Sycophant Hex ~ View topic - Death Eater Masks + Robes?

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< Canon vs. Fanon ~ Death Eater Masks + Robes?

Sophi

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:05 pm

Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 7 Location: North Carolina (*shudder* Not usd to life below the Mason-Dixon yet...)

I have a question from my author about the material of the death eater robes and the make of the masks.

From my research, we know that the robes are black and presumably heavy, but the fabric is not actually known. I've come to a few conclusions, such as that linen would not be viable, as it wrinkles easily, and wool would not either, as it would shrink upon contact with blood. I believe the general assumption is that they are made of heavy velvet, but the question is, is that true?

The masks are also, from what I've read, never really described. I think it's become the norm in the fandom to describe the masks as half-covering the face and sleek, glittering and silver. At mugglenet.com's So You Want to be a Death Eater article, the masks are mentioned as being black. In the movie, they're made to look like skulls and cover half of the face.

I don't particularly like using the movies as reference for canon details, as I don't feel they're particularly accurate with more minute things.

So far, I've searched the lexicon, mugglenet, wikipedia and google for answers. The most help I've gotten is from wikipedia, with their descriptions of the dress from the movie. But as I said, I loathe to use the movie as canon.

THUS! My questions are these:

What are the robes made of?
Are the masks really silver, and what do they look like?

I hope someone has an answer. Please don't make me skim through the books...

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mouseII

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:13 am

Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 76

It seems to me that I (once) went hunting through the books and couldn't pin down anything firm about what the masks look like; it wasn't (that I found or can remember) specified what colour the masks were or how much of the face they covered.

I always picture them as black and covering the full face. Sparkly silver masks would tend to be very, very noticeable if someone was trying to hide in a shadow, and half-masks leave a lot of face exposed for identification purposes. Presumably the masks are there to help the people wearing them hide their identity, and occasionally to just plain hide.

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angstbunny

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:19 pm

Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

I'd vote for wool.

Depending on the way it is processed, wool is naturally water repellent and will stand up quite nicely to all sorts of abuse. Keep in mind that most British outer clothing of the last few centuries was made with wool. Heavy woolen cloaks would be quite in keeping with British tradition.

Linen is less likely, although not because of wrinkling. Again, depending on the processing method, linen can be a nice heavy, winter-worthy garment that is water-resistant, and, to an extent, wrinkle-resistant. However, considering the Tradition of British Woolens I would bet that Death Eater outer garments are wool.

Wool can also billow nicely - if it is draped correctly (or inconspicuous charms are applied).

Overhill

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:28 am

Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 263 Location: Central Oregon, near a wyer, but the dragons are downstairs....

My vote is also for wool. It's very, very British, it is naturally waterproof, if you leave the lanolin in it. Also, it is flameproof. I had the experience of working with wool yarn in 4-H and if you didn't know what typed of yarn you had, you would take a match to it. Wool didn't burn like cotton or other natural fiber would, and it didn't melt, as man-made did.

As for the masks, silver is terribly romantic and links back to the Robin Hood movie that Alan Rickman starred in as the sheriff ("Look! He was a bleeding death eater back then, too!"), but I would think that a mask that matched the cloakwould be far spookier and Ghost of Christmas Futurish, though you would still see the eyes. Again, wool, as wool felt could be made stiff, and to conform to the individual face and would be not only breathable, but a dust mask, too. However, one or two fandom stories have hinted that a Death Eater had one mask for work, and another for meetings/parties/revels/tea.

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Firewhisky

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:03 pm

Joined: 16 Oct 2006 Posts: 30 Location: Syracuse, New York

Quote:

Presumably the masks are there to help the people wearing them hide their identity, and occasionally to just plain hide.

The mask could/would also incite fear. Not knowing the identity of a person frees them from the constraints of society. The Death Eaters are sort of a fraternal organization, I think of them as klu klux klan types, but with more edge.

Odd that the movie showed black robes with pointed hats (hoods?) and skeletal masks. It looked ok, but it didn't inspire fear.

I would have to agree with the wool cloak concensus. Velvet? Um, no, I don't think so... it's just not functional for working conditons, such as kidnapping, murder, meeting in graveyards and/or storming the Ministry. Wool seems likely, but I think that as long as it's black that the Dark Lord doesn't care much. --In other words, I don't think there's a strict "dress code". Razz

As for the masks... I think that they (DE's) would know a bit about transfiguration in the magical world and could adjust the mask to their needs. Whether it's for a fancy dress party, dark revel, general intimidation and terrorism or teaching a potions's class, I think that it's amorphous. I think, however, that they would show a unified front whenever they show up to do something in public. There didn't seem to be anything that stood out about their masks when they stormed the World Cup, Ministry or Hogwarts.

So... I dunno. I think that it points to their appearance as being frightening but not ornate.

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Mathstarlette

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:24 am

Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 33 Location: out of my mind, leave a message at the beep

Maybe I'm a dork, but I always pictured death eaters with those kind of cloaks that would have hoods that go out past the head, and cover just the very top of the fore head.
Does that make sense?

I think of the mask as solid black, cover the fullface (not the eyes or mouth, obviously) and, i don't know, like featureless.

Does any of that make sense?

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Overhill

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:35 am

Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 263 Location: Central Oregon, near a wyer, but the dragons are downstairs....

So you're describing a hoody (sweatshirt with a large hood) for the top of the head, with a ski mask for the face, and a cloak for the rest of the body....

Well, Harry can see Lucuis's eyes, and his voice is definitely not muffled, but somehow I'm having trouble with imagining the outfit as dignified, and the cape, eh, impractical as it would get caught on stuff. Sort of like in the "Incredibles". Which would explain why Goyle Sr. wasn't in on the Ministry raid, or was he?

im2sleepy2

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:09 pm

Moderator Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 207 Location: Illinois, USA

I think Mathstarlette may be thinking along the lines of "Lord of the Rings" style maybe? Or maybe like the ones worn in the Star Wars movies (the original movies are the only ones I've seen so that is what is coming to mind) like what Luke Skywalker's mentor wore (I don't know the correct spelling) Obi Won Kenobi.

The long flowing cloak with a hood that can be lowered, but when raised is voluminous.

Something like this maybe,

http://www.ziplink.net/~cloak/cloaks.html

or better yet, this one here, look at the one in the lower left. ( oh, and I have this particular pattern, I haven't made the cloak yet, which will be the white one, because I can't decide on the fabric or color. I want it to be multi-functional...) :

http://www.simplicity.com/assets/9887/9887.jpg

The mask on the other hand I am not quite sure of. I can picture it in my head but trying to describe it is very difficult. Possibly more like a hockey mask? With areas cut out for the eyes and the mouth. I'm thinking maybe like from the movie ( ok I get all those horror flicks mixed up so it could be either Halloween, or Friday the Thirteenth) that has Michael Meyers as the guy running around trying to kill everyone. Or is it Jason?

Of course I could be wrong and it could be Leatherface?

I think it would be kind of intimidating to walk down a dark alley and run into something like that though.

Something like this would be very creepy!!

http://www.magicmakers.com/retail/masks/fatal_fantasy_mask.html

Just my crazy, demented thoughts... hehe.

Sleepy Very Happy

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Purificatus

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 5:30 am

Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 25

Saw this mask at Party City before the shindig 7/20 and thought OMG that's PERFECT! (provided I stripped off the lycra, mind!)
Especially since I've always seen the masks as a dull silver/pewter so as not to reflect too much light, and customized visually (faces of skull, serpent, tiger, etc.) as per the wearers' tastes. Actually, the film version of OotP got it close enough to kiss perfect, IMHO, especially when you see the scene in the Hall of Prophecies.
Anyhoo, I think some attire is mentioned in the graveyard scene in GoF, emphases mine (p. 646 American edition)

Quote:

The air was suddenly filled with the swishing of cloaks...wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked...

Yet said novel does not describe the garments/masks in any detail.
As for cloaks, I'd have to argue im2sleepy2 pretty much nailed it with her first link. b00yah

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