legbindings

General

The Leg-bindings

Literary Evidence

General

These were strips of fabric were wound round the legs (over the trousers in the case of men) from ankle to knee by all classes and there are several reasons why this should be done:

to keep them warm
to stop the legs getting scratched while working
to protect the bottoms of the trousers
also as a sign of wealth or position

Leg-bindings could have been fastened with 'dress-hooks' which are sometimes found behind the knees of skeletons or a simpler method of fastening could have been used.
It is thought that women may have worn the same type of leg-bindings, beneath their skirts as the men wore around their legs. Indeed there is a picture of a personified vice riding a horse who has the lower part of her leg exposed, which appears to be covered by a wrinkled looking stocking (Fig 1.).

Fig 1. Superbia, from London, BL MS Additional 24199, fol. 12.

* Leg-bindings are a typical feature of the Saxon man's costume. *

The Leg-bindings	Back to top

Puttee/Wininga no. 1	Puttee/Wininga no. 2

There are many ways of wearing the leg-bindings:

wound in a spiral from the ankle up to the knee, starting on the ankle bone, tucking in/tieing at the top
wound in a spiral from the knee to the ankle and back up to the knee, leaving the ends free to be tied round the leg at the top
either of the above starting under the foot
placing the middle of the leg-binding under the foot and winding up to the knee in a criss-cross pattern, tying the two ends at the top
any of the above fixing with pins or 'dress-hooks'.

A version of the 'tied at the top' leg-binding.

	A selection of leg-binding ends - the only archaeological evidence we have are a few 'garter' hooks found behind the knees of skeletons.
	Top - split end, one taken behind, one in front and the two tied together Middle - a cord stitched to the end and again these could be tied Bottom - a simple metal hook which catches in the fabric to hold fast
		An example of a puttee/wininga with a fixed string for tying. The string is hemp garden twine with a simple wooden bead knotted on the end.

My leg-bindings are 4 metres/13 feet/4½ yards long and 8 centimetres/3 inches wide. Archaeological evidence gives no clue as to length but points to a width of 3-4 inches. This is the most comfortable width - any wider and they won't wrap nicely, any narrower and they just hurt! Mine are long enough to go from ankle over the widest part of my calf and up to where my knee creases at the back. This way, the bulge of your leg stops them falling down.
From practical experience they should always be hemmed and I find wool is the best material as it is slightly stretchy and conforms to the shape of the leg better.

Fig 2. The Blacksmith, from London, BL MS Cotton Julius A vi, fol. 8.

	Some of the wealthier men's leg-bindings are shown decorated at the tops with embroidery, and some show fancy tag ends. They were fastened either by tucking the end in or by tassels with strap ends tied round the top or the 'dress-hooks'.
Fig 3. King Cnut, from London, BL MS Stowe 944, fol. 6

Literary Evidence

The common name for leg-bindings seems to have been wining, plural winingas.
In the Indicia Monasterialia (a record of signs used for communicating in a monastery where the inhabitants had taken vows of silence) the direction is:

'When you wish to have winingas, then gesture with your two
hands round your shin.'

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