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I have to make myself a new paenula, and I want to get it right this time. Thus, I would appreciate any help and input you can give me, especially anything learned from experience.
Semicircle or oval?
How long at the sides - covering the hands or only down to the wrist?
Buttons, toggles, or closed?
What weight of cloth? I was thinking blanketweight or a little less. What is your experience?
Is undyed wool (off-white) OK?
Sewing with wool thread or linen?
Thanks in advance
Der Kessel ist voll Bärks!
Volker Bach
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I've found that if you want it to hang such that the flaps overlap nicely all the way down, a circular cloak is the best- just cut a 45-degree wedge out of it for the opening, and a circle for your neck. When you put it on, the flaps will hang nearly vertically and will overlap completely- keeping the cold out nicely.
Matt
See FABRICA ROMANORVM Recreations in the Marketplace for custom helmets, armour, swords and more!
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Hi Carlton
If you send me your e-mail via a PM I can send you a copy of the pattern for a Paenula made by Hero Grainger-Taylor and photographs of a reconstruction based on the design. The pattern might be a little out of date, as Taylor herself admitted to me recently but it was based on a surviving example of a Paenula found in Egypt and now in America.
It was semi circular not oval and I do not know if the oval designs with holes in the center are based on anything but modern interpretations of sculptures. There is an oval cloak again from Egypt which appears to be a later version of the officers cloak a Paludamentum but that certainly does not have a hole in the center. This of course does not mean that this type of cloak did not exist merely that I have never seen any original examples. If anyone has, I would be really pleased to hear about it.
As for Paenula colour I would suggest a yellow brown, by far the most popular colour suggested by ancient pictorial sources. The Vindolanda writing tablets however mention a white Paenula.
I hope this is of some use to your research
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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My paenula is semicircular, with a hood added. When you put it , the semicircular shape gives the same lenght at the rear and at the front.
You can put it with the sides folded in a particular way, that makes yours arms free of movement and enable to use your side weapons.
You can see some details at: Graham Summer: Roman Military Clothing (1). Ed. Osprey Publishing, Men at Arms Nº. 374.
