"Irish Yellow" Topic

I heard/read the English banned the Irish warriors from wearing yellow clothes. Is this true and why.

I found this reference to a ban

link

Yes the English introduced a variety of banning ordinances including provisions about hair and clothing. The aim seems to have been twofold to strike at native culture that underpinned resistance and also to stop colonists adopting Irish ways.

If you google Irish Sumptuary laws you should find some more detail.

I think it was a native habit to dye clothing in saffron and so this was a sort of uniform worn by opposition to English hegemony over Ireland. So the banning of the colour would seem to have roots in that.

(Interestingly this is one of those historical references that leaves present-day historians skeptical -- I've read modern historians say repeatedly that the bog Irish (forgive the phrase) could not have been in saffron, a rare and expensive substance. Yet source after source refers to their saffron coloured clothing! Perhaps it was another dye that gave clothing the same appearance as saffron?)

An leine crioch the garment in question was indeed dyed with saffron. Its easy enough to grow crocus and an leine crioch was a higher status garment. It may be that saffron could have been imported but I don't know it was. As the higher status elements of Irish society did most of the fighting you can understand that the English might correlate an leine crioch with trouble.

That said there were an endless stream of prohibitions and I stand by my view above that the aim seems to have been twofold to strike at native culture that underpinned resistance and also to stop colonists adopting Irish ways. The latter being a constant nightmare for the crown.

Not sure if it carries across, but the traditional pale yellow dye used in the Middle East and Central Asia is derived from onions. No reason why cheaper dyes could not have been used by lesser Irish.

I'm painting up an Irish Kern contingent for Mortimer's Cross (1461) right now. I'm trying to give them just the right yellow that isn't too Warhammer Fantasy yellow gawd-awful bright (ie. a nice under-stated color).

"No reason why cheaper dyes could not have been used by lesser Irish."

Maybe if its a different colour and the Irish sumptuary laws are no longer enforced.

@Oh – sumptuary laws aside, I was just suggesting that saffron itself may not have been the only yellow dye available. Onions also produce yellow dye and 'may' have been a source, certainly they are used elsewhere.

Sure Harry it could be so and you are right lots of other dyes would be available but the plant that gives its name to the garment in question is this one.

link Saffron