Celtic headwear
Women's cap
The cap from Bredmose in Himmerland, Denmark, uses sprang: tensioned threads are interworked without a continuous weft, producing an elastic fabric. This is a northern European Iron Age find, not securely a specifically Celtic object. Sprang differs from knitting and is not a necessary stage in the origin of all knitted textiles.
Cap from Bredmose, Himmerland, Denmark, Iron Age. National Museum of Denmark; made using sprang, not knitting.
Cap from Bredmose, Himmerland, Denmark, Iron Age. National Museum of Denmark; made using sprang, not knitting.Hood
Hoods could cover the head and shoulders and be combined with a cloak. Northern European finds and Roman-period cape images provide comparisons. The Orkney Hood is a distinct woollen garment with a woven border and fringe, dating to late antiquity or the early medieval period. It does not establish the headwear of Caesar’s Gauls.
Leather and wool finds should be described separately: material, seams, border construction and date matter more than a similar outline.
Wool Orkney Hood, late antiquity–early Middle Ages; National Museums Scotland. Not evidence for the dress of Caesar’s Gauls.
Drawing of a fur cape from Krogens Mølle, Denmark, after Margrethe Hald.Related topics
Celts, Helmet liner, Headwear, Celtic cloaks
Literature and sources
- National Museum of Denmark: Sprang.
- Margrethe Hald. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials. 1980.
Cap from Bredmose, Himmerland, Denmark, Iron Age. National Museum of Denmark; made using sprang, not knitting.
Cap from Bredmose, Himmerland, Denmark, Iron Age. National Museum of Denmark; made using sprang, not knitting.
Cap from Bredmose, Himmerland, Denmark, Iron Age. National Museum of Denmark; made using sprang, not knitting.
Cape from Vendsyssel, Denmark, Iron Age; National Museum of Denmark. A northern European comparison.
Wool Orkney Hood, late antiquity–early Middle Ages; National Museums Scotland. Not evidence for the dress of Caesar’s Gauls.Interested in Ancient Rome beyond reading? Join Legio X Fretensis or explore our reenactment directions.
