The Marches look and feel

Overview

The Marches draws strongly on English history from the 12th century through to the War of the Roses for costume, weaponry and armour. This nation is intended to appeal strongly to re-enactors and particularly to people who re-enact this period, partly because of the brief and style of the nation and partly because of the “low-fantasy” nature of the characters. To avoid “creep” please do not use anything from the Tudor period including later-period doublets. This is outside the scope of the Marches setting.

The magical element comes from the Landkeepers, the myserious ritual magicians who wield power and political influence in Marcher politics. These characters are part English peasant superstition, part druid and part typical LRP ritual team. The key difference between Landkeepers and druids is that the Marcher Landkeepers are agriculturalists - they support a society of farmers, not hunter-gatherers.

The nation needs to contrast with its neighbour Dawn. That nation is Arthurian high romance, the plate is gleaming, the colours glorious, bright and vivid. In the Marches everything should have a grubby, worn, lived in look to it. The Marches is Kenneth Brannagh’s Henry V rather than Laurence Olivier’s.

Breakdown

Influences

Wars of the Roses England, Rangers of Ithilien (Beaters), Cadfael (Monks and Landkeepers).

Materials

Wool, calico, linen, leather.

Colours

Plain flat colours, mostly the soft colours of natural dyes or unbleached cloth. The palette is autumnal and natural dull blues, greys, browns/ rusts, mustards and greens, dull reds etc. especially at the lower end of the social scale. Wealthier Marchers have deeper, brighter shades.

Clothing

Marchers favour simple hoods, hose and plain clothes. Workers might wear sleeveless jerkins and leather trousers. Wealthier characters might wear finer robes but wool not silk. Headwear is comomon, either a simple cap, or something like a liripipe or chaperon.

Ladies generally wear shifts and kirtles. The look of the dresses is long, lean and smooth and laced to fit. Back lacing shows higher status and gives a better line. Side lacing is more usual.

Hose, either joined or split, are acceptable. If you wear split hose you will require a longer shirt than a 20th century one – say 3” above the knee - as it is normal for the shirt to hang out front and rear (thus covering one’s embarrassment). Shirts are an extremely simple untailored cut, full in the body and sleeve, possibly gathered at neck and wrist.

Doublets are common but should be short and simple, not the fancy slashed doublets of the Tudor period and later. Tunics are generally woollen (or linen in summer) and come down to somewhere between mid-thigh and the knee.

Marchers have no pockets so a pouch is invaluable – bollock pouches or leather bags are perfect. Belts are often very long, wrapped round, looped at the front and left to dangle.

Both male and female monks wear traditioanl plain monks habit either in dark colours, or white with a dark scapula.

Armour

Padded or leather jacks are common for the poor with a harness of plate for richer individuals. Households often wear matching livery jackets, although simple sashes or badges are also used to denote afiliation.

Shields

Not common. Small metal bucklers are sometimes used.

Weapons

Bows are common. In hand-to-hand combat Marchers favour bills and other pole-arms. Two handed swords are common for richer characters in heavier armour, or warhammers, maces or poleaxes.

Feel

Gritty, solid, practical, superstitious, mud, blood, green fields, rural, iron.

Icons and important Images

Any Marcher who owns farmland is a member of a Household, albeit perhaps a Household of one, and any Marcher Household can declare a livery. Members of the Household wear the livery in some way – perhaps as a coat, or perhaps as a simple sash or badge. Stewards of a Household that alies to a more powerful Household usually retain their own livery, or combine it with the new Households’ colours in some way.

Poppets and other symbols of the land are commonplace. Gates and doors are traditionally decorated with woven bundles of grain on either side, the respect shown to the land prevents evil doers from entering. The hearth is where food taken from the land is prepared. It should always be kept clean and ideally be decorated with fresh cut flowers to prevent food cooked there causing a poison of the blood. Poor March Folk or those on campaign will make do with bundles of grass or common meadow flowers.

The symbol of the seed or apple and seed is a common representation of the soul and the cycle of rebirth. The crow and the rat are both images of ill-omen and bad luck.5

Details

Marcher Household

A prosperous Marcher Household will wear often wear matching livery jackets, although simple sashes or badges are also used to denote afiliation. Padded jacks are common for the poor with a harness of plate for wealthier individuals.

Yeomen

Poor Yeomen may wear just a plain coloured padded jack or gambeson as their only armour. Wealthier Yeomen have jacks in their Household colours and mail or plate over the top if they have it.

Stewards and Electors

The head of a Household, a Steward, wear richer colours, but wool not silk. Wealthy Marcher characters wear a full harness of plate in battle if they have it.

Beaters

Beaters are skilled trackers and gamekeepers. They watch the borders of the Marches. They are inspired by the classic British archers of the period mixed with the Rangers of Ithilien from Lord of the Rings.

Beaters usually wear lighter armour, either just a padded or leather jack or else a leather tunic like the ones worn by the Rangers in Lord of the Rings.

Marcher Costume

Marcher costume is in natural autumnal colours using plain fabrics like wool, calico and linen. Shirt and tunic is common for men, skirt and kirtle for women, headwear for both genders.

Robes of wool – either with a neck opening or opening all the way down the front in coat style. They are long, anywhere between knee length and full length.

Belts are often very long, wrapped round, looped at the front and left to dangle.

Hose, either joined or split, are acceptable. If you wear split hose you will require a longer shirt. Shirts are an extremely simple untailored cut, full in the body and sleeve, possibly gathered at neck and wrist.

Ladies generally wear shifts and kirtles. The look of the dresses is long, lean and smooth and laced to fit. Headwear is comomon, either a simple cap, or something like a liripipe or chaperon.

Doublets are common in the Marches, a snug-fitting buttoned jacket that is shaped and fitted to the body. It can be worn over the shirt or drawers or under another layer of clothing such as a gown, mantle, or overtunic.

Marcher doublets should be appropriate for the period and feel of the Nation. They are in simple autumnal colours. The fancy doublets that appear later in history, particularly anything with slashed sleeves or similar should be avoided for the Marches.

Monks and FrIars

Monks and friars wear similar robes. A simple brown cassock is acceptable but it can also be black or grey. A more complex arrangement with dark scapula over white undergarments is also excellent.

Landkeepers

Some landkeepers wear robes, similar to the monk, but waistcoat-shirt-and-hose, with rolled-up sleeves is a good alternartive.

Marcher Weapons and Armour

Shields are uncommon in the Marches, the most common are small metal bucklers when they are used at all. Any historical weapons from the Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses are good, bollock daggers, axes, falchions, mauls, warhammers, poleaxes and bills.