The woman in the white tunic and armor is the Warrior. She is based on one of the earliest recordings of a woman dressing as a man and going to war, a woman named Epipole. Epipole fought for the Greeks against the Trojans, around 1200 BCE, and when her gender was discovered she was stoned to death (William Smith, Ed. (n.d.)). The tunic is reminiscent of the linen garments worn by ancient greeks (Laver, J. 2014 p 25) and the color white of suffragettes in the late 1800s and early 1900s (A. O. 2014). The warrior’s greaves and spaulders are also inspired by ancient Greek armor (Laver, J. 2014 p 34) but with metal studs as a punk twist to showcase Epipole’s rebellion of the status quo. She carries glass daggers that cut into her skin as she uses them to fight for herself and her cause. Her hair (see Figure 11) is styled to resemble the mane detail on a Greek warrior’s helmet (see Figure 12) with red streaks throughout to symbolize aggression and violence (Przybyla, 2018). Lastly she wears red pumps, a nod to the modern warrior woman still fighting the ever-present glass ceiling.
The Shaman is the messenger of the spirit realm with one foot in our world and the other with the spirits (Shaman. (n.d.)). She wears antlers as a nod to the origin of the word “Shaman,” which is said to come from the Evenki people of northern Russia (Editors, 2017). These people were nomadic and a large part of their culture dealt with herding and riding reindeer (Editors, 2017). Her bone necklace alludes to her connection to the spirit realm and is made from a mink skeleton. The gold branches symbolize her connection to nature, almost seeming to become veins springing out from her core. From her fingers and branches drip magic, taking the shape of crystal drops, as she attempts to bring her message to the mortals on Earth.
While the modern western interpretation of the witch is a green skinned sorceress the Wiccan witch is a healer and wise woman (Cantrell, G. 2009 p 7). The colors of her dress symbolize the stages of a woman’s life: white for the maiden, red for the mother, black for the crone (Cantrell, G. 2009, p 26). The red begins at her groin and spreads downward suggesting menstruation and fertility. The phases of the moon behind her head also connect with Wiccan female symbology with the waxing, full, and waning moon (Cantrell, 2009, p 26). The moon is an ancient female symbol not only in the Wiccan tradition but in many other cultures as well. Other female lunar deities include Artemis (Greek), Chang’e (Chinese), Coyolxauhqui (Aztec) and Sina (Polynesian) (Wigington, 2017). In this piece, the cosmos circle her head and spring from her fingers as a tribute to the many myths that associate the male with day and the female with night (Cantrell, 2009 p 26).
This housecoat was inspired by the rune Othila, which means "home" and the Kenaz rune which means "hearth" or "flame." The coat is made from original quilted fabric and the runes are hidden in the quilt blocks, each repeated three times for maximum potency. The sleeves and collar are trimmed with faux fur to highlight the luxurious nature of this extravagant house-coat and many of the fabrics have a shimmer or shine effect akin to a flickering fire. The colors chosen are meant to highlight the warmth, spiritual and physical, that come from being in a home and the coat is lined with maroon fleece for added coziness and comfort. This is an avantgarde companion piece to my ready-wear Othila/Kenaz lounge wear set.
For this piece I designed fabric with a repeating pattern of Jera, the rune for harvest time. The entire ensemble consists of blouse that could be worn in a variety of professional settings, a pencil skirt, and a contrasting earring and necklace set. At work we reap the rewards of our efforts and the rune for harvest focuses the wearer’s energy in order to help them be their most productive selves.
In my piece Challenge, I used a repeating pattern of the rune “Urox” which symbolizes a person being pitted against a challenge or standing against adversity (Mountfort, P. R. 2003 p 73-74). The resulting fabric was used along with color-blocking to create a workout ensemble that would help the wearer overcome their physical challenges.
Creativity Bandrunar, expression… gateway… mankind.
This Bandrunar combines the runes Eihwaz, Mannaz, and Ansuz. As a unit they express the potential of humans coming together. Creativity is one of humankind’s greatest gifts and this rune can help the wearer find the beauty in their own humanity.
This Bandrunar combines the runes Eihwaz, Mannaz, and Ansuz. As a unit they express the potential of humans coming together. Creativity is one of humankind’s greatest gifts and this rune can help the wearer find the beauty in their own humanity.