Sailors in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

	Sailors
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This linkspage is intended to show how medieval mariners dressed – the regular sailors & seamen, rather than the more grandly-dressed captains, explorers, etc. A whale, bestiary (Bodl. 764, fol. 107r), second quarter of the 13th century Two ships engaged in battle, The Smithfield Decretals (British Library Royal 10 E IV, fol. 19r), c. 1340 A sailor (NAUIGANS), a book of astrological treatises (PML M.785, fol. 32r), c. 1403 The Shipman in the Ellesmere manuscript of The Canterbury Tales, c. 1410; see also the description of the Shipman in the General Prologue. Pilgrims drowned as ship founders, Miracles de Nostre Dame (Douce 374, fol. 40r), c. 1456 Mark and Tristan’s sailors, Tristan de Léonois (BNF Fr. 102, fol. 168), c. 1470 Arrival of Louis IX at Damietta, Passages faiz oultre mer par les François contre les Turcqs et autres Sarrazins et Mores oultre marins (BNF Fr. 5594, fol. 232v), c. 1474-1475 Finland, Secrets of natural history (BNF Fr. 22971, fol. 61v), 1480-1485 The Saint Ursula Shrine by Hans Memling, 1489: The Arrival at Basle, The Departure from Basle, and The Arrival at Cologne Sailors from Christoph Weiditz’ Trachtenbuch, 1529 Clothing of the sailors on the Mary Rose, 1545 (see also Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose) The sailor, The Ständebuch, 1568 Distribution of Herring and White Bread at the Relief of Leiden by Otto van Veen, 1574 A sailor, Habitus praecipuorum populorum by Hans Weigel, 1577 Longitudes of the Earth, New discoveries; the sciences, inventions, and discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as represented in 24 engravings issued in the early 1580's by Stradanus Frontispiece from The Mariner’s Mirrour, 1588 Barbarians from the South (Portuguese traders in Japan), c. 1593-1600 A seaman from Habiti antichi e moderni di tutto il mondo by Cesare Vecellio, 1600 Sailors and other figures from the so-called Nef of Charles V, end of the 16th century The four temperaments: Phlegmaticus, c. 1600 Plates from Barents’ 1594 & 1595 Search for a Northeast Passage by Gerrit de Veer, 1601 Shirt and breeches (slops) as worn by sailors from the late 16th to 18th centuries; “They are made of very strong linen to endure the hard, rough work. There is tar across the front from hauling ropes. The breeches are heavily mended and patched, which the sailor would have done himself.” (MoL 53.101/1b, 17th century) Thanks to Frau Hirsch & Daniel R. for the suggestions!

Sailors

Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose

This linkspage is intended to show how medieval mariners dressed – the regular sailors & seamen, rather than the more grandly-dressed captains, explorers, etc.

A whale, bestiary (Bodl. 764, fol. 107r), second quarter of the 13th century
Two ships engaged in battle, The Smithfield Decretals (British Library Royal 10 E IV, fol. 19r), c. 1340
A sailor (NAUIGANS), a book of astrological treatises (PML M.785, fol. 32r), c. 1403
The Shipman in the Ellesmere manuscript of The Canterbury Tales, c. 1410; see also the description of the Shipman in the General Prologue.
Pilgrims drowned as ship founders, Miracles de Nostre Dame (Douce 374, fol. 40r), c. 1456
Mark and Tristan’s sailors, Tristan de Léonois (BNF Fr. 102, fol. 168), c. 1470
Arrival of Louis IX at Damietta, Passages faiz oultre mer par les François contre les Turcqs et autres Sarrazins et Mores oultre marins (BNF Fr. 5594, fol. 232v), c. 1474-1475
Finland, Secrets of natural history (BNF Fr. 22971, fol. 61v), 1480-1485
The Saint Ursula Shrine by Hans Memling, 1489: The Arrival at Basle, The Departure from Basle, and The Arrival at Cologne
Sailors from Christoph Weiditz’ Trachtenbuch, 1529
Clothing of the sailors on the Mary Rose, 1545 (see also Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose)
The sailor, The Ständebuch, 1568
Distribution of Herring and White Bread at the Relief of Leiden by Otto van Veen, 1574
A sailor, Habitus praecipuorum populorum by Hans Weigel, 1577
Longitudes of the Earth, New discoveries; the sciences, inventions, and discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as represented in 24 engravings issued in the early 1580's by Stradanus
Frontispiece from The Mariner’s Mirrour, 1588
Barbarians from the South (Portuguese traders in Japan), c. 1593-1600
A seaman from Habiti antichi e moderni di tutto il mondo by Cesare Vecellio, 1600
Sailors and other figures from the so-called Nef of Charles V, end of the 16th century
The four temperaments: Phlegmaticus, c. 1600
Plates from Barents’ 1594 & 1595 Search for a Northeast Passage by Gerrit de Veer, 1601
Shirt and breeches (slops) as worn by sailors from the late 16th to 18th centuries; “They are made of very strong linen to endure the hard, rough work. There is tar across the front from hauling ropes. The breeches are heavily mended and patched, which the sailor would have done himself.” (MoL 53.101/1b, 17th century)

Thanks to Frau Hirsch & Daniel R. for the suggestions!