Camping-Beds-art - 5/18/18
"A case for the use of beds in medieval camping" by Ld. Chas. Oakley, Esq.
NOTE: See also the files: beds-msg, Viking-Bed-art, Welsh-Ark-art, furniture-msg, chairs-msg, 6-board-chest-art, chests-msg, Gothic-Bench-art.
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NOTICE -
This article was added to this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium, with the permission of the author.
These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author or translator.
While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous
stefan at florilegium.org
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You can find more work by this author on his website at:
http://www.livinghistory.co.uk/homepages/oakley/
A case for the use of beds in medieval camping
by Ld. Chas. Oakley, Esq.
The above woodblock print was originally included in the great Cologne Bible of 1478-1480. The Cologne Bible was the first the printed bibles systematically illustrated with story telling pictures. The woodblock tells the tale of Judith, who according the story in the Book of Judith was a virtuous widow who was prepared to risk her honor to save her country. Holofernes (the guy missing his head inside of the pavilion) was the general who had laid siege to Judith's city. Judith made love to Holofernes in his pavilion and when he was 'filled with wine' took his sword and cut off his head. She put the head in a sack, which her maid had brought with her and, under the pretense of going to prayer she made her way back to the city where she was hailed as a heroine.
Now, I won't comment on the veracity of this heroic tale but will draw the reader's attention to several details in the above woodblock print.... note the bed contained within the pavilion. It is clearly a platform bed set up on legs and containing a frame. There is a bolster (pillow) on the bed and there are both under sheets and over sheets or blankets. Note also that there is a cloth laid-out on the ground where the poor deceased General had laid out his armor... however, his shield is stored within his pavilion and is set up against what appears to be an interior curtain.
While one can not make the case from the above evidence that the use of beds was necessarily commonplace, one can say with certainty that it was not beyond imagination the artist who executed the above woodblock to place a bed within a pavilion. As art relating to religious subjects was rather was required to meet certain rigid standards and conventions I am inclined to believe that, although the scene depicted is undoubtedly imaginary (lets face it... Judith didn't live during the time period depicted....) the scene in the illustration none the less depicts things that existed ... and the manner in which they existed... during or approximate to the time period in which the artist worked. If one accepts that artists draw from experience and life then a strong case can be made that, given the above woodblock print, at least in some cases beds were placed within pavilions.
Source: Pictures from a Medieval Bible by James Strachan, Beacon Press, Boston, 1959
... and yet a further addendum...
The following bed has recently come to my attention:
In Marta Hofman's book Cloth and Clothing in Medieval Europe, the above bed, a 10th century bed discovered in the Gokstad barrow, is presented as having interior dimensions of 227 cm in length, 110 cm in width. It was made of beach wood and, if one studies the construction method closely, is constructed very similarly to the one presented in this pamphlet. The exceptions being the use of slats run through mortises on the side rails (note that the center slat is wedged in place to keep the side rail from spreading and the slats falling out.). Hummm... if one were to hinge the side rail above and below the center slat....
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Unto all,
Good and Gentle Readers throughout the known world
Greetings;
As there are many who have, directly or indirectly, given much to me in the context of our game, allow me to honor them in the following manner:
These publications are hereby granted to those who may find use of it free and unencumbered distribution. Chroniclers may feel free to reproduce these, builders of things may copy it and pass it along to other builders of things. Each may use it as they desire.
All that I ask is that this page be included so that those that your receivers of these plans may know also that they may also freely gift others... and to that in the event there are errors, omissions or other errata that needs tending... the recipients will know the proper person to blame...
Your obdn't servant -
Charles Oakley, Esq.
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If this article is reprinted in a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.
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