So the Scapula is an apron for your front and back (damned useful if you ask me), a Surcoat is similar but has a split for horse riding, and a Tabard is a t-shirt with delusions of grandeur.
An easy way to do that is to have him wear all three in their appropriate environment. Have him wear a tabard at tourney or court, a surcoat when travelling or fighting not specifically for his god (counter raiding orcs, bandit clearing, war that his god hasn't taken a side on), and the scapular when doing holy work (blessings, holding service, fighting undead or demons, fighting in a holy war etc.). I know that's what I plan to do with my next paladin.
It's also dependant on your region. In our language, Dutch, these words (Tabberd = Tabard and Skapulier = Scapula) have different meanings. A Tabberd is a "herauten gewaad", which roughly translates to "heralds cloack", having the same meaning as described by Shad, but somewhat more specificly meant for heralds. A Skapulier (Scapula) in Dutch refers to a short cloack worn by religious men, covering no more than the shoulders. A Skapulier could also refer to the the "bandage" worn around and down the neck (also by religious prelates). We often misuse the term Tabberd to refer to this bandage like Skapulier. And then there is even more confusion originating from Religious clothing, think of the Dalmatica or the Chasuble. It's safe to say that throughout the ages people got confused a lot about similair looking clothing and defenitions were vague.
@Oliver Von arx It's 'wapen'. I don't know if you made a spellings-error or meant something different, but I'll assume the first (since I'll be making some as well probably). But the dutch term is either 'wapen' or 'blazoen' if you're talking about the colours. The entire thing with shield, helmet etc. is called a 'wapenschild'. During the middelages, 'wapen' was the term for the entire equipment of a knight, but during the 16th century when knights turned to nobility, the term was split into the heraldic 'wapen' and 'wapen' meaning an object designed to maim or kill.
Rens Gervers And in Dutch, there's a difference between a 'scapulier' and a 'skapulier'. A 'skapulier' is indeed the band hanging from the shoulders of a priest. A 'scapulier' is what Shadiversity talks about. However, I couldn't find a dutch word for surcoat. But we do lack quite a few terms for weapons and armor. For example, there's no word for polearms and it's different kinds. The only ones are 'lans'(lance), 'speer'(spear), 'hellebaard'(halberd), and 'piek'(pike).
+Lighthammer072 I suppose your character could use it to make a mockery of religious authorities that use it. There are a few different ways you could go with this. I remember watching a video somewhere mentioning Sidious used a lightsaber because it was insulting to the Jedi who themselves used lightsabers to fight.
That's partly what I was afraid of. Sometimes I did quests for clergy types and I can just imagine them paying me and then after I leave "Did you see what he was wearing? @#$%ing Warlocks." It's bad for business lol.
This is the kind of pedantry that lets me regurgitate niche medieval facts and misconceptions at my listless and drunk friends on weekends, I am grateful
Now I know what I must do, I will shred every misconception of tabard from fiction with the facts you've gathered for me, create a new one, teeming with knowledge that knows not what it has lost, but only that which it has been given. A grateful universe.
Manastic scapula= religious garment Surcoat= coat bearing colors and sigil of your lord or family sown on sides and opening in center Tabard= short wide garment showing your coat of arms not sown on sides Did I get anything wrong shad?
Shadiversity alright thanks lol now I'm glad I know the difference because ive been writing a book and its good to know what I'm discribing. That and ive got a paladin in my dungeon and dragins group who'll love to know the difference lol
I used to watch mainly Skall and Matt for my medieval-ish videos, but lately I've mostly been watching yours. Thanks for the consistently interesting and high-quality videos! (I still watch those others, though; I recommend them too. And Metatron and Lindybeige.)
Another Duck yes i like the way he doesnt even pause his videos he just makes it in one shot and sometimes he makes dubs or some brit jokes they are fun.
Really stupid thing is to wear your senior's coat on your crotch. There is a risk that the senior coat of arms will come into contact with some unsightly-smelling liquid during certain physiological activities...
I definitely needed this video. Now I can use "surcoat" on my medieval fantasy story, istead of the word "mantle". Thanks for increasing my vocabulary!
This has been one of the most educative and clarifying videos I've seen on Medieval Clothing! I had been confused by the term tabard for the logest time and often suspected I wasn't getting the real info. Thanks!
I appreciate the research you put into this video Shad. Most people would have stopped at scapular and not gone any farther. Anyway, thank you for your accuracy. I do want to say, though, that the scapular goes back to Saint Benedict in the late Fourth Century. Most of the art from that time or shortly thereafter depicts Benedict wearing his black Scapular. A good example would be at the monastery of Subiaco, where he founded his order.
It is a shame though, the plate groin protectors get forgotten so often, in media of various kinds. (Especially since they can be made to be pretty stylish, and I prefer my unmentionables, to not be riddled with perferations.)
Back in the ye olde days, flashing your shit around was a sign of masculinity. So guys would put fabric in their crotch areas to both function as cushion, and to show off for the ladies. Additionally armor cod pieces would... "tell a tale" so to say.
awkward questions? mostly it would just be ironic, and therefore probably amusing. It would be pointing out how fake the thing actually is. But I'm not sure why there would be questions. The message would be clear enough.
Huh. Your videos are great reference material for story writing, DMing, historical reference and saying, "ACTUALLY", in front of a bunch of SCA members.
Shad Fact: Shads recording studio is actually in a pocket dimension known as "Hammer Space". On his adventures, at will he can reach in this space and grab any item you see on the screen.
The Term "Hammer Space" is in relation to Toon Physics in which a Toon is able to reveal object from behind themselves, out of an article of clothing, or a random object that, in no other way, is [otherwise unable] to conceal the revealed object. Example: Bugs Bunny [reveals] a giant hammer from behind himself to use against an enemy.
I liked the Matthew reference. I was wondering where it was going to go, but it fits in with what I learned in my 6 years at theological seminary (though we never really addressed monastic clothing or its symbolism). It also makes sense when you think about the monks of the medieval period as being working men. Anyway, interesting video.
It was Valley Force Christian College, but now it is Valley Forge University. We don't have any kind of official or even unofficial system of symbolism or clothing (though many pastors default to a suit and tie for their Sunday pulpit attire, it is not anything special).
hey shad, great video. id be interested to see you do a historical analysis on horses in medieval culture as well as difference between breeds for shock vs heavy cavalry or how the different characteristics of regions breeds impacted their use with respect to that cultures warfare.
I think that would be a good topic too, specially since a lot of medieval breeds are pretty much extinct, being replaced with the now common Arabian breed outside of specialists such as the Draught breeds, it would be nice to see how the horses gait has changed as well has how riding has changed, such as position and tack and saddle ect.
agreed the differences in tack and saddle as well as the raise in the career of farriers and their importance to a well established army. there is much about horses in the medieval period worth talking about.
So thankful there's a video nicely explaining the difference between the three from a trusted medieval-tuber. Good job, Shad. I had a nightmare trying to find accurate information when I was making my D&D character a few months back. I knew what his thing was supposed to look like, but I didn't know what I was supposed to call it. After about 4 hours of agonized searching, I did find out it was, in fact, a tabard. If only this video had come out sooner!
From my (brief) research, it's important to note that there is a distinction between the heraldic tabards shown in the video, and the earlier tabards that were more general purpose outerwear worn by a variety of classes Very informative video, thanks for finally giving me a name for the paladin...thing:-P
You are showcasing so many things most people would not have thought about. I just thought the scapular paldins wear have simply been a stylistic choice by concept artists and did not have a real world correspondance. And if I am allowed to make a humble request: What equipment would one want to take with themselves in different situations? Because I think I have my rightful doubts about someone walking from village A to village B in full plate armor with a polearm, unless in times of war. Or what would a peasant, a travelling merchant, an adventurer, a nobleman, a monk, a knight, the list goes on and on, take with them? Did they had companions? Servants? A mount? A carriage? I know you did a video about the best sword for different situations, but I would love a more detailed video.
As merely an enthusiast and not a professional, I think most people, regardless of class or occupation, would wear a gambeson (if you're particularly poor, then just a puffy coat) for simple protection if they really thought they needed it. Otherwise, normal street clothes were sufficient enough. People would also carry a knife, dagger, sword, or axe on the road with them to defend from bandits and animals. Knights and nobles might also wear clothes that distinguish them as such. Monks are the exception to all of this. They would likely wear attire that distinguishes them as clergymen, and many people were good enough Christians to not attack a monk nor dumb enough to think a monk is worth mugging, and the monk would be unarmed. If the road was dangerous, the Church could afford to hire a guard or two.
I feel this is needed due to the D&D misconception that travelling in full gear in times of peace was a thing. Swords became popular because they were the weapons you would be wearing most of the times, and roads weren't bad enough that people travelled in armor during peace time (unless maybe if the kingdom is swarmed with unemployed mercenaries like France during the Hundred Years War).
The Canterbury Tales starts with descriptions of the group on pilgrimage. Most are armed, a few are wearing chain shirts. No one is wearing plate, not even the knight., who in 1387 would have worn a plate harness in battle.
knoloaify unless you're playing a historical campaign, it might just as well be that in your entirely fictional and fantastical word, one in which fantastic beasts and humanoids live in the wild and might attack you while travelling, travelling in full plate armor is common. It isn't a misconception about history if it is made up and not claiming to be historical.
Out of all of them, I'm guessing the surcoat is the most defensive one (Or at least the coolest, so it gives you plot armor) Anyways, good as always Shad, keep it up.
"Verses 29-30", not "Versus". Sorry, couldn't resist. We're even, however, since I now have to go back to my writing and change the terms - I was using "tabard" for "surcoat".
Finest Whiskey Really? That’s cool to know. I would agree with Kathy Trueman that « verses » would be the usual spelling in American English. Perhaps that is b/c we use the word « versus » to mean quite a different thing.
@@fionatanzer5270 versus is also a noun in latin which means "verse". The "versus" meaning "against" derives from the past participle of verto (actually the past participle is vertum), but it doesn't make sense in this context.
If you are writing a historically correct novel then yes it is great for editing but if you are writing standard fantasy I would stick with tabard due to the way language, words and their meanings change. Tabard has commonly come to mean what monastic scapular should be, very much like how the word berserker (see one of shads earlier videos) has changed from champion to crazy insane melee type of fighter (sorry could not think of another way to describe a berserker lol)
Due to the common misconception, please consider to explain this somehow in the novel (maybe with the use of some side characters), should it sound strange otherwise. If the readers think your 'correct' use of words sounds weird and you're wrong about this, it won't do anyone any good.
So a tabard sits over the armour like one would wear a vest over a shirt. Whereas a surcoat is more like a long coat in comparison, And a scapula is basically an apron that became associated with the priest hood. ta for the like. Also I don't suppose you could do a video on the use of glass as a currency in the medieval period? I found out about it while I was at this years medieval festival at the abbey museum from a templar re-enactor.
Even if he'd been unaware of the devotional Scapular before this video. He'd have no doubt run across them while doing his research. Typing Scapular in to google hits you with devotional scapulars right off the bat. In fact, google image search showed me nothing but these. I didn't see a single Monastic Scapular on the first set of hits.
Shad, I would like to take a moment to thank you for all of these amazing historically valuable videos. I'm trusting that they are accurate because I'm using a lot of this stuff for my novel, which is a fantasy grounded in many layers of pseudo historical realism. Don't worry, you're not my only source, but I do consider you a reliable one. I'll gift you a copy of the book when it is done if you are interested. PS : There are *MACHICOLATIOOOOOOOONNNS!!* included.
Thank you referencing the scriptures where Jesus mentions the yoke for the religious purposes. Not many history or medieval channels tend to reference these things.
It makes some people very uncomfortable for some reason. Some wish to avoid the whole subject at any cost. Διοτι πασα σαρξ ως χορτος, και πασα δοξα ανθρωπου ως ανθος αυτου. εξηρανθη ο χορτος, και το ανθος εξεπεσεν. το δε ρημα Κυριου μενει εις τον αιωνα.
This is something I've been very curious about, especially since I remember seeing one of your earlier videos mentioning what an actual tabard was. Oftentimes I really like this paladin/cleric type garment and the best term I could think of for it was a loincloth, but that's obviously wrong! Thank you very much for clearing this up, and in a similar vein of popular misconceptions, are you planning on doing a video regarding the greataxe and labrys axe? It seems like the perfect thing for you to talk about, seeing as how the double axe and greataxe are seemingly entirely fictional and yet utterly ubiquitous in fiction. Either way, I'm always excited for your next video!
Shad, thank you for making this video. I watched this when you first uploaded it, and today I was creating something for a character of mine, and I was trying to think of what the item was called, but I was failing. Then I remembered you did a video that explained it and *poof* now I'm here. This is not the first time I've went back to watch a video you've made so I could find the information that I needed. Great stuff. Keep it up!
I think this adds to my already fervent love of the Paladin. I invariably play one in any MMRPG and I really can never bring myself to put any heart into playing anything else. I think it's cool that there is a historical connection with monks and the scapula, making it even more appropriate for Paladins to wear one, since the Paladin's historical origins are closely tied to the monastic orders of knights like the Templar and Hospitallers. Cool vid!
Thanks Shad; very interesting and informative. My church got rid of scapulas five hundred years ago (you know, that little dispute with the Pope some people call "The Reformation?" You might have heard if it, it was in all the papers at the time). Instead, our clergy traditionally wear what is called a "Geneva Gown" which was essentially an academic robe - since of course, most of the Reformers were members of the Academy. However, I did not know the difference between scapula, surcoat and tabard (though I always thought it was pronounced TAB-ard not ta-BARD). Great to learn new things and one of the reasons I subscribed!
Well, according to your description, while the form of the tabard in World of Warcraft is incorrect, the function fits perfectly. Tabards in game are earned usually by reaching the maximum possible reputation with a faction, which would convince them to allow you to "don their colors" by equipping a piece of cloth to wear over your armor. Essentially, this would identify you as a champion of their cause or at the very least a big fan. For the main player factions of the Horde and Alliance it is even better. They will allow you to wear a tabard from them at the beginning, which even tells other players that you are a champion of that particular faction and you earn reputation with them by wearing it.
Very good video, I learned stuff. I've always heard it pronounced as "tab-ard" as opposed to "ta-bard", hard to keep from giggling every time you said it.
Jean-Luc Martel it comes from the yoke on an animal being carried across the shoulder blade area, also known scientifically as the scapula. Whenever the clothing started up, it was designed to hang from the shoulders, hence its named after the shoulder blades
Jean-Luc Martel I just like how they look like loincloths and add a weirdly refined-and-savage-at-once look to the otherwise sterile metal of a suit of armor. And in fantasy a LOT of them are pure crotch cloths, no upper bit MrsInAbox super useful, I was wondering about that. Thank you!
Well doesn't the scapular that paladins wear still function like tabard in most cases? When people playing the game think about the scapular they think about it as cloth with insignia on it. I think it's somewhat fair to call it a tabard as it is more of an combination of it and scapular rather than just a scapular.
As usual top notch presentation and superb education value. I always learn a lot about medieval inaccuracy from you Shad you're the man! I love learning how things get misconstrued through media.
Shad, love what you do. Cultural education is certainly important (which is why I also follow Gaijin Goomba's content). My only gripe, however, is you tend to overstate the phrase "in the medival period". A lot. A minor thing; it just gets pretty redundant and seems to just be used as a buzzword. Otherwise, again, thanks for what you do. I learned something today. I'd seen the word scapular before but had no idea what it was.
Ok... I was with a friend of mine when I've seen the notice of a new video. Me:"Ehi! There is this guy who talk about medieval stuff and he is a really professional and serious guy" Him:"ok cool let's see" *start the video, we see the intro* Me:"Most of the time..."
I've been waiting for this vid for so long, as I'm trying to complete my paladin aesthetic armor. (Don't mind the meme profile pic). Great vid as always, Shad!
I was freaking out that you kept pronouncing it tab-AAHHRD, not TAB-erd likE the history geeks here in the US say it.....but the OED gives 2 pronunciations clearly labeled British English and American English and we are both correct. I forgive you, and you're welcome. ;) LOL
I have never thought about this consciously before. To me it's just a "Princess Zelda dress panel" (speaking of zelda, you talked about Link's heater shield once, but it occurs to me that in the old 2D games your shield wasn't nearly as useful until it upgraded to a tower shield) All I know about this is there was a fantastic story in a dragon book I enjoyed, about a guy in shiny armor who defeated a dragon by unwittingly blinding it due to that head gem they have refracting all the shine, and then he decorated himself with a banner and got pwned on the next trip out to a dragon.
Zelda's thing is more an apron to my mind than a scapula, as it is generally depicted as a separate garment with its own belt. Sort of like the ceremonial aprons worn by Freemasons.
I just rewatched the Origin of Paladins video earlier today, and now this video come up.... Is the entire world a simulation responding to our thoughts?
While not correct, I think its still easier to call the classification of clothing a 'tabard' because it still serves the same purpose no matter the name. Which is to show your loyalty on your armor. Scapula shows your loyalty to a religious order, Tabard shows your loyalty to a knightly house/order, and Surcoat seems to fulfill both roles (like a knight pledged to a church's cause). The only difference is in the cut of the cloth.
