Note:
Understanding of this post will require that you read its predecessor: “How GoGo Boots & Exposed Thongs Caused Me to Disagree with Penelope Walton Rogers.”
The thing about being the kind of person who thinks they’re very, very clever (and, trust me, I am one of these) is that if you want to be any good at anything, you need to keep your ego in check. If you want to move forward with your learning, you need people to ask questions you haven’t thought of and constructively point out the flaws in the thing you have created.
I am lucky enough to have some very wise people in my life who know a thing or two about historical research. I sent them the link to my previous post (see above) and asked for feedback. One of them, known in the SCA as Magnifica Tullia Allori, is practically a wizard when it comes to historical costuming. She gave me the following feedback and kindly brought my massive ego back down to a more manageable size.
1. Evidence
Penelope Walton Rogers’ theory may be flimsy due to the very small amount of evidence she cites to support her theory that colour-patterning was not widely used in early Anglo-Saxon England, however *she does have evidence*. At the end of the day, I do not. Giving a difference of opinion based on modern observations and personal feeling is not the same as providing evidence to back my claim.
This round goes to you, Ms. Rogers.
To that end, Tullia suggested that I look to other sources for mention of colour-patterning, which brings me to the second big revelation:
2. Context
I’ve been researching without considering cultural context. I have not been consulting contemporary art or literature/mythology/history for possible hints that will answer my question about use of colour-patterning in Migration Period clothing. I’ve got to be honest – there’s not tons and tons from England at that time. The good news is that, because of the aforementioned immigration, I can (based on what history knows of the incoming waves of people), carefully look at context coming from, say, France, Germany, or Denmark. These people would have brought their fashions with them and there may be some clue there as to whether these trends spread to the locals. I cannot emphasize how careful I will need to be, however, lest I slip down the rabbit hole of conjecture again.
3. Look for the theories of other experts in the field
Yes, Penelope Walton Rogers may be a very big (if not the biggest) expert in the field of early Anglo-Saxon textiles, but surely she is not the only one. I should find out what other academics have to say about the problem of colour-patterning.
4. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to make the facts fit the evidence
The fact of the matter is that I totally got my leg mangled in this bear trap. My argument was based on human behaviour, and let’s face it: humans are unpredictable. For all the exposed thongs that happened in the early 2000s, there’s many proponents of modest dress. I could just have easily argued the opposite point with the same “evidence.”
So what are your next steps, Alison?
1. I need to step away from what I *want* to be true and start looking at this problem as a question that needs to be answered. I don’t want to be right – I want to learn. Deciding something is true before you have actual proof goes counter to that goal. To that end, I’ve decided that if the evidence points to Penelope Walton Rogers being in the right, I will issue a retraction of my last post and a full public apology here on this blog.
2. I am going to give myself permission to use the lovely colourful textiles at SCA events because I like them. As long as I’m not entering them into an Arts and Sciences competition, it is perfectly okay to wear these garments as long as I understand the problematic aspects.
3. I’ll try to consider a wider cultural context when researching a particular aspect of life in Migration Period England. What is the significance of this aspect, historically, artistically, literarily, legally, socially, etc?
Stay tuned! I’ll keep you posted as the feedback rolls in.