Small figures in the Book of Kells, Ireland, c.800AD

[Druzhina]

There are many small drawings in The Book of Kells, Ireland, c.800AD. Some are fanciful creatures. Some are humanoid. Here are those with human heads, arms & legs and no wings:
f1v-2r Columns of figures on the frontis-pieces (includes some beard-pulling men)
f4r (upper left) Soldier with spear & buckler in cloak & trews
f4r (upper right) Soldier with spear & buckler in cloak & trews
f8r Man in cloak
f44r Decorated initial letter
f53v Decorated initial letter
f68v Decorated initial letter
f86r Decorated initial letter
f89r Man in cloak & trews with horse
f130r Man in long trews
f200r Soldier with spear & buckler in trews
f201v Seated man in cloak & robe
f253v Decorated initial letters
f255v Monk in cloak & trews with horse


Check the full folios to judge how small these figures are.
Most of the large figures wear robes, but most of these small figures wear trews - to just below the knee.
There is little evidence of ankle length trews. Some of the colouring of those that form initial letters is due to the needs of the letter, such as the blue calf of 68v, so the blue legs of 86r may not be long trews.
130r has the only clear lines under the instep that could be straps attached to long trews, but, some features indicate anatomy instead of edges of clothes, such as lines and circles at ankles and in some the anatomy can be seen under the clothes e.g. 201v.
Is there any other evidence of long trews with straps under the foot? Or is it projected back from a 13th century drawing in 'Chapter House Liber A'?

MIRROR SITE
Columns of figures on the frontis-pieces in The Book of Kells, Ireland, c.800AD
small drawings in The Book of Kells, Ireland, c.800AD

Druzhina
Illustrations of Irish Costume & Soldiers

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Good finds, but the popups are a tad annoying!

[irregularwars]

Those are great thanks. They really emphasise the small diameter of Irish bucklers - and the large size of spear heads but in my experience that is debatable.

Also an awful lot of blondes for Irishmen...

[smokie gunner]

Those are great thanks. They really emphasise the small diameter of Irish bucklers - and the large size of spear heads but in my experience that is debatable.

Also an awful lot of blondes for Irishmen...

Many of the "blondes" may actually be ginger haired.  Also, don't forget that this is way before the wreck of the Spanish Armada brought thousands of brunettes to the shores of Ireland.
Rob 

[irregularwars]

Also, don't forget that this is way before the wreck of the Spanish Armada brought thousands of brunettes to the shores of Ireland.
Rob 

I'm not sure I should warrant that with a response... 

But I will.

I just think that it's rather curious. I would have assumed that the colouring of the Irish would not have changed too much between the early medieval period and today given that the population has remained fairly static compared to much of the rest of the world. Not including box colours, there are statistically few blondes in the modern population.

If anything, you might think that the colouring may have lightened with the mini influx of Scandinavians in the centuries after the Book of Kells.

Of course you're right that Kells may be showing gingers - and that's a whole different story 

The Armada 'Black Irish' thing is, of course, complete bollox.

[Druzhina]

You would first have to figure out the large number of beards of different colour to the head hair.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

[smokie gunner]

The Armada 'Black Irish' thing is, of course, complete bollox.

Sorry, Irregularwars, I meant no offence.
The original population of Britain has often been claimed to be Iberian, prior to the Celtic influx of about 600 BCE.
This would also account for some of the brunettes within the population.  I had no idea that the Armada bit was "cod's whollup".
Redheads make up about 2% of the world's population by some statistics and most people think of the trait as indicating Irish or Scots descent although there are plenty of accounts of redheads in the Semetic population and the Doric Greeks and Romans (from the Celts of Northern Italy).  My point is that I didn't intend to sound racist or anything of the sort, although I have probably again put my foot in it!  We're all made up of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, eh?

Rob 

[irregularwars]

You would first have to figure out the large number of beards of different colour to the head hair.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Point well made!

[irregularwars]

Sorry, Irregularwars, I meant no offence.

None taken whatsoever; and I must apologise if my response came off a bit strong. 

Perhaps what I should have said was that the Armada 'Black Irish' topos is just one of those aspects of Irish cultural memory which does not stand up to historical enquiry. According to contemporary accounts, only a handful of Spaniards who survived wrecking off the coast of Ireland in 1588 continued to survive after making contact with the indigenous population. Most were massacred by Irish lords or English officials. It seems that most if not all of those who didn't either drown or get killed were shipped to Scotland or back to the continent.

Some Spaniards were employed by Irish lords to train their troops both before and after the Armada, but there would never have been enough to completely change the ethnic make up of the island.