Cloak?

Mantle of St. Brigit


Pattern drawing based on information in McClintock

Often referred to as the Mantle, or Cape of St. Brigit(or, La Manteline de Sainte Birgide d'Irland), held by the Cathedral of St. Sauveur in Brugges, this name may be mistaken. The actual item is a rectangular piece of wool measuring 21x25 inches (54.5 x 64 cm).  The material is a fine dark-crimson (or dark violet), and is extremely fleecy on one side. Warp and weft are difficult to determine, but both have threadcounts of 10 threads per inch (4 threads to the cm). One set of threads is very fine, while the other is made from thick yarn with nearly no twist.

It has been documented to at least 1347, belonging to the Cathedral of St. Donaas, where it was venerated every February 1. It was removed from there, prior to the destruction of St. Donaas during the French Revolution. Note that this should not be confused with the "Mantle of St. Birgitta".


Some Sources:


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  Some Clothing of the Middle Ages, by I. Marc Carlson, Copyright 1999 This code is given for the free exchange of information, provided the Author's Name is included in all future revisions, and no money change hands-