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
Your idea of looking at pictures is a good one--I've found a lot of good
depictions of artefacts in paintings and drawings from period. One
I've seen recently is a scene of the Holy Family, with Mary using a
small standing loom to do what looks like card-weaving, the toddler
Jesus in a walker made of turned wood spindles with little wheels, and
Joseph in his wood shop, which connects to the other room. This
particular picture is in the Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves c.
1440. I suspect that many toys didn't survive because they were made of
light, inexpensive materials like wood and cloth, and simply didn't
last. I also recall a description in an ancient Greek author of a ball
made of wool--it sounds like those Japanese string balls (Perhaps in
Homer? I'll have to go and look) I tried this, and tightly wound wool
will in fact make a fairly springy ball, although not as impressively
bouncy as modern rubber balls. Once upon a time, although not in our
period, of course, baseballs used wool for the string that wrapped the
hard rubber core. And the original golf ball was made of leather
stuffed with feathers, but as I recall from my source, this requires a
lot of feathers, even for somethingas small as a golf ball. Lawn
bowling, using wooden balls is period for adults and children--Sir
Francis Drake killed time waitng for the Spanish Armada with a few games
of lawn bowling. Bocce is another type of lawn bowling. Pin bowling is
also period--Martin Luther is supposed to have built his children their
own alley. One source to try is the Encyclopedia Brittanica, especially
the Macropedia section- -it will have much more scholarly information
(and even a brief bibliography) than most of the popular works out
there. I'd cite other sources, but until my car is fixed, libraries and
I are only connected only emotionally, and not physically
Keep looking at pictures, though--they can tell you a lot.
Theo
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 09:03:51 -0500
From: Wendy Robertson <wcrobert at blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
At 11:28 AM 6/25/97 -0700, Marisa Herzog said:
>I have been trying to research period children's toys.
I have done a fair amount of research regarding various lawn games,
particularly for adults. In the course of that research, I have stumbled
across several sources for toys that might be of assistance. I encourage
you to look at the Rialto archives on this topic. There is quite a bit of
good information on this topic.
>I also have seen a couple paintings by Brueghal the Elder (Carnival and
>Children's Play) which show some fairly clear stuff- though one thing could
>either be a whirlygig (those helicopter/air tops that were popular when we
>were kids) or a piece of something foodlike on a stick! :)
Both of these paintings are quite useful. Get a hold of as big a copy of
"Children's games" (1560) as you can. The number of games and toys is
quite impressive, although many are not very recognizable.
>Also the Regia Angolorum web sight mentions wooden horses, wooden swords and
>knucklebones/jacks, but states no sources.
There are surviving Viking toys of this sort. I don't know of any
Anglo-Saxon toys of this sort (but would be interested in sources if anyone
knows of them). The Rialto archives give sources for some of these toys.
Another source is the book "From Viking to Crusader : The Scandinavians &
Europe 800-1200" (New York : Rizzoli, 1992). Plate 13 shows the stem of a
toy boat, plate 14 shows a toy horse.
>Also there is the "known fact" that bocci ball/lawn bowling is period.
Tossing balls at a jack is most definitely period. Modern bocce is a
derivative of that type of game. The rules were probably not as strict in
the Middle Ages (i.e. whatever the players agreed upon). Marginal
illustrations in manuscripts show quite a few pictures of this sort of
game, including one where a feather acts as the jack. My sources for this
are at home; I did not have time to jot all the sources down that I have on
this and other games.
>Does anybody know of any books or other sources for toys and childs
>playthings, or games other than board games?
A few sources on toys that you might find useful:
Kolchin, Boris Aleksandrovich.
<Novgorodskie drevnosti. English>
Wooden artefacts from medieval Novgorod / B.A. Kolchin ; translated from the
Russian <by V.M. Levina> ; produced under the editorial supervision of A.V.
Chernetsov. -- Oxford, England : B.A.R., 1989.
(BAR international series ; 495)
plate 206 shows dolls, plates 209-13 show toy horses, 214-216 show tops,
swords, and a propeller
An interesting comparison with Bruegel's painting is one of a similar time
period by Peter von der Borght showing monkeys playing games. The painting
is called "Spielende Affen" and can be found in the first issue of Stadion,
plate 3.
There is also a post period source (mid to late 17th century) which shows
very clear pictures of childrens games. Although the style of the art is
definitely post period, I believe the games are generally period (as they
are similar to the Bruegal and von der Borght pictures). The engravings
are by Claudine Bouzonnet Stella, based on Jacques Stella's drawings.
Author: Stella, Jacques, 1596-1657.
Jeux et plaisirs de l'enfance. English & French
Title: Games & pastimes of childhood.
Published: New York, Dover Publications [1969]
A list of games can be found in Francois Rabelais' "Gargantua and
Pantagruel" (1535), chapter 22. Some of the games are self explanatory,
but many are just peculiar sounding names.
If you read French, another listing of games can be found in "L'espinette
amoureuse" (1394?) by Jean Froissart. I believe the relevant lines are
148-286.
Another book which has a lot of really good pictures is:
Author: Endrei, Walter.
T arsasj at ek es sz orakoz as a r egi Eur op aban. English
Title: Fun and games in old Europe /
Published: [Budapest] : Corvina, c1986
I'm not always too sure about the text (being a transaltion and not having
good citations), but much of the content seems good, and it is a great
collection of pictures. The chapter on childrens games is pp.18-28. It
includes pictures of a doll and other clay toys, children blowing bubbles,
tournaments with marionettes, tops, see saws, stitls, balls, swings, and
hoops.
You might be interested in:
Hanawalt, Barbara.
Growing up in medieval London : the experience of childhood in history /
Barbara A. Hanawalt. -- New York : Oxford University Press, 1993.
Pp.78-80 discuss games such as tag, hoops, and imitating adult ceremonies.
Shahar, Shulamith.
Childhood in the Middle Ages / Shulamith Shahar. -- London ; New York :
Routledge, 1990.
Various brief menitons of toys are scattered throughout the book.
Another book with interesting information is:
Strutt, Joseph, 1749-1802.
The sports and pastimes of the people of England. -- New ed. much enl. and
corr. by J. Charles Cox. London, Methuen, 1903. -- Detroit, Singing Tree Press,
1968.
It is well past period, but discusses traditional and old games. The
illustrations are all redrawn, most of which I have found the orignals of.
It is a very useful source to help explain some of the pictures from the
middle ages.
I have quite a number of other sources regarding ball games, but as your
question seemed to mostly concern children's games, I thought i would limit
myself to those citations that I had at hand.
I hope this helps you make documentable toys.
Ailene nic Aedain
Shire of Shadowdale, Calontir
mailto:wcrobert at blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 10:11:52 -0400
From: "lwperkins" <lwperkins at snip.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
Regarding period childrens' toys-- if you're interested in the sixteenth
century, I've seen two portraits of girls with dolls (one very "Barbie"
looking and stylishly dressed) and another portrait of a small boy "riding"
a hobby horse with a beautiful stuffed-animal head, bridle and mane, and a
pole for a body. Small children, ( to about age four) seem to prefer random
objects picked up off the ground. I say this because until two years ago my
daughter preferred rocks (to be piled up into castles), small sticks to
whap things with, pine cones and feathers, (which could be puffed around)
to any "real" toys that I had brought to an event.
Pets seem to be "toys" too; crickets, birds, squirrels, small dogs. I
can distinctly remember seeing a miniature wagon and horse toy in a book
somewhere, but I think it may have been even pre-Christian, and so not
particularily helpful for you. I'll be interested to see what others post
on this thread.
--Ester du Bois
lwperkins at snip.net
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 09:20:22 -0600
From: Tony and Kim Archuleta <arch at thuntek.net>
To: "'Arts & Sciences List'" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: FW: toys, esp. childrens
Some information passed on from AElflaed of Duckford:
______________________________
There are various Renaissance paintings with a kid holding a doll or toy.
There are some museums in England that have a few things.
The things in the Breughel painting (Children's Games--I have a big print)
ARE whirligigs, held loosely in the hand facing the wind (and kid runs along
to make them twirl), not launched up into the air, it seems.
Knucklebones in a French game like Jacks, used to be played with real sheep's
knuckles (whatever those are) and now plastic versions are sold in France. I
don't have any. There are LOTS of games books around with Barley Break and
other running games which were often played by adolescents and young adults,
excuses to touch and tickle and hold hands with the opposite sex.
I think keeping an eye out in unexpected places, rather than looking up
"toys" at the library, will gradually turn up lots of cool stuff.
Probably the reason there aren't more existing toys are that they got played
up. Same reason the full-size armor is all gone. They used it and the parts
of it until it wasn't useable anymore. Museums have a lot of inlaid
tournament armor and outgrown processional and ceremonial armor of prominent
teens and young adults who outgrew it.
Sandra
Date: 26 Jun 1997 09:15:27 -0700
From: "Marisa Herzog" <marisa_herzog at macmail.ucsc.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: FW- toys, esp. childrens
>The things in the Breughel painting (Children's Games--I have a >big print)
ARE whirligigs, held loosely in the hand facing the >wind (and kid runs along
to make them twirl), not launched up >into the air, it seems.
In "Children's Games" there are things more like a pinwheel done facing off
the end of the stick than the side (as they are made now), which they are
holding straight out in front of them like jousting lances, presumably to get
the sails to spin in the wind. I would assume that the sails are probably
mounted on a pin like a modern pinwheel so that they move freely from the
stick/handle
\ /
\/
============================= /\
/ \
really bad ascii art
In "Carnival" they are holding things that look a lot more like whirlygigs,
(propellor blade on a stick)- but then again they are standing next to a food
vendor, so it might be a flattened piece of bread or something stuck on the
end of a stick
----------\____________
|__________\ |
|-----------/
|
|
|
|
|
even worse drawing ;)
thank you everybody for all the book sources, now if I could just win the
lottery so that I could spend all my time ensconced in the library with a
notepad!
brid hecgwiht
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 13:23:21 -0500 (CDT)
From: timbeck at ix.netcom.com
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
>I have been trying to research period children's toys.
On toys I have seen a few examples of period dolls slush cast in pewter and
I have seen depictions in paintings of cloth dolls. There is a good book
on games of the past which I bought in a larger game store. But for the
life of me I can't find now. There were many board games in period which
seem a bit simple-minded but seem to have been enjoyed as much by adults
of the past as children. Chutes and Ladders comes to mind but I believe it
post-period.
Hope this helps,
Timothy
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 21:50:06 -0600 (MDT)
From: Bruce Padget <niccolo at bitcorp.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
Sorry I'm a few days late on this thread, but Theo mentioned vague
references to wool balls as children's toys. These could have been made
of string, but another possibility is that they were felted. As most
people who have felted or fulled wool know, wet, soapy wool can be kneaded
until it resembles a firm nerf ball. They're usually small (excellent
cat toys) but can be made larger. I have no idea if they're period, but
they can easily be made with period materials and techniques.
Lady Elyn
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 14:20:19 -0400
From: karen at georesearch.com (Karen Green)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: toys, esp. childrens
As regards this thread, has anyone mentioned Pieter Brueghel's
"Children's Games," painted in 1560?
A jpg of the picture can be found at
http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/classes/Paintings&;Poems/games.jpg but the
detail on the scan isn't quite good enough for really picking out
documentable dolls and that sort of thing, but I imagine better images
are available in print. The original is 46 inches x 63 inches and is in
the Kunsthistorisches Museum, in Vienna.
Yours in Service to the Dream,
Karen Larsdatter
Barony of Ponte Alto, Atlantia
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 21:49:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Strauss <jstrauss at gmu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: re: Brueghel
Karen Larsdatter (who used to have a much longer name) sez:
>As regards this thread, has anyone mentioned Pieter Brueghel's
>"Children's Games," painted in 1560?
Great source! It is possible to buy a print of this, roughly 20-something
by 30-something inches. Any poster shop can get it for you. Costs $25
bucks or so and looks great.
I've got one up on the wall and one of those OED magnifying glasses
sitting on the shelf next to it.
I'm glad to hear there is a net version. That will be good to have when I
go building docs. Thanks, Karen.
-Henry
John Strauss | Henry Best, OP
Lexington, KY | Dragonsmark, Midrealm
-------------------------------+------------------------------
jstrauss at gmu.edu | "Jugate Potentum Gaudii"
From: DDFr at best.com (David Friedman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Camping with my hands full
Date: Tue, 05 May 1998 23:12:18 -0700
Organization: Santa Clara University
In article <354FDD0B.3F07 at mcn.org>, "flskwirl at mcn.org" <flskwirl at mcn.org> wrote:
>Pack TOYS. It doesn't matter if they are "period", only if they will keep the
>kid amused.
For our encampment it does matter, so we have worked out a number of
possibly period toys--meaning things that are not obviously out of period,
although in some cases we don't know how close to period originals they
are. One favorite is leather animals. Elizabeth finds a suitable design,
draws the profile, then turns it into two profiles, one with head and tail
but without legs, and one the other way around. I cut from thick,
vegetable tanned leather one of the former and two of the latter, then
sandwich them together-giving an animal with four legs it can stand on.
They have included horses, lions and wolves so far, both adult and
colt/cub. The kids like them. The main problem is to keep the kids from
playing with them at home and losing them so that we don't have them for
events.
Elizabeth has also made a stuffed cloth ball, and a small stuffed cloth
crocodile. I've made Bill (our four year old) period technology boffers--a
core of rolled raw hide, and the rest cloth stuffed with hay. Both kids
have hobby horses. We haven't gotten to hoops and sticks yet, but when
they get a little older ... .
David/Cariadoc
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 17:20:36 -0400
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Toys
rmhowe wrote:
> Melanie Wilson wrote:
> > Just got an interesting book on lead alloy childrens toys from the medieval
> > period until about 18th C
> >
> > Anyone else out there making or thinking of making their children period
> > toys ?
> >
> > Mel
>
> Seems like I just recently read / saw a bit on lead wheeled
> falconers on horse being found in the Seine at Paris. They had
> been cast in a three part stone mold. Apparently an early
> pull type toy. There were two of them. I think it was felt they
> had fallen in as a result of the shop being on the bank.
> The third mold part was inserted between the sides of the horse's
> body / legs up into the body like a wedge, the other two parts
> on either side. Little wheels were added later on axles between
> the feet. Looked kind of like a jester with a hawk and a liripipe
> hood. I know I've got it somewhere, but I read too damned much
> for any sane person. Next time I come across it I'll post on it.
>
> Magnus
Okay, found it - Page 216, The Secular Spirit, Life and Art at the
End of the Middle Ages, foreward by Thomas Hoving, Metropolitan
Museum of Art, 1975.
There are also pictures of dice, hollow but filled with new bone
to cover the calcareous tissue of the bone they are made of. Game
markers, games, and a toy top which looks like a wooden orange with
a cone under it. The falconers were XIIIth century and are thought to
be the oldest surviving tin soldiers. They were 1 3/8" high. Drop
the liripipe hood bit. These have helmets / hats and a textured
costume that could be chain mail. I must have been thinking of other
pewter depictions.
Magnus.
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:31:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jenne Heise <jenne at tulgey.browser.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Toys
There's also a section of toys in _Wooden Artefacts from Medieval
Novogrod_, including hobby horses, tops (made with a depression on top,
not a spindle), toy swords, dolls, etc.
> Does anyone know how far back dolls were made (i.e. ceramic/porceline type)?
> Is it medival at all?
From the Medieval Novogrod book the things identified as dolls were people
shapes cut out of flat planks and dressed. (This is all archealogical
stuff. They had a number of carved figures in the book too, but those were
identified as 'household spirits'.)
I'll post a fuller report on the book as soon as I get it back from my
friend Kat'ryina, who schwicked it almost as soon as I'd ILL'ed it!
Jadwiga Zajaczkowa (Shire of Eisental), mka Jennifer Heise
jenne at tulgey.browser.net
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 09:44:22 -0400
From: Karen Larsdatter <karen at stierbach.atlantia.sca.org>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Toys
Two online things to check out on medieval toys:
http://www.bawue.de/~wmwerner/essling/english/karmel08.html
Excavations from the area of a Carmelite friary at Esslingen, in
Germany. Includes several clay toys.
http://www.mtsu.edu/~kgregg/dmir/21/toys.html
"Toys in the Middle Ages," a wonderful article by Lady Margritte
of Ravenscroft.
That should be a start ... :)
Karen Larsdatter
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 17:41:29 -0400
From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com>
To: LIST SCA arts <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Toys
Playthings from the past-Lead alloy miniature artefacts c1300-1800 compiled
by Geoff Egan
20 pages of A4
Mel
From: "Susan Harmon" <sca.brighit at gmail.com>
Date: July 9, 2008 5:07:06 PM CDT
To: trimaris-temp at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [tri-temp] period jigsaw puzzles?
http://www.jigsaw-puzzle.org/jigsaw-puzzle-history.html
http://www.jigsaw-puzzle.org/index.html
http://www.woodentoys-uk.co.uk/jigsaw-history.html
This is what I found on a quick search. Anyone with more information? Brighit of the MacGregor On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 12:26 PM, Stefan li Rous <stefanlirous at austin.rr.com> wrote: > On Jul 9, 2008, at 11:12 AM, lmj123160 at aol.com <lmj123160%40aol.com>wrote > > Excuse me for taking time from your busy day but I need some help. > > A jigsaw puzzle needs to be put together before Pennsic and many > > pieces > > are still missing. > > If you know anyone who is going to Pennsic this year and is pre-reg'd > > to stay in the Royal encampment we need to hear from them. > > > > Oh! That kind of jigsaw puzzle. Best of luck on your project. > > However, this made me wonder whether jigsaw type puzzles were made in > period or whether they are, say, an 19th century creation? Anyone > know or know anyone who has done research on this topic? > > Thanks, > Stefan > -------- > THLord Stefan li Rous Barony of Bryn Gwlad Kingdom of Ansteorra > Mark S. Harris Austin, Texas > StefanliRous at austin.rr.com <StefanliRous%40austin.rr.com> >
To: Authentic_SCA at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Children's activities
Posted by: "Karen" karen_larsdatter at yahoo.com
Date: Tue Sep 9, 2008 9:19 pm (PDT)
Lady Lyonet of Greystone wrote:
> I am looking for paintings/wood cuts/engravings or what-have-you
> of children, especially children playing. Any time frame with in the SCA.
See http://larsdatter.com/toys.htm for children playing with toys; there are some more links relating to games at http://larsdatter.com/games.htm as well.
Karen
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:58:59 -0600
From: Ingjaldr inn Storrhoggvi <iggyschlepp at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Kids, RUSH, and Medieval Childhood Entertainment
On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 21:59:19 -0600, Tortuga <diinen at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
<<< On a side note, I have found myself wondering just what children did for fun
during the medieval period. I know they did a lot of work, as all able hands
were made useful during that period, but children are children and I have no
doubt they found ways to entertain and amuse themselves. >>>
Norse children, played a game similar to Chess, called Hnefatafl,
http://www.gamecabinet.com/history/Hnef.html, and a throwing game called
âœKubbâ, http://www.vikingkubbgame.com/how-to-play-viking-kubb/. And much
like many of us did as kids, they invented their own games to play around
outside.
Younger children would play with a wooden "wolf" which was covered with a
"lambskin". As children got older around 12-13, they would practice with
their weapons and develop their skills with them.
Several toys have also been found from the Viking age. Horse toys are known
from several settlement sites. At Kvivik in the Faroe Islands, a horse with
defined legs, a long, thick neck and a short nose has been discovered, There
is no tail. Trondheim offers a similarly shaped animal, which is dated 1075
- 1125. This horse has a long, defined, tail, not separated from the body of
the creature, in contrast to the bobbed tail seen on some of the Novgorod
animals of the same period. (Others, like the Kvivik horse, have no tail at
all.) The city of Staraja Ladoga (St Petersburg) offers the earliest find,
with a legless example from the eighth or ninth century. The wood-grain in
this animal is cut on the diagonal rather than horizontal, and there is also
no tail. The neck is long and narrow with a small head. It is interesting
that this early example foreshadows the platform horses found in later
contexts at Novgorod. The Trondheim horse, one of the Novgorod horses and
the Faroes example all have defined genitalia - perhaps representing the
fighting stallions.
There are three miniature ships in Dublin. The latest is of the thirteenth
century. The earliest is tenth century, but I have not discovered its
details. The third is a fairly complete eleventh/twelfth century model,
eleven centimetres in length, with a width of just over four centimetres and
the remains of a mast in the centre (Viking Artefacts, pp.25-26, 215). A
much larger ship from Hedeby (prow end only) has a surviving length of 30
cm. No specific date is given for this item, but Hedeby was abandoned by
1100 AD. Other model ships are recorded from the Faroes and Greenland, with
at least one more found at Hedeby. Each vessel has been carved from a block
of wood.
Lastly there is evidence of dolls, All extant examples of the Viking period
are carved of wood. There are very few of them, in contrast to the numbers
of some toys, but they do exist. It would be more surprising if no replica
'babies' were found, given the propensity of young children to copy the
nurturing processes of which they are part.
One figure, discovered in the permafrost of Baffin Island, is not properly a
Viking doll, belonging to the Inuit settlement on the Island. However, the
doll is attired in what seems to be Norse rather than Inuit clothing, and
thus offers useful support for theories of trade contact between the two
peoples. Apart from this isolated find, all the evidence comes from
Novgorod. Here, there is no lack of human figures in various styles.
Sadly, there isn't a great deal of information on what Vikings in fact did
for fun. But, just imagine what you like to do and they probably did it too.
HL Ingjaldr AKA Iggy
From: Stephanie Howe <olga0714 at SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: [CALONTIR] Irish Toy Stash
Date: February 24, 2013 3:16:24 PM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
nsFun article
http://irisharchaeology.ie/2013/02/a-hoard-of-16th-and-17th-century-childrens-toys/
d'gkhasdhflkasjdkfljsakljflkasdfu89
From the fb "Unofficial Group for the Barony of Bryn Gwlad" group:
Scot Eddy
October 22 at 10:26pm
Bronze Mounted Knight -13th Century European toy
<the end>