[Regia-NA] broad-brimmed hats?

[Douglas Sunlin]

>From what I recall, the idea that Odin had a wide-brimmed hat stems from a 
mistranslation. I don't have the source near to hand, surely someone will 
come up with it. It appears to have been more of a hood.

Hatlessness in the Viking Age is a curious thing. Just thinking of how 
(among Christians anyway) there is a tradition for men to uncover their 
heads in church, and for women to cover their heads in church, regardless of 
what they ordinarily wear. Could it have been in the 10th-11th C's that they 
extended that tradition outside the church as well, seeing a woman's 
uncovered head as vulgar, as much as an man's covered head?

-Osweald
<><><> <><><> <><><>




>From: Folo Watkins <folo at advancenet.net>
>Reply-To: list-Regia-NA <list-regia-na at lig.net>
>To: list-Regia-NA <list-regia-na at lig.net>
>Subject: Re: [Regia-NA] broad-brimmed hats?
>Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 12:31:05 -0500
>
>
>>I am trying to locate evidence for broad-brimmed hats for anywhere in the 
>>Anglo-Saxon or Viking period and would appreciate any help in finding 
>>sources...anyone know of anything?
>
>The familiar archetype of Odin in a wide-brimmed felt hat post-dates the 
>Dark Ages. There is no direct evidence that such hats were used. Even in 
>the summer months of the Julius and Tiberius work calendars, with people 
>working in the fields during the time of the year when they were most 
>likely to want protection, they are bare headed. Does this indicate they 
>didn't use wide-brimmed hats? Since they were used both before and after 
>this era, that seems unlikely (*although in Roman times, only slaves wore 
>or had need to wear hats). And remember that the so-called Phrygian caps 
>have lately been discredited as an artistic convention. Is it the same with 
>the wide-brimmed hats?  (if Phrygian caps denoted high status, would these 
>hats have denote low?) Does their absence "prove" that it was a convention 
>just not to portray them? (that was a rhetorical question by the way).
>
>I wouldn't be surprised if they were used. They're too practical not to 
>have been used. But we have no evidence or artifacts that they were, I 
>won't use mine for that reason. I wish there was a catalog that the Vikings 
>used to get their gear like US Civil War soldiers, but if wishes were 
>horses...
>
>Until we find that elusive runestone catalog or a stiffly blocked Viking 
>cowboy hat, I'll just squint in the sun and get sunburned...
>
>Cheers, Folo
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>list-Regia-NA site list
>list-Regia-NA at lig.net
>http://lig.net/mailman/listinfo/list-regia-na