Details: How Much Do You Know?
Historical writing requires research if you wish to maintain some level of accuracy. Fantasy writing often takes place in a setting similar to medieval Europe, and the research you do can enhance the tidbits you give your readers. Writing a piece set in any age in the past might require a little research. Writing a piece set in the future is more open to the imagination, though it is entirely possible to use historical research, modified by your imagination, to describe details in the future. Consider steam punk, classic medieval fantasy, cultures on other planets, mythological characters, speculative fiction and urban fantasy.
Weapons were an integral part of most historical societies. Do you know the difference between a bastard sword, a broad sword, and a cutlass? What is the difference between a dirk and a dagger? Keep in mind these answers shift depending on the century you use for the basis of your story. Still, one would not expect a slip of a girl to adequately wield a pole arm, or a young lad to be big enough to swing a hand-and-a-half with much force. Daggers were often as long as a short sword in some time periods, and small enough to conceal in a boot for others. Weapons don’t need a lot of description, unless they are a character in their own right, but have an idea how someone might handle one.
There are major differences between a hauberk and a curiass, breastplates of various ages, and still (though smaller) differences between riveted and flattened chain mail. Armor was worn over quilted padding, and was sweaty, heavy, and sometimes cumbersome. The padding would become stained and stink of rust, wet metal, and human sweat. Dress varied for men as it did for women, with multiple styles of head wear, breeches, and accessories. The good news is that medieval and renaissance styles (and all styles since) are easily researched with numerous resources. The bad news for me is setting a story in 685 around the Battle of Dunnichen because less is known/available on the web and what the Picts wore is even less well documented.
Ladies’ clothing varied greatly from century to century. Corsets and the use of stays also changed dramatically. The variety of cloth available for use increased as time went on. Why is this important? Linen and wool were standard fabrics for the 10th century. It would be 100 years before silk came onto the scene for most nobility, or embroidery became common. Prior to the 10th century, wool was about it (yes, sheep were important). As time went on, the nobility began to wear exclusively the more desirable fabrics such as silk, velvet, and brocade. Head wear also varied with the times, going from loosely braided hair to full coverage in just a few centuries. Women tied on their pockets, and the household keys were a badge of office.
I am widely read enough to know if you did your homework for a historical romance set in the 10th century through late renaissance, and then again from regency forward. If I am, I guarantee others are as well. If your 12th century character is wearing a bliaut, or your 9th century character is wearing a velvet doublet, the reader could be lost. Small details are the key, here, and there’s nothing wrong with using them sparingly. The goal is to set the stage with just enough detail for the reader to fill in, and to not give details that jar the reader out of the story.
It isn’t just about character dress or armor. Other common mistakes include the use of plates rather than trenchers in the early centuries, or describing a castle as snug (they were exceedingly drafty. If you’ve seen Mel Gibson’s Hamlet, think about the scene in which he confronts his mother in her bedchamber. Tapestries are on poles to be swung over the open windows and Glenn Close’s nose is authentically red from the cold. Those romantic bed curtains were left open only on the side facing the fire and closed the rest of the night to preserve heat.
Societal rules are also important. Elinor in Sense and Sensibility tells her mother she would be at ease if she knew that Willoughby had written to her sister. Why? Because unmarried people did not correspond unless engaged. Courtship rules were more rigorous in other times, to be sure, but this was one rule Jane Austin knew her contemporaries understood. To write that same novel today, the author might want to work that tidbit in somewhere.
The basics are true for any era, from 1000 B.C. to the decade before you were born. Small details establish your setting and era in subtle ways, just as mannerisms help establish your character. The head knowledge gained from historical research stays with you and can be used again and again in other ways (creating a character who is a historian, for example, or an heir who must uphold the request of an ancient ancestor).
Research can be fun!
Yes, research is always fun for me! As far as the swords and weapons go, all I have to do is ask my hubby. He knows it ALL.
This is an awesome post! Thank you.