Swaddling clothes, and swaddling cloths
Luke 2:6–2:7
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Way long ago, there was a voiced "th" in there, and it was in and of the still-surviving words "swath" and "swathe." "Swaþþling."

It's possible that few people care, but I thought I'd put it out there just in case.

Online I've seen people identify that basket out of context (as in my first crop below) as being a sewing basket, or as silkwork. Nope! Swaths of cloth to wrap a baby, probably over some flat cloths—probably a diaper and a flat wrap. They had no safety pins, so the bands of cloth would hold those other wrappings on.

Daily, routine women's knowledge like this is rarely documented. It's possible that "swaddling clothes" referred to the whole set of cloth wraps, and that the strips were called swaths. If anyone finds any 14th or 15th century instructions, discussion, list of supplies or any such, I'd love to know! Thanks.

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