Channel Title: Gesiþas Gewissa | Anglo-Saxon Heritage Channel Description: My name is Alec Newland, and this project aims to recreate the Anglo-Saxon culture of southern Britain between 650 and 700 A.D., from domestic crafts to the weapons and regalia of the warrior class, and, eventually, the development of an Anglo-Saxon farmstead and estate. Gesiþas Gewissa means ‘warriors of the Gewissæ’. Gesiþs were warrior companions to a king or chieftain, in exchange for gifts of gold and land. During the 7th century, Gesiþs became the landed aristocratic warrior class. The Gewissæ were an Anglo-Saxon tribe, with their heartland situated in the Upper Thames Valley and the Vale of the White Horse. During the 7th century, the Gewissæ expanded their territories south-west into the British lands of Wiltshire and Somerset. I was born and grew up in the same wooded valleys that the Gewissæ called home. Their legacy remains today, in the form of lonely burial mounds set upon hillsides, and ancient remnants of great border forests. This inspired the project and its name. <video> Building a Medieval Clay Oven in the Anglo-Saxon House - Part I | Romano-British Updraft Furnace Description: The Anglo-Saxons and Romano-British built clay ovens to cook food, bake bread, and heat their homes. These ovens were built of cob; a mix of clay soil, sand, gravel and straw. While gathering resources for the oven I also finished the interior walls of the pit house. The wattle walls were covered with a daub of sandy clay and straw. This was then covered with lime wash, mixed from slaked lime. The walls were painted with two coats, but will need several more over time. Gathering cob materials is hard, heavy work, and one of the buckets broke free of its hazel hoop, so another was quickly fashioned to repair the bucket. This oven design is based on an updraft kiln used by both the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxons. Early Anglo-Saxon examples have been found at Cassington, Oxfordshire. In these kilns, the fire is stoked from below, and is drawn up vertically through a flue or vent into a clay or turf dome above, with a smoke vent in the top or side of the dome. These updraft kilns were primarily used for pottery, and there is no evidence that they were used indoors or for cooking. However, I wanted to create a design that aligned with the known technologies of the time, but allowed for a smoke free house! First, a small chimney and arched stokehole were built as the 'updraft' part of the oven. This is known in modern times as a 'rocket stove'. This chimney was built up around into a solid cob block, to provide good thermal mass for heating the house. Heavily grogged cob, with lots of gravel for thermal resistance, was used for all areas in direct contact with fire, while the rest of the block was made of standard straw cob. The arch and chimney were supported temporarily by hazel frames until dry. These will frames will eventually burn away as the oven is used. The domed oven was built around a woven willow frame. Again, this frame will burn away eventually, leaving the solid cob dome. A thermal layer was applied first, followed by a straw cob insulation layer. An outlet flue was formed from the back of the dome, out through a hole in the wall, to the exterior of the house, which will allow the smoke to exit. The floor was covered with dry rushes for warmth, and a test fire lit in the oven, to check it worked as intended. The updraft draws the fire well once it is going, with little smoke, and once a door is added to the upper entrance of the oven, there will be very little, if any, smoke in the inside of the house. Next, the oven just needs a cob door, flue grate and some finishing touches, before it is ready to start experimenting with baking! With thanks to: Herknungr, Musician, playing “Spekð". Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. Matuls, Cooper, for making the alder bucket with hazel rings. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa/ Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Making Medieval Leather Shoes by Hand | Anglo-Saxon Early Medieval Turn Shoes Description: The Anglo-Saxons wore simple leather shoes, known as turnshoes due to their inside out construction. Many shoes have been found in excavations of archaeological sites such as Coppergate, at York. These shoes consist of a sole of cowhide, roughly 3mm thick and an upper of goatskin, roughly 1-2mm thick. The Anglo-Saxons used bark-tanned, alum-tawed, or rawhide leather, but tanned leather was most likely used for shoes. The sole is based on the outline of my foot, with extra room around the toes for a nice barefoot feel. The pattern for the uppers can be worked out by taking the circumference of the sole, along with measurements around the foot at various points. I used an upper from my previous pair of shoes as a pattern, making sure to give myself extra allowance on the upper and back sides to allow for 'tailoring' the fit at the end. The holes for sewing were pierced with an awl. The first three stitches of the upper seam are sewn first, to join the two upper pieces together at the the toe. The shoes are sewn with linen thread waxed with beeswax. Linen was relatively common in the Anglo-Saxon period, but leather thong or sinew may also have been used. The uppers are then sewn onto the sole with a saddle stitch. The shoe is sewn together 'inside out' and is later turned to leave the seam on the inside. This protects the seam and gives the name 'turn-shoe'. The two sides of the upper are each sewn onto the sole from toe to heel. This means that any mismatches in hole spacing can be sorted out at the heel where any puckering is less obvious. Saddle stitch uses two needles on the end of one piece of thread. When the thread runs out or frays, instead of tying off, the seam is backstitched with three knotted stitches, and a new thread started a little way back in the seam, to give a strong and neat finish, with no lumpy knots. One the uppers are sewn to the sole all the way round, the back seam is stitched up, again with a saddle-stitch. The shoes can now be turned the right way round; soaking them in water helps to turn them without too much trouble. Once turned right side out, the uppers can be 'tailored' to sit snugly on the foot, by placing the foot inside and pulling the uppers together at a point which feels right. This is then marked as the seam, any excess can be trimmed off and the upper seam at the front of the foot can be sewn up. Finally holes for lacing and any decoration can be punched. The Anglo-Saxons used various lacing and fastening styles, along with punched and embroidered decoration. These shoes are not based on any particular archaeological example, although they are similar to the second pair of shoes found at Sutton Hoo, with some Late Roman influence in the lacing and punched decoration. The pattern is mostly a product of my own experiments with shoe making to produce a pattern that is easy to sew, turn inside out, and can be cut oversized, then adjusted to fit my foot once the upper and sole are sewn together. I prefer this more organic approach to the more complicated process of taking exact measurements and producing a set pattern. Leather turn-shoes are comfortable and, provided they are given enough space at the toe, very similar to modern 'barefoot' shoes in terms of foot ergonomics. Being made of very thin, bark-tanned leather, they are not water-proof in anything more than damp grass. Your feet very quickly get soaked in wet conditions. The soles offer almost no grip, and a just little protection against thorns and stones. As is often seen in pictorial evidence, it may be the case that Medieval people often went barefoot, particularly when working in the fields and during the summer. With thanks to: Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Shelter Building and Hunting Deer in the Forest with Smooth Gefixt | Early Medieval Bushcraft Description: Anglo-Saxon and Celtic cultures living in the Early Medieval period sometimes hunted as an alternative source of meat to raising livestock. Animals such as deer and wild boar were hunted for their meat, skins and sinew. Bows and spears were used for hunting. Fallow deer were introduced to Britain during the Roman occupation, and small feral populations still roamed the woodlands in the Anglo-Saxon period. Hunters may have built small huts or shelters during longer hunting trips in the vast wildwoods of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Britain. Very small patches of these ancient woodlands still remain in Britain and Ireland, and need conservation. Smooth Gefixt, Julius and Dylan’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SmoothGefixt Special thanks to Julius for inviting me to film with him. Smooth Gefixt was one of the major inspirations for this project and it was great to meet Julius, see the incredible roundhouse that Julius and Dylan built, and spend some good time in the woods! Check out Julius and Dylan’s Roundhouse and Medieval Living project on their channel, they are well worth watching! Roundhouse Project at Smooth Gefixt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6UvVm6Qddo With thanks to: Herknungr, Musician, playing ‘ÆngleLand’ If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Making Germanic Thorsberg Trousers by Hand | Anglo-Saxon Clothing and Early Medieval Sewing Description: Early Anglo-Saxon people would have made their own clothes, for themselves and their immediate family. Trousers were the custom among male warriors of the Germanic tribes, from the Iron Age into the Early Medieval period. Considered ‘barbaric’ by the Romans at first contact with the Germanic tribes, trousers were adopted by the late Roman warrior and equestrian class. The evidence for Anglo-Saxon trousers comes wholly in the form of art work and other pictorial depictions, in manuscripts and carvings and so on. No whole trousers have been found in burial contexts, as British soil types do not generally allow for preservation. Only small textile fragments have been found, which at least allows for identification of fabric type and weave. Wool twill weaves, and sometimes linen, are often for leg coverings. Representations of Anglo-Saxon men in trousers depict close fitting to very tight trousers, tucked in to leather shoes or bound to the calf with textile leg wrappings. The closest archaeological find of a whole pair of trousers with a highly tailored pattern, both in date and location, are the Thorsberg trousers from Thorsberg moor, in present-day Germany. The Thorsberg trousers were found with a whole range of Germanic weapon deposits and artefacts, preserved in the peaty, waterlogged earth of Thorsberg moor and are dated between the 2nd and 4th century, making it likely that these were worn by a Germanic tribal warrior or auxiliary during the Roman Iron Age or Migration period. The Thorsberg trousers are part of a group of similar, close-fitting patterns including the Thorsberg, Damendorf, Daetgen Mose and Marx-Etzel finds. These trousers are based on the Thorsberg pattern; the closest whole pattern found in date and location to Early Anglo-Saxon culture. These trousers are an almost exact reconstruction, as I happen to have very similar leg measurements to the person that the original trousers were made for. The only exceptions to this are the fabric weave - the original trousers were made of a diamond twill, whereas these are a diagonal twill - and the fact that the originals included integrated feet or socks, whereas I chose to forego attached feet for my reconstruction. The pattern consists of two leg pieces, which wrap around the leg, creating a single seam, a square seat piece, a tapered crotch insert, and a waistband with belt loops. The leg pieces each have one straight edge, and a shaped edge cut on the diagonal to tailored measurements. The patterns for the leg pieces are created by measuring the height of the leg, the circumference at ankle, calf, knee and thigh, and the distance between the front and back of the waistline around the crotch. Once these are tailored, the seat and crotch pieces can be cut to infill the space required, to the measurements on the leg pieces and the circumference of the waist. The original Thorsberg trousers had an unusual seam, created by sewing together the pieces with their edges folded or already hemmed. This means the running stitch goes through four layers of fabric rather than two which gives extra strength and creates a seam which has some give, which combines well with the elasticity of the twill fabric and bias-cut pattern. I have tailored and made these trousers before and I was confident in my measurements, so I chose to hem all the pieces before sewing them together, for ease of sewing. The hems were overcast and the pieces were sewn together with the four layered seam, as per the original trousers. Once the main trousers were sewn together, a waistband with eight belt loops was sewn on. From the ankle to the calf, the inseam was left unsewn as a split seam. Woolen ties were sewn and twisted to the edges of this seam area, so that the trousers could be tied up closely to the leg from ankle to calf. This allows for a very close-fitting lower leg, while still allowing the trousers to be put on easily. The trousers are tied at the waist with a simple leather cord through the belt loops, and the waistband is wide enough to be folded over; which has been suggested as a feature of the original Thorsberg trousers. These trousers are comfortable and allow full-range of movement despite their closely tailored fit. This range of movement is important for a warrior, fighting and running on foot and on horseback. The close tailored fit may have been favoured by Germanic cultures to show off their athleticism and prowess in warrior culture which prized such ideals. Special thanks to: Katrin Kania for “Die Hose von Thorsberg - win Meisterwerk eisenzeitlicher Schneiderkunst”. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> I Built a Medieval House Using Primitive Techniques | Start to Finish Description: In the summer before last, I set out to construct an authentic Anglo-Saxon Pit House using the tools and techniques of the Early Anglo-Saxons. Watch as I build wattle and daub walls, a thatched roof, a woven door, a hand-hewn plank bed and window shutters, and a clay oven to bake bread and cook food. My axes and mattock are based on examples found at Anglo-Saxon sites, such as the Middle-Saxon settlement of Flixborough, and the Buckland Dover Anglo-Saxon Cemetery. The carved oak spade is based on images from Early Medieval manuscripts, alongside those wooden spades found in Viking Age sites such as the Oseberg ship burial. I based the pit footprint and post holes of this house on an example from Lechlade-on-Thames, Oxfordshire; 14 foot long by 10 foot wide, with depth of around 1 and a half feet. The pit had a post hole at each end, a long shelf on the southern side, and an opening into the side of the pit, which I interpreted as an entrance way. I also built the house on the same orientation as the original - SW-NE. All that usually remains of these pit-houses, is the pit itself, the post holes, and sometimes a burned hearth. To reconstruct this house, all I had to suggest its structure above ground was the size of the pit, and the location of the post-holes. Everything else had to be ‘archaeologically invisible’, meaning that the walls, roof and everything but the posts needed to use techniques that would not survive in the archaeology. If you are interested in more detail, you can watch this series episode by episode, with informative subtitles, on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OjSGJ-LLLE With thanks to: Herknungr, Musician, playing 'Нови Циклус". Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. Hector Cole, Blacksmith, for forging the T-shaped hewing axe. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Building a Medieval Forge and Blacksmith Shop by Hand | Anglo-Saxon Blacksmithing Description: The Anglo-Saxons smelted bog iron, heated metal and forged iron tools in simple furnaces and forges powered by hand bellows. Simple goatskin bag bellows were used, in the Roman style, blowing air into a clay forge. The hot iron was wrought on a small stump anvil. A single goatskin was used to make each bellows, cutting a simple bag shape with a funnel. At the top, the bellows have an inset gusset which facilitates air flow into the bellows as they are opened at the handles. A Y-shaped wooden tuyere was carved and bored out, as have been found in Germanic contexts. The tuyere can be connected to the bellows with simple leather tubes and lashing. The tuyere was extended with an unfired clay tube, made of earth and straw mixed in the same way as daub. This sacrificial tuyere keeps the wooden tuyere away from the forge, so it doesn't burn. As the clay is unfired, it was kept damp with a wet woollen cloth. The forge, made of earth and straw, is formed into shape; two curved walls which hold the charcoal, one with a hole in the bottom to allow air flow into the forge from the bellows. The forge was started with wood and straw, but requires charcoal to heat iron to forging temperature. Old wrought iron bar was the metal to be heated and wrought. Anglo-Saxon iron was also wrought, in the form of smelted bog iron or recycled Roman and Romano-British iron. The bar was pushed into the forge and the bellows worked until the metal came up to heat. A nail was forged by drawing out the bar into a thin spike on the stump anvil. This was then cut off at the side of the anvil, heated at the head, and hammered into a nail header to form the head of the nail. This is the very first time I have struck hot metal, and found it both fascinating and extremely fun! I have a lot to learn, being a complete beginner, but am looking forward to developing this new skill. To the Anglo-Saxons the art of smelting and forging metal was seen as mysterious, magical; a craft of the gods and spirit world; the highest form of alchemy. It is easy to understand why when you stare into the bright coals, the forge seeming to belch hot sparks with every breath of the bellows, like a dragon reincarnate. With thanks to: Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Chopping Firewood and Building a Medieval Cordwood Stack with Bracken Roof | Anglo-Saxon Coppicing Description: Winter preparations begin with chopping the last of the firewood timber felled from the hazel coppice last year. The firewood is chopped and split with an axe, as the Anglo-Saxons would have used. The firewood is split on a stout forked trunk half-buried in the ground. Without saw-cut ends, the timber cannot be stood on its end for splitting, so it is rested in the notch of the fork and split with an axe. While the straight, clear hazel has been saved for carpentry and construction, the knotty pieces have been cut for firewood, as they have little use elsewhere. The twisted, knotty grain makes splitting hard work! The firewood is still green, it needs to season for another year, before being stored inside the house and burned. While it seasons, the firewood is stacked in a loose cordwood rick to allow plenty of airflow. At each end of the stack, each layer of firewood is placed in alternating directions to create strong pillars which support the ends of the stack. In between these pillars, the firewood is piled loosely in one direction, with the ends facing toward the prevailing wind direction. In summer, this stack can be left uncovered, but for the winter the stack needs a covering to keep most of the rain off and allow the stack to continue drying. A simple A-frame was made of leftover hazel poles to support a bracken roof. The bracken was harvested from nearby scrubland and folded over the roof to create a thick layer with no fixings. I aimed to use as little cordage as possible on the rick, as during the Early Medieval period it was time consuming to make and would only have been used when really necessary. The hazel coppice stools have done well this summer, with lots of lush regrowth, having been well protected by their blackthorn wattle fences. This winter will see another area of the coppice cut, with a second firewood rick being built to season for two years, ready for the following winters. With thanks to: Hector Cole, Blacksmith, for forging the Saxon T-shaped Axe. Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Midsummer on an Anglo-Saxon Farmstead | Medieval Vegetable Garden Update Description: The summer solstice is here, and the land is in full summer growth. As the meadow responds to regular hay cuts, the wildflowers are returning! Red campion, buttercup, meadowsweet and hogweed flowers all seem to be loved and visited regularly by honeybees, both the native dark variety and the more common yellow-black banded honeybees. The hay is cut with a scythe and dried before gathering into bundles for animal feed and mulch for the vegetable garden. In the vegetable garden, the beetroot and kale are doing well despite a rough start. There were lots of slugs this spring. Which, combined with moles, badgers and my own inexperience, made for quite a harsh introduction to the world! The beans are also growing nicely, some of which are tall enough to start removing the tips. This encourages growth at the side shoots, preventing collapse and allowing more energy for bean production. The carrots and parsnips have struggled, beset on all sides by slugs, badgers and my own poor soil preparation! But they are starting to make headway. Unfortunately, the onions aren't doing well, perhaps due to low fertility in the soil. I have been replacing the direct sown onions with shallot sets in order to get some kind of onion harvest later this summer. I have lots of learning to work on; improving soil preparation, sowing techniques and sowing into compost, making compost and experimenting with mulch to improve soil fertility, and rotating in peas, beans and other legumes to improve the soil. I am looking forward to applying all that I have learned and have yet to learn next year! Now that the seedlings are large enough, I have mulched the beds. This helps the soil retain moisture and fertility and keeps the weeds down; the first step towards a 'no dig' garden. I’m grateful for the many creatures keeping me company on these summer days. This little wren has made her nest in the thatch underneath my porch, lined with soft feathers from her chest. At first I could see the pale curve of eggs in the nest, until I looked inside one morning to see a sleepy eyed chick, newly hatched, all pink and grey. They are growing fast, and just beginning to open their eyes fully. While the wrens move in, the mice have moved out of the house and into the meadow, now that it is drier. Although, that still doesn’t stop them trundling out of their grassy holes to chew on toast as I eat by the campfire. For the Anglo-Saxons, the summer solstice was a time to give thanks to the life-giving sun, for the blessings of the year, and to look forward to a plentiful harvest. With thanks to: Herknungr, Musician, playing 'Нови Циклус' If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> FOREST TO FIELD | Digging a Medieval Vegetable Garden and Planting by Hand | Anglo-Saxon Farming Description: Anglo-Saxon and Early Medieval settlers grew their vegetables in small garden beds or fields close to their homes. Vegetables require lots of attention, so these were grown separately where they could be well tended, rather than incorporated into larger field systems of wheat, barley, flax and legumes. As the Gewissæ settled Somerset, forest or scrubland was often cleared to make room for settlements and crops, while livestock were grazed on upland pastures or the water meadows of the marshy Levels. Crops such as parsnips, carrots, beetroot, onion, kale and beans were grown in small fields or raised beds, and these were sown here. The field was divided into separate beds for easy watering, weeding and slug picking. The seeds were covered with a fine layer of soil after sowing, and watered in. A fortunate rainfall watered the seeds well after planting. During dry weather, watering will be done by hand by collected buckets of water from the stream. In mid-7th century south west Britain, even the royal elite had not yet fully accepted Christianity, and paganism certainly still lingered among the local Anglo-Saxon population. Many farmers may have prayed to Ēostre, a Germanic fertility goddess of spring, to watch over their crops, perhaps even at the same time as praying to the Christian God. With thanks to: Jack Sparks, as the fellow freeman farmer. Herknungr, Musician, playing 'Ængleland" If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Medieval Woodland Forestry Ambience | Axe Woodcutting, Birdsong and Riverside Nature Description: A short ambient video depicting an Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon cutting up a felled tree with an axe, amongst the sounds and birdsong of a riverside forest. Many people have asked for videos with longer sections on specific activities, such as wood cutting. This was a particularly quiet day, with just the birds for company, so I have included it as an ambient video for those wishing to enjoy the sounds of traditional ancestral craft and nature. For those more interested in the the craft of coppicing, you can watch my video on Early Medieval Woodland Management here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDMmu3GwMaI Thanks for watching! If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Medieval Harvest Season and Cooking on an Anglo-Saxon Homestead | Historic Vegetable Garden Description: As the summer progresses, the vegetables are ready to harvest; Medieval white beetroot and yellow carrot, parsnip, onion, field beans and kale. All varieties that were likely grown by the Anglo-Saxons. The carrots and beetroot have flourished, with some beetroot growing larger than my fist, despite some mice damage. The parsnips are still very small, and perhaps need to be left longer or thinned out more next year. The onions had a very slow start so are still small, but tasty! The kale and beans have been prolific, despite sharing the bounty with caterpillars and other insects! The harvested vegetables were used to prepare a simple Medieval meal of fried beans with onions, spiced with hogweed seeds which have a great citrus-cardamom flavour, and stewed beetroot, carrot and greens including the kale, carrot and beet tops. Cheese and butter were served alongside. This meal omits meat entirely, which may well have been quite common in the Medieval period, especially for the lower and middle classes, where livestock were far more precious kept for their milk, wool and eggs than killed prematurely for meat. Meat was likely available when animals were slaughtered due to old age or sickness, but apart from that, the Early Medieval diet was mostly vegetarian, supplemented with dairy, eggs, fish and occasional game. Archaeological analysis of clay pots and strontium analysis of teeth allows archaeologists to work out historical diets likely eaten by people in the past. I am so pleased to be harvesting my first vegetables! Despite a wet spring full of slugs and a slow start for my seedlings, my vegetable plot has become thriving swathe of vegetation. I feel that the heavy mulch has helped retain lots of water, so I have been able to relax a bit on watering. Although I’m sure these beautiful roots are more a result of the rich loamy soil here, rather than the little gardening skill I can muster! Although not the largest or most colourful vegetables, I think they taste great, with the white beetroot tasting crisp, nutty and a little sweeter than the usual red and the yellow carrot tasting rooty and herby and at least more ‘interesting’ than the usual orange, if not as sweet or tender. With thanks to: Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Hand Carving Windows for the Anglo-Saxon Pit House | Early Medieval Carpentry and Live-Edge Joinery Description: Anglo-Saxon settlers built Early Medieval pit houses with primitive tools, digging foundations, raising earth and wattle walls and thatched or shingle roofs. After gaining victory over the Britons at the Battle of Peonnum in 658 A.D. the Gewissæ pushed south west towards the River Parrett. While the tribal elites fought for power and territorial control Anglo-Saxon freemen settled unclaimed land amongst their Romano-British cousins. The first structures built were pit houses, used first as military outposts and dwellings and then as workshops and storehouses once settlements grew and timber longhouses were erected. Today, all that remains archaeologically of these structures is the pit itself and the accompanying post-holes. There is usually little evidence for floors, walls or roof structures. Reconstructions of Anglo-Saxon pit-houses must therefore incorporate building techniques that are "archaeologically invisible" in order to be accurate or at least plausible. "Archaeological invisible" building technologies often proposed for Anglo-Saxon pit houses include A-frame rafters resting on the ground, wattle walls staked into the upcast earth but not below ground level, or walls resting on sill beams. The orientation, pit and post-hole features of this pit house are an accurate reconstruction of Sunken Featured Building 8 excavated at the West Saxon settlement near Lechlade-on-Thames, dated to the 7th century. The archaeological report can be found here: Prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon Settlements to the rear of Sherborne House, Lechlade: excavations in 1997. 2003. C Bateman, D Enright, N Oakey. https://www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sherborne_House_Lechlade_200dpi.pdf Despite constant warfare between tribal elites, the Anglo-Saxons often peacefully settled land left unoccupied after the Roman withdrawal from Britain, amongst neighbouring Romano-British communities. This led to considerable cultural exchange between the Anglo-Saxons and Romano-British, resulting in what is now known as Insular culture during the late 7th and 8th centuries. Hazel logs were cleaved and hewn into planks to form the window. As the hazel logs were thin, with twisted grain, the planks were cleft tangentially, to maximise the width of the plank, with just two planks produced from each log. The grain was too twisted to split out two planks from each half. The planks were marked up with charcoal and a straight edge. Hazel stems as old and thick as this are rare, it was interesting to see the beautiful light grain and medullary ray pattern, similar to oak, although much lighter. On two of the planks, a protruding cleat was carved on one side, to allow an attachment for closing the window and timing it against the central frame strut. These cleats are based on evidence from the Nydam ship, which had planks with cleats which were lashed to the internal frames. The planks were edge-jointed while keeping their natural ‘live edge’ by carving them to fit each other. The planks were butted edge to edge to find the high points, these were marked and removed, and the process repeated until the planks fitted edge to edge as closely as possible. Edge-jointing the planks this way rather than reducing them down to perfectly straight edges before jointing them, meant that as much width of the plank as possible could be retained, which was necessary as the planks were already narrow and close to the needed width of the finished window. This method also reduces wastage, and producing interesting curved and organic joins. The planks were held together with wooden ledges, let it into recesses in the planks. The shape of the hand carved ledges was marked out with charcoal before being cut with a chisel to produce a nice close fit which held together with friction. This friction fit would not last unfortunately, as the planks were still green and would shrink slightly as they dried. Holes were drilled through the planks and ledges and the window was lashed together. Again, this is inspired by Iron Age and Saxon ship technologies, with lashed and sewn planking. Lashing the window also allows refitting of the window later with wooden pegs, once the planks are fully dry, so that the edge joins can be fitted very tightly with no gaps. The window has simple hinges of tarred flaxen cord. The window can be tied shut from the inside with cordage attached to the cleats on the back of the planks. With thanks to: Hector Cole, Blacksmith, for forging the Saxon T-shaped Axe. Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Building a Medieval Cob Oven and Baking Bread - Part II | Anglo-Saxon Romano-British Updraft Furnace Description: The Anglo-Saxons and Romano-British built clay ovens to cook food, bake bread, and heat their homes. These ovens were built of cob; a mix of clay soil, sand, gravel and straw. This oven design is based on an updraft kiln used by both the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxons. Early Anglo-Saxon examples have been found at Cassington, Oxfordshire. In these kilns, the fire is stoked from below, and is drawn up vertically through a flue or vent into a clay or turf dome above, with a smoke vent in the top or side of the dome. These updraft kilns were primarily used for pottery, and there is no evidence that they were used indoors or for cooking. However, I wanted to create a design that aligned with the known technologies of the time, but allowed for a smoke free house! Once the main body of the oven was complete, it took two weeks to dry with small fires lit inside, every couple of days. I was able to cook with a pot inside the oven, on these small fires, in order to make the most of the firewood. Cracks formed as the oven dried, but these are expected and do not affect the integrity of the oven. They were filled in with cob mixture. A door was made for the oven dome, fashioned of cob on a willow wicker frame, with cob handles for handling the door. The door was set into the opening and moulded to fit, then left to dry for a couple of weeks. With the oven and door dry, it was time to try baking! A simple dough was made of flour and water, kneaded, and mixed with some already risen sourdough to help it rise. The Anglo-Saxons ate both unleavened and leavened bread. For their leavened loaves, they most likely made sourdough starters or simply saved some of their risen dough from every bake, to add to the next dough, thereby potentially keeping a generations old sourdough culture. The Anglo-Saxons started their fires with a flint and steel, which needs to be used with char cloth and tinder. The char cloth was made by placing linen or bast cloth into a solid clay pot, turned upside down on the earth, with a fire built on top, so that the cloth inside burns without oxygen. Various forms of tinder might have been used, depending on the local vegetation. For me, the local heath provides plentiful tinder in the form of dried grass, bracken, old man's beard, and thistle down. The tinder should be gathered on a dry windy day when it is as dry as possible. This fire took me two attempts, as in my first bundle as dry as I hoped. For my second attempt I used both old man's beard with thistle down, wrapped with a layer or dry bracken, with the grass forming the outer layer, which worked much better. Given the difficulty of coaxing a flame from an ember in this way, particularly in winter, the Anglo-Saxons may have always kept a small fire or candle burning to save having to light a new fire every time. The Anglo-Saxons used beeswax or tallow for candles, such as the clay tallow lamp with linen wick shown here, used to keep a flame alive for lighting the oven. The bread was set by the fire to stay warm and rise, while a stew was prepared of onion and lamb, browned in butter, followed by parsnip, beetroot and apple simmered in broth. The Anglo-Saxon diet appears to have included less meat than modern Western diets, which may well have been quite common in the Medieval period, especially for the lower and middle classes, where livestock were far more precious kept for their milk, wool and eggs, rather than killed prematurely for meat. Meat was likely available when animals were slaughtered due to old age or sickness, but apart from that, the Early Medieval diet was mostly vegetarian, supplemented with dairy, eggs, fish and occasional game. If an animal was to be slaughtered, it was often done in Autumn, to save having to feed the animal over winter. So fresh meat may have been more available during the colder months of the year. The updraft oven was lit and the stew placed inside the oven to simmer, along with the risen dough to bake into loaves. The oven works very well with its new door; producing a consistent heat that is not too high, perfect for simmering, slow cooking and baking bread. The loaves did need turning a couple of times as they baked, as the open flame means that the centre of the oven is hotter than the edges. After three quarters of an hour, the meat in the stew was still tender, and the bread baked nicely. The loaves were had a nice crust and were quite solid, being made of wholemeal flour, but very tasty. With thanks to: Herknungr, Musician, playing 'Spekð". Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Making an Anglo-Saxon Warrior's Kaftan by Hand - Part I | Early Medieval Clothing & Sewing Description: Early Anglo-Saxon warriors wore a wrap-around kaftan or jacket, influenced originally by Eastern steppe nomad tribes which spread their culture across Europe during the Migration period. This wrap around jacket inspired the dress of the warrior elite from Japan and China, all the way along the silk road, to Northern Europe. The warcoat can be seen in depictions of warriors on the helmet plates of the Sutton Hoo and Vendel period helmets, as well as in various other pressblech plates. Some Anglo-Saxon princely burials such as Taplow also appear to have a gold brocade tablet weave crossing the chest, indicative of just such a warcoat. This wrap around coat appears to be associated with Anglo-Saxon warrior culture, only seen on dancing spear warriors and battle scenes, and they may have been richly decorated, depending on the status of the wearer. As there are no intact archaeological finds of the kaftan in Northern Europe, the pattern of this jacket was inspired by the patterns of the Högom and Bernuthsfeld tunics, with a simple wrap around front made from a square cut diagonally. The back panel is a simple square and the sleeves are also made from a square cut diagonally, with triangle gores. The trim on the chest and around the neck is a simple strip, folded in half and sewn onto the hem of the warcoat. This pattern utilises only squares and triangles, meaning there is very little wastage, the original panels could even have been woven to size. The fabric is a soft will wool, of natural white and brown fleece, sewn with two-ply wool thread. The pattern pieces were hemmed first with a simple overcast stitch, and then sown together with a Thorsberg-style seam. Wool and fine clothes were valuable in Anglo-Saxon society; a culture which valued portable, visual displays of wealth. Individuals would decorate and embellish their clothes as and when they could afford the time, effort and wealth to do so. This warcoat has been left plain for now, with little decoration apart from extra care taken with the stitching. But future videos may detail extra decoration added to the warcoat in the form of tablet weave, embroidery or decorative seam treatment. Anglo-Saxon and Early Medieval people may well have decorated their garments as and when they had the time and disposable income available. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa/ Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video> <video> Making a Medieval Bee Hive out of Straw | Anglo-Saxon Skep Coiled Basket Weaving Description: The Anglo-Saxons kept bees, most likely in skeps or willow hives. A skep is a coiled straw basket, which is still used today to catch swarms. Honey was a valuable resource in the Early Medieval period, along with beeswax. Bees were kept in apiaries of many skep hives. The skeps were kept small to encourage swarming, and increase the number of hives in the apiary. To make a skep requires dry straw or durable grass, and some form of cordage. Many cordages can be used, from waxed linen to willow bark. Young bramble vines were used to lash this skep. Bramble vines were pulled and gathered, kept as long as possible, and stripped of their leaves and thorns. Threshed, but uncombed, thatching straw was used. The skep is started by tying an overhand knot into a flexible bramble vine. Three straws are then laid alongside this knot. The bramble vine is wrapped around the straws and pushed through the centre of the knot. This wrapping continues until the straw is wrapped one length round the knot. Then begins the adding of extra straws to build up the diameter of the straw coil. Only one or two straws are added per wrap at this stage, as the bramble vine continues to wrap around the coil. Once the coil is large enough, the bramble wrapping is pushed through the previous coil to and sewn tight secure it. The holes are made with the help of an awl. As the coil gradually increases in diameter, a small cord is tied around it as a guide for the final diameter of the straw coil. This diameter is up to the skeppist, but varies between one and two inches and can be made to suit use, climate, durability and so on. Once the coil reaches its full diameter as it is wrapped and sewn to form the skep, extra straws are added at around two to four per wrap, to maintain the thickness of the skep walls. Skeps can be flat topped, or domed. This skep is domed, with an inner diameter of about 14 inches, which reduces slightly towards the bottom of the skep to 13 inches, to add extra strength to the comb within. When a length of bramble vine runs out, it is secured by wrapping it back on itself and tucking the end in. The new length of bramble vine is wrapped around the previous wrapping before continuing as normal. Skeps are usually 14-15 inches tall. Just before the required height is reached, the coil diameter is reduced by reducing the number of straws added, until no more straws are added, and the tapering end of the coil is carefully wrapped to create a flat base. Straw skeps can be left as they are or daubed with a thin layer of animal dung as a showerproof, insulating layer. Either way, skeps need to be protected from wind and rain with either a straw hackle or a bee bole. A temporary straw cone hackle was made to protect this skep, until a proper bee bole can be made. The skep was placed upon a simple wooden stand with a carved entrance, and baited with lemon balm to encourage a wild swarm. With thanks to: Herknungr, Musician, playing 'Spekð' Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife. If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa Join this channel to become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH-Uv2UIE0UE6mZxUpVgoA/join Or make a one-off donation: https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa https://www.facebook.com/gesithasgewissa/ https://www.instagram.com/gesithasgewissa/ </video>

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Description

My name is Alec Newland, and this project aims to recreate the Anglo-Saxon culture of southern Britain between 650 and 700 A.D., from domestic crafts to the weapons and regalia of the warrior class, and, eventually, the development of an Anglo-Saxon farmstead and estate.

Gesiþas Gewissa means ‘warriors of the Gewissæ’. Gesiþs were warrior companions to a king or chieftain, in exchange for gifts of gold and land. During the 7th century, Gesiþs became the landed aristocratic warrior class.

The Gewissæ were an Anglo-Saxon tribe, with their heartland situated in the Upper Thames Valley and the Vale of the White Horse. During the 7th century, the Gewissæ expanded their territories south-west into the British lands of Wiltshire and Somerset.

I was born and grew up in the same wooded valleys that the Gewissæ called home. Their legacy remains today, in the form of lonely burial mounds set upon hillsides, and ancient remnants of great border forests. This inspired the project and its name.

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