Types of bulla and its importance

[Trethiwr]

There seem to have been several different types of bulla or at least several ideas about them

Wikipedia (that fount of incontrovertible knowledge!) says "They were enigmatic objects of lead covered in gold foil" then " A bulla was made of differing substances depending upon the wealth of the family" and also "a neckchain and round pouch containing protective amulets (usually phallic symbols), and the bulla of an upper-class boy would be made of gold.[1] Other materials included leather and cloth."

 

I followed links (courtesy of Nephele I think) on an older post to two "make your own bulla" sites which may have been more or less authentic.

 

I get the impression that whilst a rich boy might have a proper gold locket a poorer boty might have to make do with a leather pouch like a little drawstring purse. I'm surprised at cloth though which would surely not last very long and need to be replaced repeatedly in the 14 years of its main use.

 

I would like to know, if a boy lost his bulla how big a problem would this be.

Surely it wouldn't mean he would no longer be treated as free born since his parents, tutor, and friends, would surely know his status?

This is assuming he didn't lose it in extreme circumstances like being kidnapped or whatever. Say it got pulled off in a fight (boys fought back then right?) and fell into a river or something.

He goes home and tells his pater that he has lost his bulla. Does he get a beating?

what would happen?

[Nephele]

I would like to know, if a boy lost his bulla how big a problem would this be.

Surely it wouldn't mean he would no longer be treated as free born since his parents, tutor, and friends, would surely know his status?

This is assuming he didn't lose it in extreme circumstances like being kidnapped or whatever. Say it got pulled off in a fight (boys fought back then right?) and fell into a river or something.

He goes home and tells his pater that he has lost his bulla. Does he get a beating?

what would happen?

 

I'm pretty certain that the loss of a child's bulla (young, unmarried girls wore something like bullae, too, although what they wore was a less prominent, protective amulet) wouldn't change the child's free-born status. And, while I couldn't find any references as to what the consequences would be for such a careless child, I think we can safely speculate that the traditionally stern Roman pater would give such a youngster a sound whuppin.

 

-- Nephele

[Trethiwr]

I read on the utterly reliable wikipedia that "A girl child did not wear a bulla,[2] but other kind of amulet, (sic) like lunula until the eve of her marriage, when it was removed and burned along with her childhood toys and other things."

[2] J.L. Sebesta, L. Bonfante, The World of Roman Costume, The University of Wisconsin Press, 2001, p. 47

 

Although in the Roman mysteries, Flavia is often referred to as having a bulla with no difference to a boy's being implied.

 

I often find myself wondering about the vast expanse of time encompassed by the Roman civilisation almost 1000 years and comparing that with the last thousand years.

Would anyone discuss the English civilisation and say that the rich lived in mott and bailey castles, wore huge powdered wigs, and everyone had a mobile phone?

(Alright changes have been a bit faster lately I know but even so.)