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The Geteld

A small picture of a geteld from the Utrecht Psalter. Folio 85 Verso.

The geteld is a form of tent known in continental Europe and in Anglo-Saxon England.

A picture from the Utrecht Psalter.

A larger picture of a geteld from the Utrecht Psalter.
From Psalm 119, Folio 71 Verso.
Things to notice in this picture:
  • The tie holding the flap open.
  • The large stakes on the sides.
  • The lack of an apparent seam between the top 'sleeve' and the sides. Particularly on the third tent to the right, it looks like the 'sleeve' is open to the interior to the tent.

    A couple of pictures from the Harley Psalter.

    A picture of a geteld from the Harley Psalter.     A picture of a geteld from the Harley Psalter.
    Both from Psalm 27.
    If the tents in the left most picture are drawn to approximate scale with the figures, then they would seem to be pretty big. Notice the horseman in front.

    Just to keep things in perspective on sizing, here's a building to show scale.

    A picture of a building from the Harley Psalter.
    A Building also from Psalm 27.

    While I was in the UK, I saw this tent at the Hasting reenactment.

    A Geteld
    Picture copyright © 2000 Thomas Sweeting
    Click on the picture for a closer look.

    Many manuscript illuminations of getelds and other sorts of tents, seem to show toggles on the door such as shown here. If you look carefully, you will see that it appears the door is curved, not straight.

    Other online information on getelds:

  • There is some information on the Houses and Furniture page at the Regia Anglorum site. (But you knew that didn't you.)
  • "The Vikings!" 1993 "provisional reconstruction" of the geteld. I'd like to know if they have updated their interpretation.