painted by Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Among other things, this man lies on his back,
obviously well fed & having drunk too, thinking. He's loosened his points for more comfort.
The cod flap is quite clear here too - the flap which covers the join at the front of the hose,
since the trouser zip had not yet been invented. He's not bothered tying that too well either.
Back in medieval days, the hose would be made as two separate legs, with braies, or sort-of linen boxer shorts underneath. The legs tied on to a thin belt which also held up the braies. People like fighting men could move more easily that way. The tops were often covered by the tunics men wore. Then the fashion for shorter tunics came in, and joined leg hose became a fashion. But the cloth still tends to give way between the legs if it's made like a pair of tights, once you start doing things like trying to walk, run, dance, or ride. So the cod flap, which covers the cods, became a fashion which lasted for many years.
Back to last page
Return to top of this page.