This Alemannic Leather belt is crafted from thick, brown leather. It has a buckle, chape and three decorative plates – these are made from zinc alloy with an antiqued bronze finish. The metal fittings have been riveted into the leather and the belt is adjustable with plenty of room to add holes to adjust to size.
The Alemanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes, who were noted by the Romans in the later Roman Empire. Originally, Alemanni may have been a rough, approximate Roman term for a regional association of tribes who identified themselves as the Suebi. Their memory as savage barbarians may have been maligned by the Romans due to centuries for conflict between them and their northern, Germanic neighbors.
The Alemanni not only had open and direct warfare between their tribes and the Empires Legions, but as Roman strength buckled from the Gothic and Hunnic incursions, so too would the Alemanni raid across the border, contributing to the descending spiral of mayhem that crumbled the frontiers of the late Roman Empire. They would famously ally with Attila the Hun in his bid to subjugate Rome, though they would inevitably be defeated with Attila. The Alemanni existed afterwards as the Kingdom of Alamannia, until being absorbed into the Frankish Kingdom of Clovis I.
This belt is not only a fitting belt in the style of the Alemanni, but it also well-represents the other Germanic tribes of the late Roman Empire and Migration Period, as well as the early Medieval Period. The design is taken from a belt found at Balingen, Germany, that dates to the 5th-6th Century AD.
Mike –
Very Nicely Done I normally wouldn’t review something like a belt but this is worth a mention. The leather is sturdy and of high quality and the best thing is it does not come out of the box as stiff as a board like most leather belts in this category. I chose this particular item because of the brass accents and theme. It does not disappoint. The brass peices are attached securely and don’t fall off or get dislodged. It makes a great addition to the chainmail/leather armor display I am building and would pass with any Anglo/Viking/Norman period theme. It’s worth the price for me and is a LOT cheaper than an equivalent piece you will see at typical ren fair vendor table in my state(usually way overpriced garbage).