Leather vs Fabric Info
Since this theme keeps coming up in various places, I thought I should set up a blog post with all my favorite bits. This way I will have them 'on hand' when necessary.
Here are some Textiler Hausrat references that jillwheezulposted on the GermanRenCostume Yahoo group awhile back (inventory listings from that book):
The Texiler Hausrat references:
1507 Frau Michael Behaim has a record of payment of a gulden : "fur ein liderein hirshchen Paar Hosen, meinem Friedrih gein Lyon" recorded in Johannes Kamann "Aus Nurnberger Haushaltungs und Rechnungbuchern des 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts (for a leather deerskin pair of hose, for my Friedrich to go to Lyon in).
1530 Jorg Schober, a Plattner, leaves a record of "1 hirsches par hosen und ain ainliches weyss parchets wames 1." (1 deerskin pair of hose and a single layered white barchent doublet)
1531 Thoman Beck leaves a record for "3 alte paar lidere Hosen und 3 lidere Wamas 1.4.6" (3 old pairs of leather hose and 3 leather doublets).
1603, Linhard Goetz, Baker, leaves in his inventory "1 alte lidern Gesess (upper stocks)" valued at 4 pfund 6 pfennig. (1 old leather upper stocks)
In 1555 the will of Georg Bayer, Grosskaufmann, leaves a "geschnitten Lideres Paar Hosen" worth about 2 gulden. (pair of slashed leather hosen)
1560, the inventory of Christoph Kress (upper class - has left an extant feathered velvet barret) listed "1 alts liders Par Hosen mit Satin unterzogen" (1 old leather pair of hosen with satin laid under them).
Per jillwheezul: "These are from pages 182-189. It is also mentioned that the mentions of leather hosen are less frequent than cloth ones, but as you can see, not unknown from the record."
The 'Leather vs Woolen' pants song:
Dale Shinn posted this song of the Leather vs Woolen pants year ago (11/23/01) on the Renaissance Military Society (RMS) list. He had this translated from German by a friend of his named Roland and originally received the text from a scholar who was living in Italy at the time and studying items from around Pavia. Apparently there were two versions of this song (see the end of this note), the first was discovered in the scabbard of a Katzbauger wrapped around the blade and the second was written in the lining of a pair of woolen hosen, possibly in blood. The songs are identical except for the swapping of the terms 'leather' and 'wool'. Dale noted that the reference to Maximilian in a song dated 1525 (after the year of his death in 1519), "most probably just indicates it is an old song brought up to date for the coming offensive in Italy. You know like so many Span Am, Civil War and WW1(break the news to Mother) old tunes?"
*English Translation*
The Forlone Hope of Pavia
Through a hail of bullets, with leather trousers tight, in the year 1525, I
went into battle, in honor of Maximilians name.
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, it you were a
Landsknecht, you'd be wearing them too.
Before going into the field, my choice of garments was easy, as everyone
knows: leather trousers are better than wool.
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, it you were a
Landskneckt,you'd be wearing them too.
In the heat of battle, the foe retreats ,in fear of my matchlock,
katzenbalger, but the best protection comes from my leather trousers.
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, if you were a
Landsknecht, you'd be wearing them too.
My leather jacket protects me well too, as everyone knows, leather in better
than wool, with such garments, we won the Battle of Pavia, So let us all sing together!
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, it you were a
Landsknecht, you'd be wearing them too.
*'Leather' German Version*
Der Verlorene Haufen von Pavia
Durch Kugelhagen dicht, mit Lederhosen stram,in Jahre 1521,zog ich in die
Schlacht, zum Ruhmer von Maximilian
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Bevor ich ins Felde zog,die Kleiderwahl fiel mir nicht schwer,da jeder
weis,Leder ist besser als Loden.
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Im Schlachtengetuemmel, weichen all Feinde, in Furcht vor mein
Luntenschloss, Katzenbalger, aber der groesste Schutz waren meine Lederhosen.
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Auch mein Lederwams schuetzt mich gut,den jeder weis,Leder ist besser als
Loden, mit solch Bekleidung stark, gewannen wir die Schlacht von Pavia, darum singen wir alle mit.
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
*'Woolen' German Version*
Der Verlorene Haufen von Pavia
Durch Kugelhagen dicht, mit Lodenhosen stram,in Jahre 1521,zog ich in die
Schlacht, zum Ruhmer von Maximilian
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Bevor ich ins Felde zog,die Kleiderwahl fiel mir nicht schwer,da jeder
weis,Loden sind besser als Leder.
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
In Schlactengetuemmel, weichen all Feinde, in Furcht vor mein Luntenschloss,
Katzenbalger, aber der groesste Schutz waren meine Lodenhosen.
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen, mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Auch mein Lodenwams schuetzt mich gut, den jeder weis, Loden ist besser
als Leder, mit solch Bekleidung stark, gewannen wir die Schlacht von Pavia,
darum singen wir alle mit.
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen, mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
The Tudor Sumptuary Laws
Author(s): Wilfrid Hooper
Source: The English Historical Review, Vol. 30, No. 119 (Jul., 1915), pp. 433-449
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/551532
Just ran across this on JSTOR. Later period, English, but still fun and evidence that leather was used in pants at times. From a royal sumptuary proclaimation [Book of Proclamations (Brit. Mus., G. 6463), fo. 47 seq.] dated dated the 6th of May 1562:
"It is ordayned . .. that no Taylour, Hosier, or other person whatsoever he shall be, after the day of the publication hereof, shall put any more cloth in any one payre of hosen for the outsyde, then one yarde & a halfe, or at the moste, one yarde & three quarters of a yarde of karsey or of any other cloth, *lether* [emph. added], or any other kinde of stuffe above that quantitie. And in the same hosen to be put only one kynde of lynyng, besides linnen cloth next to the legge, yf any shalbe so disposed, the sayde lynyng not to lye loose, nor to be bolstered, but to lye juste unto their legges, as in ancient tyme was accustomed; Sarcenet, Moccado, or any other lyke thing used to be worne, and to be plucked out for the furniture of the hosen, not to be taken in the name of the syde lynyng. Neyther any man under the degree of a Baron, to weare within his hosen any velvet, Sattin or any other stuffe above the estimation of Sarcenet, or Taffata."
Here are some Textiler Hausrat references that jillwheezulposted on the GermanRenCostume Yahoo group awhile back (inventory listings from that book):
The Texiler Hausrat references:
1507 Frau Michael Behaim has a record of payment of a gulden : "fur ein liderein hirshchen Paar Hosen, meinem Friedrih gein Lyon" recorded in Johannes Kamann "Aus Nurnberger Haushaltungs und Rechnungbuchern des 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts (for a leather deerskin pair of hose, for my Friedrich to go to Lyon in).
1530 Jorg Schober, a Plattner, leaves a record of "1 hirsches par hosen und ain ainliches weyss parchets wames 1." (1 deerskin pair of hose and a single layered white barchent doublet)
1531 Thoman Beck leaves a record for "3 alte paar lidere Hosen und 3 lidere Wamas 1.4.6" (3 old pairs of leather hose and 3 leather doublets).
1603, Linhard Goetz, Baker, leaves in his inventory "1 alte lidern Gesess (upper stocks)" valued at 4 pfund 6 pfennig. (1 old leather upper stocks)
In 1555 the will of Georg Bayer, Grosskaufmann, leaves a "geschnitten Lideres Paar Hosen" worth about 2 gulden. (pair of slashed leather hosen)
1560, the inventory of Christoph Kress (upper class - has left an extant feathered velvet barret) listed "1 alts liders Par Hosen mit Satin unterzogen" (1 old leather pair of hosen with satin laid under them).
Per jillwheezul: "These are from pages 182-189. It is also mentioned that the mentions of leather hosen are less frequent than cloth ones, but as you can see, not unknown from the record."
The 'Leather vs Woolen' pants song:
Dale Shinn posted this song of the Leather vs Woolen pants year ago (11/23/01) on the Renaissance Military Society (RMS) list. He had this translated from German by a friend of his named Roland and originally received the text from a scholar who was living in Italy at the time and studying items from around Pavia. Apparently there were two versions of this song (see the end of this note), the first was discovered in the scabbard of a Katzbauger wrapped around the blade and the second was written in the lining of a pair of woolen hosen, possibly in blood. The songs are identical except for the swapping of the terms 'leather' and 'wool'. Dale noted that the reference to Maximilian in a song dated 1525 (after the year of his death in 1519), "most probably just indicates it is an old song brought up to date for the coming offensive in Italy. You know like so many Span Am, Civil War and WW1(break the news to Mother) old tunes?"
*English Translation*
The Forlone Hope of Pavia
Through a hail of bullets, with leather trousers tight, in the year 1525, I
went into battle, in honor of Maximilians name.
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, it you were a
Landsknecht, you'd be wearing them too.
Before going into the field, my choice of garments was easy, as everyone
knows: leather trousers are better than wool.
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, it you were a
Landskneckt,you'd be wearing them too.
In the heat of battle, the foe retreats ,in fear of my matchlock,
katzenbalger, but the best protection comes from my leather trousers.
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, if you were a
Landsknecht, you'd be wearing them too.
My leather jacket protects me well too, as everyone knows, leather in better
than wool, with such garments, we won the Battle of Pavia, So let us all sing together!
I like my leather trousers, my wife likes them too, it you were a
Landsknecht, you'd be wearing them too.
*'Leather' German Version*
Der Verlorene Haufen von Pavia
Durch Kugelhagen dicht, mit Lederhosen stram,in Jahre 1521,zog ich in die
Schlacht, zum Ruhmer von Maximilian
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Bevor ich ins Felde zog,die Kleiderwahl fiel mir nicht schwer,da jeder
weis,Leder ist besser als Loden.
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Im Schlachtengetuemmel, weichen all Feinde, in Furcht vor mein
Luntenschloss, Katzenbalger, aber der groesste Schutz waren meine Lederhosen.
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Auch mein Lederwams schuetzt mich gut,den jeder weis,Leder ist besser als
Loden, mit solch Bekleidung stark, gewannen wir die Schlacht von Pavia, darum singen wir alle mit.
Ich mag meine Lederhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
*'Woolen' German Version*
Der Verlorene Haufen von Pavia
Durch Kugelhagen dicht, mit Lodenhosen stram,in Jahre 1521,zog ich in die
Schlacht, zum Ruhmer von Maximilian
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Bevor ich ins Felde zog,die Kleiderwahl fiel mir nicht schwer,da jeder
weis,Loden sind besser als Leder.
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen,mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
In Schlactengetuemmel, weichen all Feinde, in Furcht vor mein Luntenschloss,
Katzenbalger, aber der groesste Schutz waren meine Lodenhosen.
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen, mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
Auch mein Lodenwams schuetzt mich gut, den jeder weis, Loden ist besser
als Leder, mit solch Bekleidung stark, gewannen wir die Schlacht von Pavia,
darum singen wir alle mit.
Ich mag meine Lodenhosen, mein Weib mag sie auch,waerst Du ein
Landskneckt,traegest Du sie auch
The Tudor Sumptuary Laws
Author(s): Wilfrid Hooper
Source: The English Historical Review, Vol. 30, No. 119 (Jul., 1915), pp. 433-449
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/551532
Just ran across this on JSTOR. Later period, English, but still fun and evidence that leather was used in pants at times. From a royal sumptuary proclaimation [Book of Proclamations (Brit. Mus., G. 6463), fo. 47 seq.] dated dated the 6th of May 1562:
"It is ordayned . .. that no Taylour, Hosier, or other person whatsoever he shall be, after the day of the publication hereof, shall put any more cloth in any one payre of hosen for the outsyde, then one yarde & a halfe, or at the moste, one yarde & three quarters of a yarde of karsey or of any other cloth, *lether* [emph. added], or any other kinde of stuffe above that quantitie. And in the same hosen to be put only one kynde of lynyng, besides linnen cloth next to the legge, yf any shalbe so disposed, the sayde lynyng not to lye loose, nor to be bolstered, but to lye juste unto their legges, as in ancient tyme was accustomed; Sarcenet, Moccado, or any other lyke thing used to be worne, and to be plucked out for the furniture of the hosen, not to be taken in the name of the syde lynyng. Neyther any man under the degree of a Baron, to weare within his hosen any velvet, Sattin or any other stuffe above the estimation of Sarcenet, or Taffata."