Superman's lost his - why everyone should have a utility belt

I went to see the new Superman film Man of Steel recently. I found it enjoyable but was caught up in the controversy over his new outfit. I do believe that the producers made the right decision in letting the poor man wear his underwear under his outside clothes. Besides being a totally daft look that made the superhero an international laughing stock, it was so 1950s. I'm not sure why the concept of wearing clothes in the wrong order is reminiscent of the rock'n'roll decade that was the 1950s, but it is. So at least the new Superman has progressed into a twenty-first century version, just like Batman and Thor.

 

Fans have claimed that in the next film Superman will have a little bit of a makeover in as much as he will regain his belt. Not external panties though. Which is good news because everyone should wear a belt.

 

 

Batman would be lost without his. Like those of police officers, Batman's belt is part of his toolkit for crime fighting and not just a fashion accessory or for keeping up his trousers. It contains various canisters and bat shaped implements called batarangs, which work as throwing weapons that return like boomerangs. The belt also has handcuffs similar to those used by police officers. I particularly like the canisters that contain whatever is necessary for his particular predicament. In one instance there was shark repellent. Very useful. He also carries napalm, lasers, tasers, smoke pellets, explosive gel and Kryptonite, in case he comes up against Superman.

 

 

Other supporters of utility belts are Ninja warriors to enable them to carry their weapons and Jedi warriors (from Star Wars). I wear one when travelling abroad to house my money, headache tablets, insect repellent, moist wipes and other bits and bobs I deem vital for that particular journey.

 

 

The thing is, no matter how great and modern I feel utility belts are, the Anglo-Saxons were using them at least a thousand years before anyone I mentioned above. They tied in the tunics or dresses, so were practical. But they were essential for the survival of the people in their daily lives. Examinations of grave sites have given us a glimpse of what they carried with them. There was always a seax for the free people, which was a knife, or dagger, that was used as a culinary knife or a cutting tool for day to day living. It was probably not used as a weapon although it had that capability, and was carried by all men and women who were not slaves. Hanging from the thin leather or fabric belt would have been keys (made from wood, bone or horn) and a pouch. Inside the pouch coins, combs and flint have been recovered. The flint stones would have been like matches to light fires. The combs tell us that they took care of their hair. Which is a nice thought.

 

 

To see replicas of Anglo-Saxon utility belts take a look at my Pinterest page.

 

 

I'm off to the birthplace of Zeus in a couple of weeks and I'm just assessing what I should put in my utility belt this time. Superman - take note.