Kas saarlased tegid oma riided ise?

A large proportion of the necessary textiles and articles of clothing were made in each household by the family members themselves. Based on their raw material and the techniques that were used to make them, the textile fragments that have rarely been found from Saaremaa burials were of local origin. The primary materials were wool and linen. Yarn was spun using a spindle and fabrics were woven using vertical looms with weights.

Such work equipment was still widespread elsewhere in Northern Europe in the 13^th century. Fragments of woollen fabric are frequently dyed and more than half of them are blue. Dark blue was one of the most beloved colours for festive clothing on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea in the 12^th and 13^th centuries. Permanent blue dye was obtained from woad (Isatis tinctoria).

In those days, merchants apparently introduced that dyestuff to Saaremaa. Although woad grows nowadays in coastal areas as a non-native species, it is not known that the islanders would have known in the past how to use this plant for dyeing. Linen fabrics were mostly left undyed, but they could be bleached to take on a lighter tone. The extensive contacts of Saaremaa’s islanders nevertheless do not leave any doubt that they were also familiar with fine fabrics and accessories from abroad, such as silk and brocade. Unfortunately, such articles have not survived archaeologically.

Igas majapidamises valmistati ilmselt suur osa vajaminevatest tekstiilidest ja rõivaesemetest ise. Saaremaa matustest leitud harvad tekstiilikatked on toormaterjali ja tehnika põhjal hinnates kohalikku päritolu. Peamised kiud olid lambavill ja lina. Lõng kedrati kedervarrega ja kangad kooti raskustega püsttelgedel.

Need töövahendid olid 13. sajandil mujalgi Põhja-Euroopas veel laialt levinud. Villased kangakatked on sageli värvitud ja üle poolte neist on sinised. 12.–13. sajandil oli Läänmere idakaldal üks armastatumaid pidurõivaste värve tumesinine. Püsivat sinist värvi saadi sinerõikast (Isatis tinctoria).

Toona jõudis see värvaine Saaremaale ilmselt kaupmeeste vahendusel. Kuigi sinerõigas kasvab tänapäeval võõrliigina rannikualadel, pole teada, et taime oleks minevikus osatud värvimisel kasutada. Linased kangad jäid enamasti värvimata, aga need võisid olla heledaks pleegitatud. Siiski ei jäta saarlaste ulatuslikud kontaktid kahtlust, et nad tundsid ka võõrsilt pärit peeneid kangaid ja aksessuaare, näiteks siidi ja brokaati. Kahjuks pole sellised esemed arheoloogiliselt säilinud.