Bridal crown
Traditionally a bridal crown (
History
A bridal crown, along with the
The design of bridal crowns is very varied and depends on the place and region. To begin with they were decorated with flowers, fir branches, herbs and ripe fruits. In later times and even today, more expensive materials were used such as pearls, mirrors, silver and gold.
These more valuable headdresses could only be afforded by wealthy families. The less well off could, however, borrow them from neighbours and friends in return for payment in kind. Often the churches or parishes had bridal crowns and could hire them out. In the course of the 18th century, the bridal crown was replaced by the bridal wreath in many places, as had been the pagan custom in the 4th century.
When Princess Mary of Saxe-Altenburg married King George V of Hanover in 1843, he wore a large, golden crown and she a somewhat smaller golden bridal crown.
Such bridal crowns are traditionally worn together with a
Regional variations
In Norway, Sweden and Serbia, bridal crowns were made of silver; in Bavaria and Silesia of gold wire, glass stones and glittering metal flakes.
In the Black Forest, bridal crowns also have pearls, glass balls, mirrors and ribbons or paper roses. Locally bridal crowns are always known as Schäppel, and they vary in design from place to place. An insight into the range of the Schäppel in the Black Forest is the collection at the Black Forest Costume Museum in Haslach.[1]
The so-called Borta is worn by the Sorbs in Lusatia.
In Thuringia they wear a Hormt as part of the farming costume at Altenburg.
A wide range of bridal crowns are also seen in Hungary and Slovakia—many featuring artificial flowers and beads.
Today
In
Literature
- Hartmut Braun: Der Schäppel und sein kulturgeschichtlicher Ursprung, in: Forschungen und Berichte zur Volkskunde in Baden-Württemberg Vol. 1, Stuttgart 1973, pp. 165–171.
- Informationen zur Trachtenkunde der Fachgruppe Trachten und Brauchtumspflege des Deutschen Heimatbundes - Heft 1: Brautkronen(I), Bonn, 1997
External links
References
- ^ "Black Forest Folk Costume Museum in Haslach". www.black-forest-travel.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- ^ Article by Eva Bäckstedt in Svenska Dagbladet 2010-06-15
- ^ * Helena Michon-Bordes in Brudkrona och brudkronesed. En studie med särskild hänsyn till Uppsala ärkestift. Yearbook Uppland 1964 (Uppsala), pp. 57-92.
- ^ "Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts - Culture > Weddings > Bridal Crowns". www.ingebretsens.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Wedding Dresses". Friday, 25 December 2020