Cords, Braids, and Plaits

Lets look at some of the language first:

Proto-Indo-Eurpoean (c.4500-2500 BCE)

*plek- "to plait" .

1. plait (v. and n.) "interlaced strands". pleit (n.) and pleiten (v.) both indicate something folded or gathered into strips, as well as "braided or woven". They are from late 14th century Old French. In the 1560's the verb form developed into pleat (v.),

2. ply (v. and n.) "to bend, yield," late 14c., plien, from Old French plier, earlier pleier "to fold, bend," from Latin plicare "to lay, fold, twist",

*tere- "to rub, turn" see Proto-Germanic *thredu

*ghere- "intestine, gut, entrail"

1. yarn (n.) "spun finer, spun wool" from Old English gearn

2. cord (n.) "a string or small rope composed of several strands twisted or woven together" c. 1300 corde Old French, Latin and Greek.

Italic (1000-1 BCE)

*laq "to ensnare"

1. lace (n.) "cord made of braided or interwoven strands of silk, etc." from early 13th c. laz "a net, noose, string, cord, tie, ribbon, or snare" Old French, Vulgar Latin and Latin.

2. lace (n.) late 14th c. "piece of cord used to draw together the edges of slits or openings in an article of clothing" In Middle English it mostly had the sense "cord, thread," especially for tying or binding. It was used of fishing lines and perhaps the gallows rope, crossbeams in architecture, and the net Vulcan used to catch Venus in adultery. Death's lace was the icy grip of Death, and Love's lace was a binding love.

Proto-Germanic (c. 500 BCE)

*bregdanan "to make sudden jerky movements from side to side".

1. braid (v.) "plait, knit, weave, twist together," c.1200 comes to us from Old English bregdan.

*strangiz, from *strang- "taut, stiff," from Proto-Indo-European root *strenk- "tight, narrow."

1. string (n.) Old English streng "line, cord, thread, string of a bow or harp". [Gradually restricted by early Middle English to lines that are smaller than a rope.]

braid (v.)

In English the verb survives only in the narrow definition of "plait hair."

braid (n.)

The meaning "anything plaited or entwined" (especially hair) is from 1520s.

*thredu- "twisted yarn", from suffixed form of Proto-Indo-European *tere-

1. thread (n.) Old English þræd "fine cord, especially when twisted"

*bindan see Proto-Indo-European *bhendh- band
*garnan see Proto-Indo-European *ghere- yarn
*raipaz Middle English rop, from Old English rap "strong, heavy cord of considerable thickness," It is attested by early 14th c. as "a noose, a snare." Have too long a rope "have too much freedom" (late 15th c.)

Rope - technically, only cordage above one inch in circumference and below 10 (bigger-around than that is a cable).

Extant Braids

3 strand (standard flat)

bead string - Cleatham, Lincs

suspension band - Worthy Park (5 strands of S-ply thread made each element) 6th c

4 strand (whipcord) 5th/6th c

wool and flax examples; bead strings and brooch repairs

Fonaby, Lincs

Plied

Many 2, 3, and 4 strand examples

Ousegate, York photo; Oseberg ropes photo

4 strand 'sinnet'

associated with poss purse in pelvic region, West Heslerton, G62, 5th/6th c

"the surface matches that of a 4-strand chain plait (also called a 4-strand sinnet with right and left crowns: Ashley 1944, 479) (Fig 73a). G845 Mucking, Essex has a similar surface appearance (E Crowfoot pers comm)" West Heslerton vol 1

9 strand Orsett

late 7th/early 8th, binding items

6 strand

flax, Wakerley, on front of cu annular 6th c

Cabled (wool and flax examples)

10th c Ousegate, York z2s3z

Guilloche

10th c Durham, silk, St Cuthberts vestments

hemp, Snape, cu brooch 6th c

Hedeby 6 strand (10th c)

Skjoldehamn (11th c)

6 strand 2 ridge flat braid sleeve edging

4 strand round braid on hood

12 strand belt

12 elements of 3 strands each 'pull tape' (ridged flat braid)

6 elements of 2 strands each 'ankleband' round braid

6 elements of 6 strands 'thick plait' round braid (same method as ankleband)

5 strand triangular cord from Birka right over 3, left over 2 twist under (https://koboldkerker.blogspot.com/2019/11/birka-triangular-braid.html)

Whitehorse Cyst (Sally Pointer)

11/12 strand (bronze age) over 2, under 2, over 1 - over 2, under 2, over 2.

5 element flat braid also from the St. Cuthberts vestments 10thc Durham

http://genvieve.net/sca/guilloche.html

Type: 5-strand

Construction: over 2

Examples:

Durham, early 10th c. silk edging sewn to tablet-woven band (Crowfoot 1939)

The Linking Band

For the linking band, I used a 'guilloche' band or plait made with five strands. This is made by passing the two outer strands over the inner, then the fifth strand is used as a binding strand. A 'guilloche' is most easily made by using two two-hole tablets threaded right and left, with the weft always thrown in the same direction so it wraps round the warps. Crowfoot describes this type of band in her description of the Relics of St Cuthbert. It's sewn to the wrist-bands and also to some of the braids on the stole., and also the borders of the Soumak. Crowfoot writes that this braid is not known from any other finds and was nicknamed 'guilloche' because it looks like the Roman and Byzantine mosaic motifs.

'Guilloche' plait of five strands
'Guilloche' plait from a Roman mosaic'
'Guilloche' plait worked in three colours
Fringed braid in tablet weave from maniple II

As the source material is mid to late Anglo-Saxon, I think this garment is suitable for a moderately high status Anglo-Saxon outfit. I believe a similar technique is known from Norse Greenland and also from Iron Age Finland, but I cannot quote references, so please check this for yourself before using it for Viking re-enactment.

https://www.shelaghlewins.com/tablet_weaving/fringed_cloak/fringed_cloak.htm

bend

Orsett 9 strand

Guilloche (5-element)
Several examples:
10th
Durham Coffin silk edging on tablet-woven band St. Cuthbert's textiles and vestments
Wales
h

seam finishing
h
early - mid 6th
Snape, Suffolk Grave 19 (f) hemp S-ply protruding from end of copper-alloy small-long brooch

(fingerloop method)
1. Tie off two loops to a fixed point. Using your fingers send one loop through the other. Drop the weft though the space between the loops. not through the middles of the loops. Repeat until you run out of loop.
(braiding method)
2. Tie off 5 elements to a fixed point. Braid outer 2 elements over 2 into the middle, wrap 5th around inner 2 elements always going the same direction. Repeat.
(tablet-weave method)
3. use 2 card-weaving cards, threaded in opposite directions with 2 strands each. Instead of passing the weft through the shed, it is wrapped around the inner pair

https://www.lrcrafts.it/lucet-cordmaking-history/

https://www.ginabsilkworks.co.uk/blog/the-use-of-the-lucet-in-the-fifteenth-century

https://www.academia.edu/105007910/The_lucet_historically_accurate_or_reenactorism

https://rowdypopulace.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/a-basic-square-lucet-made-braid-using-the-no-turn-technique-with-added-beads/

https://halldorviking.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/lucets-and-lucetting/

One of 2 possible lucet cords from an 11th century burial in Gotland, Sweden.

It could also be a 2-ridge braid (makes a similar pattern). Analysis has not been performed as the find is too fragile.

Bone ?lucets from Jorvik (York, England), World of Vikings CD-ROM