Garb
Karl Evoy, also known as Ancel fitzCharles, pours drink for a feast Saturday, Nov. 13 in Tallmadge. The feast was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Marche of Gwyntarian.
Men and women walking around in full body armor might seem strange enough, but members of the society who do not engage in fighting also wear clothing that would seem strange to people passing by.
Sometimes at meetings and always at events, members dress in what they call “garb,” or clothing similar to what they would have worn in the Middle Ages.
About 250 men, women and children dressed in garb fill the hall of the First Church of God in Tallmadge for the Marche of Gwyntarian’s 30th anniversary on Nov. 13, 2004. One might believe he or she was sent back in time if one ignores the sea of orange plastic chairs, red exit signs and the basketball hoops pushed against the wall.
Some women wear simple dresses with solid colors. Others wear off-the-shoulder gowns clad with fur or gold thread. Some wear large, jeweled necklaces. Many wear hats or scarves over their heads to cover “modern-day hair,” so they all look the part.
Some men wear tights or above-the-ankle pants with tunics and belts. Some men wear cloaks. A few swords can be seen swinging from belts. Hats with plumes can be spotted from across the room.
Even the children play dress-up. Girls look like miniature versions of the women with elaborate dresses. Boys wear tights and tote foam swords. It’s the children who are often the center of attention if they are well-dressed at events.
Jesse Vialles of Kent and girlfriend Eileen Janis, senior theatre major at Kent State, listen in on a conversation at Erin Hagmaier’s apartment Friday, Oct. 29. Complete with appetizers, the get-together for the Marche of Gwyntarian gave members a chance to visit with one another outside of meetings.
Alexandra Starner, 2, wears a hooded cloak that drapes to the ground at the Battle of Hastings. No one passes by without telling her how cute she is.
“Recreating the clothing of the period and areas we study is important for several reasons,” says Kathy Thomas, or Wulfwen atte Belle, the seneschal, or president, of the Marche of Gwyntarian. “By researching the clothing — what it was made of, how it was constructed, how pieces evolved over time, etc. — we learn about the people and the areas they lived in.”
Thomas also says clothing can reveal social customs and economic standing. Just as important, she says, is the illusion of being in another time and place the garb adds.
“A room full of people in jeans and T-shirts just isn’t as impressive as a (church) hall full of lords and ladies in fine tunics and gowns,” Thomas says. “Also, most garb we create is at least as comfortable as modern clothes — often more so.”
The Burr is produced by students at Kent State University twice per academic year.No part of The Burr may be reprinted without permission.