Eldrid (120 AD)
My name is Eldrid of the Hermunduri tribe.
I live in a village of 20 houses near the Roman border on the banks of river Nicer. I know how to make combs; my father Eriulf is a bone-carver and can really use my help in his work, as my mother Fridigund can’t move her fingers so nimbly since some time now. My father delivers the combs to the chieftain who barters them for glass, silver and other goods at the roman merchants’.
In addition to the combs, I carve also needles and awls. Next I will craft a very fine hairpin and then some dice.
I will begin working on beads of bone and horn in winter and then dye them as well. With ochre one can produce a very fine red colour, with berry-juice they’ll become blue-black.
I know, it is unusual for a woman to practice bone-crafting- I already have more than enough to do with my farm and household chores, with the yarning and weaving. But my two brothers died -one in his third winter from measles, the other in battle- and thus my parents really need my help. Both my elder sisters have long since moved to the homesteads of their husbands. The work with bone and horn rejoices me - a welcome distraction from my steady work on the farm. What is more, I’m raising our asset with this, as our chieftain is grateful for fine wares.
This summer I married Widolf. He’s a good man and often accompanies my father to the sovereign’s court. I will move to his home in winter, for his sister yet lives in his house. While this is quite unusual, my father is grateful of it, and I can’t stand Widigund anyway. Luckily she will get married soon and move out. In the next spring I want to go with the others to the chieftain’s stead, for the Roman traders will linger there. Then I can find out what other goods I could produce. Maybe we will even be given another cow in summer, but for this I will have to sell a lot of combs. I have heard that the Romans buy the hair of our women, above all the blond. They make hoods from it, whichare worn by the roman ladies like their own hair. I, for one, would never ever wear the hair of another- not a single woman of our tribe would.
Yet to us the alien habits of the Romans are quite profitable. I believe these people to gladly adopt what they can learn from others. I’m relieved that we can get along peacefully now. Commerce is of more use for both our peoples than the steady wars, but the men are getting uneasy yet again. For now our sovereign is keeping them in check. In general, he demands a lot of us all, but the contract with the Romans was a wise thing, and I am confident for what the future will bring to us.
