Head-wear

Hats were an important symbol that were used to demonstrate:

“aggression, defiance, salutation, respect, submission, entreaty, and emotion were all readily conveyed by adroit handling” (p71, Flavin, 2014).

Head-wear worn in 16th century Ireland by women were diverse. There was a mixture of traditional Irish head-wear, but also growing influence by broader European fashion. It is thought that the continued wearing of more traditional Irish head-wear by women was an example of resistance to the loss of self-definition (Flavin, 2014). There are also references to the Irish wearing their hair long and out with no head-wear, much to the disdain of contemporary English writers.

In the volume of headwear imports 1503-1601 published by Flavin (2014), it is evident that there were many kinds of hats coming in to Ireland in the 16th century. These included caps, nightcaps, and coifs made of various materials (such as wool, satin, silk, felt, and velvet), for men, women, and children.

Some specific head-wear observed in 16th century Ireland are described below.

Cheese Mould Hat

This hat type consisted of strips of white linen wrapped around the head. Whenever it is referred to in 16th century (and early 17th century) literature, it appears to be a somewhat characteristic hat for noble or upper-class Irish women to wear.

1570 watercolour by Dutch artist Lucas de Heere. The woman in blue is a noble woman who appears to be wearing a cap atop a cheese mould hat and short veil.

The woman (right) is wearing a cheese mould hat with a cap atop it and a short veil underneath it. This image is plate 82: ‘Irish man and Irish woman’ by Lucas d’Heere, ca. 1575 in: “Theater of all peoples and nations of the earth with their clothes and various ornaments, both ancient and modern”.

The noble woman seated at the table towards the image of this wood cut is wearing a cheese mould hat, potentially with a cap atop it, and with a veil underneath. This wood cut is plate 3, originally from The Image of Irelande, by John Derrick, published in 1581. This image is from Wikimedia Commons.

It is apparent from the tone used to describe this hat type that it is different enough from the head-wear the English were wearing to be noteworthy. For example:

William Good (1527-1568, as quoted in McClintock, 1950) “…and they load their heads (as I have said) rather than adorn them, with several ells of fine linen roll’d up in wreaths, as they do their necks with necklaces and their arms with bracelets.”

Fynes Moryson (c1600, as quoted in McClintock, 1950) “And their heads be covered after the Turkish manner, with many elles of linnen, only Turkish heads or Tulbents are round at the top; but the attire of the Irish women’s heads is more flat on the top and broader on the sides, not much unlike a cheese mot if it had a hole to put in the head.” An example of the Turkish headwear described by Moryson is evident in a drawing by Albrecht Dürer (c1496, figure 8).

Fynes Moryson (c1600, as quoted in McClintock, 1950) “The great linen roll which the women wear to keep their heads warm after cutting their hair, which they use in any sickeness.”

Luke Gernon, Discourse of Ireland (1620, as quoted in McClintock, 1950) “At Lymerick they weare rolles of lynnen, each roll containing twenty bandles of fyne lynnen clothe (a Bandle is half an ell), and made up in forme of a myter.” and “In Connaught they weare rolles in forme of a cheese.”

Similar styles of head-wear can also be in 15th century art else wear in Europe, for example, in the Swabian (Germany) A Sybil drawing of c1470 and in the Flemish Rogier van der Weyden painting of Mary Magdalene (ca. 1450).

Onion Hat

The head-wear that I’ve dubbed the ‘onion hat’ can be seen in several contemporary watercolours, worn by both men and women. The hat appears to be a metal helmet when worn by men, however, the strikingly similar hat worn by women appears to consist of a stuffed linen roll attached to a tight-fitting skull cap with contrasting, perhaps even metal, panels. It does not appear to be worn by the upper-class or nobles.

The woman and the man in the middle-back both appear to be wearing similar styles of head-wear that I describe as the ‘onion hat’. This watercolour is plate 81 described as ‘Irish as they stand accoutred being at the service of the late King Henry’, by Lucas d’Heere, ca. 1575 in: “Theater of all peoples and nations of the earth with their clothes and various ornaments, both ancient and modern”.

This watercolour of an Irish woman appears to be wearing an ‘onion hat’. It is from “Kostüme der Männer und Frauen in Augsburg und Nürnberg, Deutschland, Europa, Orient und Afrika”, pg 43o (image from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek).

Beaver Hat

The hats depicted on ‘civil’ Irish women in de Heere’s watercolours appears to be what is referred to as a ‘beaver hat’ in contemporary literature and, perhaps, ‘high-crowned’ or ‘chimney pot shape’ hats else wear. In both watercolours by de Heere there is a white veil wrapped around the head (under the hat) that hangs to the jaw-line. This hat appears to be similar to one described in the following example:

Luke Gernon, Discourse of Ireland (1620, as described in McClintock, 1950) “At Kilkenny they weare broad beaver hatts coloured, edged wth a gold lace and faced wth velvett, wth a broad gould hatt band”.

This woman appears to be wearing a ‘beaver hat’ with a veil over the top. This image is from Christoph Weiditz’s ‘Thus go the women in Ireland’ from his Trachtenbuch (1529–32).

The woman on the left appears to be wearing a ‘beaver’ hat with a short veil underneath. This image is plate 83: ‘Irish woman and girl’ by Lucas d’Heere, ca. 1575 in: “Theater of all peoples and nations of the earth with their clothes and various ornaments, both ancient and modern”.

1570 watercolour by Dutch artist Lucas de Heere. The woman in pink appears to be wearing a ‘beaver’ hat with a short veil underneath.

Cap

Woolen knitted caps were common amongst the upper and lower classes, alike (Flavin, 2014).

There have been several finds of knitted and/or felted caps. It is unclear if they were male or female caps. Given the small caps depicted atop the Cheese Mould hats (see earlier section, above), realistically some of the caps were likely worn by women.

Caps came in a range of shapes and sizes, from the tiny caps in the style of English and other European fashion at the time, through to large pointed caps with wide brims.

This ‘Gentlewoman’ was a member of the upper classes and has a tiny cap atop her head. “Three kinds of early seventeenth-century Irish people are dressed here – Gentle, Civill (non-military middle class), and Wilde,” drawn by John Speed 1610. As published online by Irish Historical Textiles.

“Bonnet… knitted with wool thread.” Late 16th to early 17th century find from Ballybunion, Co. Kerry. Image from Dunlevy (1989).

“These are three 16th-17th century felt hats which were found perfectly preserved in peat bogs. Each one began as a circle of felt, which was then blocked into shape, and the brim cocked to a different fashion. From left to right, they were found in Knockfola (Co. Donegal), Derrindaffderg (Co. Mayo), and Tawnamore (Co. Sligo).” Image from Dunlevy (1989).

Veils

Clamshell

I was unable to locate any sixteenth century literature that the ‘Clamshell Veil’ style of headwear. There are, however, three images of this headwear: an effigy of ‘an unknown woman’ (figure 9), a carving of a Mother Mary (figure 10) and a carving of an abbess (figure 11).

An effigy of ‘an unknown woman’ (figure 9), a carving of a Mother Mary (figure 10) and a carving of an abbess, all wearing clamshell veils. Figure 9: Effigy of an unknown woman, 16th Century, TARA, accessed 2011. Figure 10: Mary in a scene of the crucifixion on the tomb of Piers Butler – 16thc – Rae, 1971. Figure 11: An Abbess – St Canice’s, Kilkenny City – Fragment of a tomb chest in east gable of the Sexton’s house – 16th century – Hunt, 1974.

The stone figures are wearing veil consisting of two veils hanging a couple of inches below the shoulders – the top veil having large crimps in the front and the under veil having much smaller crimps along the forehead. These crimps may have been achieved by the use of starch, which had become available after the 1560’s (Dunlevy, 1989, Pp45).

It is likely this style was limited to widows and ‘holy women’ since vertical pleats in headdress suggests widowhood (Dunlevy, 1989, Pp52).

Wimple

Long, wimple-like veils appear to have been worn by ‘civil’ Irish women.

This is a drawing of a so-called ‘Civill’ Irish woman wearing a wimple-like veil. “Three kinds of early seventeenth-century Irish people are dressed here – Gentle, Civill (non-military middle class), and Wilde,” drawn by John Speed 1610. As published online by Irish Historical Textiles.

This is a woman wearing a long, wimple-like veil. “Plate VIII, p.46. Female figures on a monument at Old Kilcullen, in the county of Kildare. Drawn by Mr W Beauford.” Images from “An Historical Essay on the Dresses of the Modern and Ancient Irish” by Joseph C. Walker, 1788.

The noble woman seated at the table towards the image of this wood cut is wearing a cheese mould hat, potentially with a cap atop it, and with a wimple-like veil underneath. This wood cut is plate 3, originally from The Image of Irelande, by John Derrick, published in 1581. This image is from Wikimedia Commons.

Turban

There is a depiction of a turban-like veil that has a trail hanging at the back and appears to be held in place by an embroidered band. This head-wear may be similar to what is described:

Don Francisco Cuellar (1588, quoted in McClintock, 1950) ”…and a linen cloth, much doubled, over the head and tied in front.”

This woman appears to be wearing a turban, veil, and embroidered band as head-wear. “Plate VIII, p.46. Female figures on a monument at Old Kilcullen, in the county of Kildare. Drawn by Mr W Beauford.” Images from “An Historical Essay on the Dresses of the Modern and Ancient Irish” by Joseph C. Walker, 1788.

Napkin

The final veil I have uncovered in my research is a short veil that hangs to the bottom of the ear. It is very short and almost looks like a napkin or handkerchief draped over the head. It could be worn with other hats (for example, see the images of the Cheese Mould and Beaver hats, above).

A woman wears a kerchief-like short veil. This image is from the middle of the 17th century, demonstrating this style persisted after the 16th century. Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-77) Mulier Hibernica vel Irlandica, 1649 RCIN, 804096.

Hair Worn Loose

It appears that young Irish maids would wear their hair without a hat or head covering.

Luke Gernon, Discourse of Ireland (1620, as quoted in McClintock, 1950) “The maydes weare on the forepart of theyre head about foure yards of coloured ribbon smoothly layd, and theyr owne hayre playted behind. In other places they weare theyre hayre loose and cast behind. At Waterford they weare capps, turned up wth furre and laced wth gold lace. In Thomond they weare kerchiefs, hanging down to the middle of theyr backe.”

The young woman on the right is wearing no hat with her hair in plaits and a ribbon around her brow. This image is plate 83: ‘Irish woman and girl’ by Lucas d’Heere, ca. 1575 in: “Theater of all peoples and nations of the earth with their clothes and various ornaments, both ancient and modern”.