# medieval/renaissance sunglasses



## valiant12 (Nov 20, 2015)

I think that sunglases exist in the world of my (unfinished) books.Sunglasses are not rocket science. A experience goldsmith can make gold frames with excellent quality and stained glass existed for centuries. Obviously making sunglasses which protect from uv light is trickier. Considering the prices of stained glass and the metals suitable for frames,  mass production will not be economically viable, but surely there will be rich people willing to buy some regardless of price. And they can improve the plot  

For example a creature which evolved in a dark supterenian area of the world could use sunglasses to improve there vision when they have to spend a lot of time under direct sunlight.

A demonic character masquerading as human can hide her red glowing eyes of doom. And anyone with a distinkt eye color or pupil/eye shape for that matter.

Indicating that the character is sensitive to ligh because she/he spend a lot of time indoors practising weird not entirely legal magik or reading ancient history. hopefully making him/her more likeable . 

I want to give a beach holiday to two of my favorite minor character. But there are from a creepy place with almost no sunlight and their eye are probably very  sensitive.

What do you think?  Will a knight wearing glasses\sunglasses shatter your suspension of disbelief ?


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## Ireth (Nov 20, 2015)

Having a knight wear sunglasses seems like a disaster waiting to happen. If the knight gets into a fight, the lenses could easily break and pierce his eyes.


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## NerdyCavegirl (Nov 21, 2015)

I wouldn't give a knight or any other warrior any eyewear as part of their standard gear unless it's shatterproof, so no glass. If there is a way to make stronger glass or cut thin sheets of a clear gem for the lenses, then perhaps that could work. There's a pyrokinetic race called the firekin in my story, quite a few of them able to produce and safely handle temperatures up to 6000 degrees, and several cultures are advanced in either glassworking or gemcutting. One of my MCs is from a Renaissance-ish firekin culture and wears a pair of goggles with hard quartz lenses for nearsightedness. Maybe your world's technology would allow for something similar instead of glass.


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## CupofJoe (Nov 21, 2015)

I think I remember that Arctic based people had "sunglasses" to combat snow blindness [that much bright and white is bad for anyone]. They used small slits in wood or more likely bone to limit the about of light but still give some vision.
Inuit Snowgoggles


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## valiant12 (Nov 21, 2015)

> Having a knight wear sunglasses seems like a disaster waiting to happen. If the knight gets into a fight, the lenses could easily break and pierce his eyes.





> I wouldn't give a knight or any other warrior any eyewear as part of their standard gear unless it's shatterproof, so no glass. If there is a way to make stronger glass or cut thin sheets of a clear gem for the lenses, then perhaps that could work   ......................Maybe your world's technology would allow for something similar instead of glass



Actually there is some tough glass enhanced with magik. It's not completely shatterproof though.


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## NerdyCavegirl (Nov 21, 2015)

Well then I'd suggest going from there.  Sure there might be some obvious problems with a knight in designer shades, but I believe anything is plausibly possible or at least possibly plausible if you really examine the physics of your world. After all, magic is simply scientific processes a bunch of monkey people on a wet rock just don't understand. xD


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## valiant12 (Nov 23, 2015)

> Well then I'd suggest going from there.  Sure there might be some obvious problems with a knight in designer shades, but I believe anything is plausibly possible or at least possibly plausible if you really examine the physics of your world. After all, magic is simply scientific processes a bunch of monkey people on a wet rock just don't understand.



I don't plan on using the magic glass for shades or corrective eye were. When I introduce the enhanced glass it was supposed to be rare and expensive. 

Why i want to have sunglasses  in my books, you may ask?  Knowing my characters , I'm sure that a lot of them will like to have a pair - either as a fashion statement or for practical reasons, also eyes are an important symbol in my stories.


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## Russ (Nov 23, 2015)

If my knight was wearing sunglasses he would wear them *inside his helmet* such that if a blade or weapon made contact with the lens, it would have hit his eye and he would be toast anyways.

The sunglasses per se would not ruin my immersion, but I think you would be better off giving them a different name and a description so it doesn't just seem like your character has thrown on a pair of Ray-Bans.


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## valiant12 (Nov 23, 2015)

And what would your demon women use to hide her glowing eyes ?


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## Nimue (Nov 23, 2015)

In a medieval world where heavily tinted spectacles would be incredibly rare, wouldn't they be just as suspicious as glowing eyes, particularly if the signs of a demon are well-known?

This isn't an inherent problem, it's one that you've chosen to create in your world.  If it's essential for this woman to hide her eyes, but sunglasses don't reasonably work in the setting--if the solution isn't there, change the problem.  Demon eyes only glow on occasion.  The glow is slight enough to be hidden by a hood.  There are a million ways you could treat this that would be less jarring than ubiquitous medieval sunglasses.


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## valiant12 (Nov 23, 2015)

Who looks more suspicious ?


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