p-backpacks-msg - 9/14/98

Period backpacks, bags and carrying baskets.

NOTE: See also these files: travel-msg, rope-msg, carts-msg, basketweaving-msg.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have 
collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date 
back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

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

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with 
separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes 
extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed 
to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  
no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual 
authors.

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these 
messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. 
If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the 
originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

From: cat at fgssu1.sinet.slb.COM (CoreDumps`R'Us)
Date: 4 Dec 91 02:19:43 GMT
Organization: The Internet

Yaakov asks if leather backpacks were period.  Well, I have some
opinions, and I have some facts.

First, the facts:

I asked myself a similiar question a few years ago, and went looking
at period illustrations for the types of bags that people used to
carry their stuff in.  I looked at illustrations of over a hundred
manuscripts, everything I could lay my hands on.  I have that list at
home, but the thought of typing up onto the rialto makes my skin
scrawl.  Trust me, I did this, ok?

In all of the manuscripts I looked at (mostly english and burgundian,
with some "german" thrown in wherever I could find them, mostly all
14th and 15th century, but more on that in a bit), I found nothing that
I would discribe as a period backpack.  This surprised me.  Let me
tell you why: I know of a period backback, but I'll get to that in a
minute.  Knowing that such a thing existed, I went looking for it in
manuscripts of the appropriate time frame (ie 14th and 15th centuries).
The pack I know of is german, which is why I wanted more german illustra-`
tions than I found).  Not even the later illustrations (Durer and Altdorfer
and Cranach woodcuts) turns up the pack I was looking for.

Now there are things that sort of serve the purpose.  There's a bag that's
thrown over the shoulder, and sort of looks like a cross between a large
lady's shoulder purse (the really BIG ones from the sixties, though you
still see some still) and a rolled up blanket.  Master Allan o'Duhdd...,
oh however you spell his name, you know... Master Allan "O'DooDah", former
Triton Herald of Atlantia, he has one and has the pattern for how he made
it.

There's another sort of "bag" which is also along the "rolled blanket"
style (and in fact may be the same as the above, except carried differ-
ently), but you generally see it suspended from the strap (knotted) about
the forehead with the load hanging down the back.  You also see it with
both ends slung up over the shoulders, UNKNOTTED, each loose end grabbed
in a hand, with the load again on the back.

As far as a pack that looks like one of the modern day packs that people
us for bookbags these day: never saw one.

Now the pack which I know is real: it's actually Tirollean, 15th century, 
and the pattern has carried down to the 20th century, almost unchanged
(*GASP*).  It's the "external frame" backpack.  It
was invented IN PERIOD.  (Awesome, isn't it?)  The one I know exists is
in the Tirolischer Volkskunst Museum in Innsbruck.  I saw it there, along
with all sorts of other nifty stuff (medieval tirolean folk art is some
of the niftiest stuff going, IMHO).  I have been kicking myself for years
for not having taken pictures when I was there.  If you ever get to Inns-
bruck, go to this museum!!!  It will tweak your view of medieval art, if
nothing else.  The people who lived isolated in those mountain valleys in
the Alps developed some really left-field cultural variations, especially
in local custom and art.

So now that I've rambled on about my few facts, let me bless you all with
my opinions... (here soapbox, here boy.... heeeere soapboooooooox!!!!...
oh, there you are, playing with the kitten again I see...so nice of you
to come home from minnesota, but the way...what happened?  it start snowing
up there yet?  have you come to spend the winter in sunny California, hm???)

While external frame backpacks and big shoulder bags are real in period,
I really don't think the modern teardrop-shaped backpack existed in the
medieval or renaissance periods.  Even then, the shoulder bag things look
like they're made of cloth (look at the examples in the Tres Riches Heures
de Jean, Duc de Berry and in the paintings by Bruegal the elder).  The
external frame backpack was a mountain developement (you need your hands
free in the high passes), and was made of wood, with rawhide or leather
ties (I couldn't get close enough to tell - the thing was an exhibit, dis-
played on a dummy many feet away - this was one of those museums which
hasn't felt compelled to put it's stuff behind glass yet, but set up it's
artifacts in rooms, with roped walkways going through the middle, from room
to room...or at least that was the case when I was there last).  Items
you wanted to carry were wrapped up and tied onto the frame directly.
So I think the "period backpack" doesn't exist.

One of these days, I'm going to bother to write up all this strange stuff
I research...there's too much crammed in my head, and not enough of it
on paper...   Maybe I should get a ghost writer...

Twcs, imfamous welshified Tirolean person


From: cctimar at athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu (Charles)
Date: 4 Dec 91 07:42:05 GMT
Organization: Vanderbilt University student of numerology

Therasia von Tux writeth:
> Yaakov asks if leather backpacks were period.  Well, I have some
> opinions, and I have some facts.

Another lead:

Late period (1590's) Shakespeare, As You Like It, in Jacques soliloquy on
"The Seven Ages of Man" mentions, "the schoolboy, his satchel on his
back."

Shakespeare was paraphrasing earlier authors describing how to play
various standard roles, so there is probably mention  of such things in
sixteenth century English, French, and Italian texts on drama.

Incidentally, the 3000 yr old corpse discovered in the Alps last year -
wasn't he wearing a leather backpack of some sort?
-- 
    -- Charles, student, in Glaedenfeld, Meridies


From: bnostrand at lynx.northeastern.EDU
Date: 4 Dec 91 14:52:17 GMT
Organization: The Internet

A while back when Lord Yaakov was characterizing different participants
in this forum he left me out.  Thus, I prompted him to characterize me
as well and he said "and Solveig chimes in with the Japanese version
of things."  Forgive me M'Lord if I have misquoted you.

So now for backpacks in Japan.  Japanese use an external frame backpack
which I believe is similar to the Austrian one describe here recently.
(I have not actually seen the Austrian backpack.)  The Japanese version
(which is still in use) consists of a frame of sawn wooden sticks with
a bottem shelf which is held together by a lattice of knotted cords.

I believe that I have seen these in both period illustrations and
in museums as well as in motion pictures and in actual use in the
mountains.  I believe that there is another type of pack (I have
or at least had a minature of this one) which is essentially a wicker
work affair or rather like an open basket with straps.  Leather was a rather
scarce commodity in Japan and I suspect in Europe as well.  I think
that this accounts for the relative absence of leather backpacks.
I believe that I have also seen illustrations of jewish pedlars
carrying large bags which appear to have been made from canvas.

Another method of transporting things is to suspend them from a
pole ballanced from the shoulders.  Regardless.  The Japanse were
very aware of the efficiency of carrying things on the shoulders
and even have a word which basically means "to shoulder a load."

                                                Solveig Throndardottir


From: habura at vccsouth25.its.rpi.edu (Andrea Marie Habura)
Date: 4 Dec 91 16:02:24 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Interestingly, the big shoulder bag survived until well out of period; 
I used one when I was in a fife-and-drum corps. It was called a "haversack"
in the 18th century. They are quite handy, as I recall.

Alison MacDermot


Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 9:59:08 -0500
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: re: travel gear
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

<David Serhienko <tigycho at earthlink.net>>
> What sort of gear would a foot soldier use to transport his perssonal
> gear from place to place in the 13th and 14th centuries?  I was thinking
> that it would be very convenient if I made an all -leather, period (or
> period-like) back pack to carry stuff about an event site during the
> day.  I've seen references to something called a 'scrip', but the
> descriptions were pretty vague, and I took them to be something akin to
> a large leather bag with a strap worn across the body, over the opposite
> shoulder.

First let me point out that nomenclature is not a constant in all places
and all times, and a term that might refer to one thing in one place
may be used elsewhere in a totally different (but still related) fashion.

A "scrip" (derived probaly from the Old French "escreppe" - wallet, bag,
purse for alms) refers to "a small bag, wallet or satchel, especially one
carried by a pilgrim, shepherd, or a beggar" (OED2d).  I have seen it used
to refer to everything from a "belf pouch" to a "Pilgrim's Purse", so it
would appear that your definition was correct.  There is also a term that 
I think is sometimes spelled "Gipser" usually meaning a purse, pouch or
wallet that hangs from a belt or girdle, but I have also seen used to
refer to an over the shoulder bag (it has been suggested that the term
is derived from the old French for "Game Bag", but this is not proven).

There is a way of carrying your goods wrapped up and tied around the waist,
carried in a manner similar to those babyslings you sometimes see today.

I believe there is a picture of a man in the Luttrell Psalter carrying
a woven basket in the manner of a backpack, although although the main 
strap crosses in front of him from shoulder to shoulder, sort of like a
yoke.  Unfortunately, I can't find it this morning, so you may want to
take that with some salt.

In general, however, I believe it is fairly safe to say that there is 
not much in the way of documentation or historical examples of medieval
backpacks.

Marc/Diarmaid
lib_imc at centum.utulsa.edu


From: Tanya Guptill <tguptill at teleport.com>
Organization: Sysco Food Services
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: travel gear
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 17:28:57 GMT

There is a wonderful article about how to construct an alms satchel at
http://www.iinet.net.au/~expo/sven/psatchel.html , by Stephen Wyley.  I
don't know if it would be large enough to house the gear you carry, but
it might be a good start.

Mira


From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: travel gear
Date: 21 Aug 1998 18:23:22 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

David Serhienko (tigycho at earthlink.net) wrote:
: Does anyone have references, patterns, or images on backpacks or scrips
: or anything else of that sort which might fit the bill?

In medieval and renaissance art from at least England and France (quite
likely other areas, but those are the ones I know) you frequently see
people using basketry "backpacks" to transport agricultural products
(e.g., grapes) or construction materials and byproducts (e.g., dirt). The
general form seems to have been a truncated cone shape with shoulder
straps added. (I've even seen similar items available for sale in upscale
basketry stores.) However note that these are being used for "industrial"
transport in very specific contexts (e.g., during harvest) and it is not
clear that similar items would have been used for transporting personal
posessions and the like by travellers.

Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn


From: dpeters at panix.com (D. Peters)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: travel gear
Date: 23 Aug 1998 17:44:13 -0400

Heather Rose Jones <hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>David Serhienko (tigycho at earthlink.net) wrote:
>: Does anyone have references, patterns, or images on backpacks or scrips
>: or anything else of that sort which might fit the bill?
>
>In medieval and renaissance art from at least England and France (quite
>likely other areas, but those are the ones I know) you frequently see
>people using basketry "backpacks" to transport agricultural products
>(e.g., grapes) or construction materials and byproducts (e.g., dirt). The
>general form seems to have been a truncated cone shape with shoulder
>straps added. (I've even seen similar items available for sale in upscale
>basketry stores.) However note that these are being used for "industrial"
>transport in very specific contexts (e.g., during harvest) and it is not
>clear that similar items would have been used for transporting personal
>posessions and the like by travellers.

I happen to have a book about Hieronymous Bosch at hand; two paintings
("The Road of Life," the exterior panels of the "Haywain" triptych; and
"The Wayfarer") show a down-at-his heels peasant or pilgrim carrying his
goods in a wooden-lidded, woven hamper with a strap running across his
chest from shoulder to shoulder.  Not too dissimilar to the pack baskets
one sees at Pennsic.

Although these pictures are realistically rendered, without any of Bosch's
characteristic biomorphic wonders, artistic evidence may need to be taken
with a grain of salt.  Usual disclaimers apply.

D.Peters


Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 11:36:24 -0500
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: re: Backpacks
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

On 24 Aug 1998, Bill Schongar wrote:
> What did the Romans use to carry gear? I have some vague (but
> not substantiated in any way) recollection that they had some
> kind of individual carrying arrangements...
>  Or maybe I'm just imagining a kind of 'Packs' Imperium.. ; )

Um, right :)

I don't recall if they used "packs", although I think a lot of the Legions'
material good were carried from poles, not unlike bindlestiffs, when
they were just moving from place to place.

Of course, even if the Romans *did* use them, that also doesn't mean that 
they used them in the Middle Ages.  Only finding examples from the Middle 
Ages would tell us that they they were used in the Middle Ages (from the 
point and time they were found).

Marc/Diarmaid


Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 9:23:33 -0500
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: Backpacks and Travel Gear
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: Kathryn M Gomm <kgomm at csd.uwm.edu>
To: LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu

Marc/Diarmaid -

This is in response to your posting on the Rialto regarding travel gear. 
Unfortunately, I an unable to directly respond using that forum, so feel
free to forward this if you wish. 

You mention "I believe it is fairly safe to say that there is not much in
the way of documentation or historical examples of medieval backpacks." To
this, I would say, perhaps. As a basketweaver, I am always on the lookout
for depictions in manuscripts and paintings of baskets. As you may well
know, certain textiles do not survive to the present, and baskets are one
of them. There are few extant baskets from SCA period, and I have seen a
few of them. However, I digress.

Backpacks. The following is a list of manuscripts/paintings which have
figures wearing backpacks. Granted, most of them are for agricultural
uses, but they are nonetheless backpacks. I would also point out that
these depictions tend to be wickerwork baskets, and not the splint ones we
see for sale at Pennsic. 

From "A Medieval Book of Seasons" by Collis and Davis
p12 Pierpont Morgan Library, NY. MS 399, Bruges, about 1520
p28 Musee Conde, Chantilly. P. De Crecens, "Le Rustican" about 1460
p105 British Library, London. Add. MS 38126 f9 Hours of the Virgin
illuminated by various artists, Flemish, about 1500

From "Medieval Woman Calendar 1996"
September "The Wine Harvest" wool & silk tapestry, French, early 16th
century. Musee Nationale de Moyen Age, Paris

From "Hieronymus Bosch" Bosing
p62 "The Wayfarer" El Escorial, Monasterio de San Lorenzo
pp64-65 "The Wayfarer" Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen

From "The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Durer" Kurth
plate118 "Repose on the Flight into Egypt" B.90. H1770. R77, 1504 or 1505

So you see, there are several examples. You may point out that these are
all later-period depictions, but I would have to counter that baskets are
a rare sight in most manuscripts prior to the 15th century in general.

I hope this has been of interest to you. If you have further questions, or
examples I have not cited, please share any information you may have.
Thank you.

Dore' van der Zee
(Kathryn Gomm)


Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 15:41:24 -0500
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: re: Travel Gear
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

<Kathryn M Gomm <kgomm at csd.uwm.edu>>
>Backpacks. The following is a list of manuscripts/paintings which have
>figures wearing backpacks. Granted, most of them are for agricultural
>uses, but they are nonetheless backpacks. I would also point out that
>these depictions tend to be wickerwork baskets, and not the splint ones we
>see for sale at Pennsic. 

>From "A Medieval Book of Seasons" by Collis and Davis
>p12 Pierpont Morgan Library, NY. MS 399, Bruges, about 1520
>p28 Musee Conde, Chantilly. P. De Crecens, "Le Rustican" about 1460
>p105 British Library, London. Add. MS 38126 f9 Hours of the Virgin
>illuminated by various artists, Flemish, about 1500
>From "Medieval Woman Calendar 1996"
>September "The Wine Harvest" wool & silk tapestry, French, early 16th
>century. Musee Nationale de Moyen Age, Paris

I haven't been able to find copies of these yes, so I can't comment
on them.

>From "Hieronymus Bosch" Bosing
>p62 "The Wayfarer" El Escorial, Monasterio de San Lorenzo
>pp64-65 "The Wayfarer" Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen

Could you give me an idea where in the picture this is?  I can see the
lady carrying hay on her back, the baby carried in the hood.  I'm sure 
I'm just missing it.

>From "The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Durer" Kurth
>plate118 "Repose on the Flight into Egypt" B.90. H1770. R77, 1504 or 1505

That's plate 188 :)  And yes, there is the wearing basket that the
angels are sticking wood wood chips into.  And it does have what
look to be shoulder straps.

>So you see, there are several examples. You may point out that these are
>all later-period depictions, but I would have to counter that baskets are
>a rare sight in most manuscripts prior to the 15th century in general.

I'm not going to fuss too badly, at this moment :)  What interests me
is that the basket has two arm straps, such as we'd see today, and not
a shoulder to shoulder chest strap.

>I hope this has been of interest to you. If you have further questions, or
>examples I have not cited, please share any information you may have.

Oh, I'm sure I'll come up with something eventually.

With regards to Bill Schongar, the gentleman who offered the piece from 
the Horizon Book of the Middle Ages -- nice picture, thank you.  It's a 
clear enough statue to see how most of the strapping seems to work.  It 
misses showing where the straps go underneath, but I think I can guess.

Essentially, it's a man carrying a box (which would be to scale about
18"x18-20"x 6-10") on his back.  The box is held in place by two (and
perhaps three) straps.  The long strap appears to be either a single 
strap, looping over the top and sides of the box, crossing underneath,
then coming up over the arms and across the chest (or else it is one loop,
wrapped around the box and holding all the other straps in place, and a
second loop coming up from the bottom of the box over his shoulders
and around his chest).  The other strap crosses the back of the box, 
over the shoulders, under the arms, and vanishing God only knows where
(I suspect across his back, under the box).  Based on the strapping 
pattern, you'd set the straps in place, then the one that goes around 
the box to hold them in place.  You'd pull the chest strap over your 
head (which means that you'd likely need a table to do this, or help), 
and when it was settled, you'd stick your arms through the arms straps,
and they'd hold the chest band secure.

OTOH, the statue is lacking a lot of other details that could make
things easier, like buckles :)

So.  People were carrying things on their backs.  It doesn't seem to
have been very common, and still doesn't look like what we think of as
a back pack, and especially not the framed alpine style worn by the 
Iceman.

Marc/Diarmaid


Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 11:46:09 -0500
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: re: Travel Gear
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

I'm assuming that Kathryn wants to continue this publically, but since
she can not currently post to the Rialto, I am forwarding her response
before replying myself.

M/D
====================
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:56:27 -0500 (CDT)
From: Kathryn M Gomm <kgomm at csd.uwm.edu>
To: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: re: Travel Gear

Marc/Diarmaid:

Thank you for your response.  I guess I had misunderstood the original
post looking for backpacks and had only responded to that portion of the
question. I wish to continue this conversation, and will point out the
various methods of straps used in the paintings and illustrations I cite.

me>From "A Medieval Book of Seasons" by Collis and Davis
me>p12 Pierpont Morgan Library, NY. MS 399, Bruges, about 1520
me>p28 Musee Conde, Chantilly. P. De Crecens, "Le Rustican" about 1460
me>p105 British Library, London. Add. MS 38126 f9 Hours of the Virgin
me>illuminated by various artists, Flemish, about 1500
me>From "Medieval Woman Calendar 1996"
me>September "The Wine Harvest" wool & silk tapestry, French, early 16th
me>century. Musee Nationale de Moyen Age, Paris

you>I haven't been able to find copies of these yes, so I can't comment
you>on them.

In "A Medieval Book of Seasons" the illustrations on pages 12 and 28 are
unclear for the strap arrangement. On page 105, the backpack appears to
have arm straps (like today's backpacks). The picture in the "Medieval
Woman Calendar 1996, September" the straps go across the front of the
man's body.

me>From "Hieronymus Bosch" Bosing
me>p62 "The Wayfarer" El Escorial, Monasterio de San Lorenzo
me>pp64-65 "The Wayfarer" Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen

you>Could you give me an idea where in the picture this is?  I can see the
you>lady carrying hay on her back, the baby carried in the hood.  I'm sure
you>I'm just missing it.

I'm not sure we are talking about the same pictures. The complete book
title is "Hieronymus Bosch, c1450 - 1516, Between Heaven and Hell" by
Walter Bosing, printed by Benedikt Taschen, 1987. They both clearly have a
man in the center of the painting, who is wearing a backpack. The straps
go across the front of his chest. 

I have yet to see the picture in the Horizon Book of the Middle Ages, so
am not commenting on it at this time. 

I went through some more of my books in search of other examples.
Specifically, from the "Medieval Health Handbook" printed by George
Brazillier, Inc, 1976 there are several illustrations. In the color plate
section, Turnips, XXIII, and Leeks XXVIII, both have pack baskets. These
packs appear to have the arm strap methods, and not the chest strap.
Additionally, in the black and white plate section, Turnips plate 23, 200,
and 201 all seem to be similar to the color plate earlier in the book. In
b&w plate 58, Yellow Colored Wine, the pack may not be a basket, but it
clearly (to me) has two arm straps.

In the book "Complete Paintings of Bruegel" from Classics of the World's
Great Art, edited by P. Lecaldano, printed by Rissoli Editore 1967, in
plate 4-5, "Battle Between Carnival and Lent" there is a person with a
packbasket in the right panel, just below the center.  Also, plate 25 "The
Procession to Calvary" appears to have a very small packbasket in the
foreground, bottom center-ish, which is similar in shape to the Bosch
"Wayfarer" packbasket.

One last citation: from the "Medieval Woman Calendar 1998, September"
there is a man in a vineyard with a packbasket full of grapes. His arm(s)
definitely go through the straps to carry the basket.

Most of the examples I've cited tend to be in conjunction with
agricultural activities, but they do prove the existence of both methods
of straps. As carrying agricultural products can get quite heavy, it only
makes sense that some type of arrangement be made for hauling such items. 
Now whether this translates into carrying one's personal belongings in a
similar type of arrangement is a matter of opinion. I just wanted to point
out their existence. 

Kathryn/Dore'


Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 11:54:18 -0500
From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>
Subject: re: Travel Gear
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

<Kathryn M Gomm <kgomm at csd.uwm.edu>>
>Thank you for your response.  I guess I had misunderstood the original
>post looking for backpacks and had only responded to that portion of the
>question. I wish to continue this conversation, and will point out the
>various methods of straps used in the paintings and illustrations I cite.

That's ok, I was probably being fussier than necessary since I had been
the one that mentioned the Ice Man's back pack resembling certain modern
styles.  The original posting, as I recall, was just asking about back
packs in general.

>>>From "Hieronymus Bosch" Bosing
>>>p62 "The Wayfarer" El Escorial, Monasterio de San Lorenzo
>>>pp64-65 "The Wayfarer" Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen
>>Could you give me an idea where in the picture this is?  I can see the
>>lady carrying hay on her back, the baby carried in the hood.  I'm sure
>>I'm just missing it.
>I'm not sure we are talking about the same pictures...

Ok, I see the problem.  I couldn't find any picture of"The Wayfarer",
but I did find a reference that said that "The Wayfarer" was also known
as the "Hay Wain", so that's what I was looking at.  Having stopped and 
just taken a look at as many of his paintings as I can, you are refering
to the one listed in my sources as "The Land loper", and that seems to
be the chest strapping that keeps intriguing me.  (For those of you who
can't see it, imagine a wicker clothes hamper, with lid, and a strap attached
to the sides (a few inches down from the top) that reach across the hinge
side.  That strap is worn so that it passes over the upper arms, and the
chest.

I will take a look for the others as I can.

>Now whether this translates into carrying one's personal belongings in a
>similar type of arrangement is a matter of opinion. I just wanted to point
>out their existence. 

Quite all right.  I still don't think that they were commonly used for
it though :)

Marc/Diarmaid


From: "Bill Schongar" <bills at lcdmultimedia.com>
Subject: Backpacks (piece of evidence?)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: 27 Aug 1998 09:44:38 -0500

 With the recent thread still skulking around my head,
I happened to run across a picture of (what appears to be)
a period carving of a traveller wearing a backpack. Unfortunately,
the picture doesn't contain all the relevant info, so I don't 
know who carved it and exactly when.

 The picture itself is in "The Horizon Book of the Middle Ages"
(1968, L.o.C. catalog number 68-27730) on page 161. The
attribution for the carving is "Swaffam Church, Norfolk: National
Buildings Record". Later today, when I have more time,
I'm going to try and hunt down more details...

-Bill

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	p-backpacks-msg