Historical Crafts
This year, Den Gröna Fenixen is organizing activities at Sweden’s largest medieval gathering, Medieval Week, on Gotland.
Many types of crafts we modern people engage in are based on ancient crafts. In addition, many of the ancient craft types are also very durable, although perhaps more time-consuming. But that’s also a bit of their charm, isn’t it?
So why not sometimes go back to the origins and look at how different crafts were viewed in the Middle Ages? That’s what Den Gröna Fenixen does during Medieval Week on Gotland!
Check out below which two different activities we organize during Medieval Week (Medeltidsveckan) this year, as always at Kapitelhusgården. Hope to see you there!
Tribute to the Nettle
Talk : 5 augusti 11:30-12:30
Workshop: 5 augusti 13:00-15:00
Tickets are sold separately, but please also come to the lecture if you want to come to the course.
A plant that most people detest nowadays, but which was cultivated by many in the Middle Ages: the stinging nettle. A versatile plant that can be used both for a variety of dishes, as a medicinal plant and has many more different ways of use in everyday life.
You will hear why the stinging nettle should be everyone’s favorite plant and why it was so popular in the Middle Ages. There will be practical examples that make this talk more than just a lecture: it will be a well-deserved Historical Tribute to Stinging Nettles!
Historical Plant Dyes
Talk: 7 augusti 10:00-12:00
Even the poorest people in the Middle Ages had access to a number of different colouring plants out in nature! And at court you could see all the colors of the rainbow. The Middle Ages were simply a lot more flashy and colorful than you might think.
How did they do it? Learn the basics of plant dyeing on different types of textiles. How you can experiment and get different results depending on the circumstances. For those of you who have never dyed with plants before, or if you never manage to achieve the colour you really wanted. You get a broad base with Sweden’s history as a starting point to continue at home.
You will receive a small booklet with various recipes. It is possible to purchase materials after the talk so that you can try at home.
And if you don’t make it to Medieval Week and live in Västerbotten, be sure to check out Plant Dyes and Promenades instead!
