Category: Male clothing > medieval headwear

Straw hat type 3

Straw hat type 3

A straw hat is a handmade headwear, very popular in the Middle Ages. It was worn mainly to protect a head against sunlight during outside work. These medieval hats are made of broadleaf cattail by plait method. Head of a hat is slightly rounded in a shape of a cone.

Diameter of a hat brim: 33-35 cm.

Height of a hat: 18-20 cm.

Size: unisize.

Our medieval hats are plaited by hand and their sizes may differ.

This medieval headwear will fit a head of 56-61 cm girth.

About rogozhin & historical sources

Broadleaf cattail, also known as bulrush, is a perfect plait material. It is harvested after first ground frost in October and November. Next, broadleaf cattail has to be desiccated and peeled from dirty outer layers.

Among straw hats , broadleaf cattail can be used to make baskets and other containers. Unfortunately, broadleaf cattail is a hardly available material. This craft is slowly disappearing.

An example of a medieval hat from straw can be found in Maciejowski Bible on page presenting the meeting of Ruth and Boaz.

Similarly to the outergarment, head wears speaks of the social status and in case of women of their marital status. In medieval iconography hardly ever can we find figures without any head wear. During all the period of the Middle Ages a hood was the most widespread head wear. Its functions were protective and sometimes symbolic, ritual or representative. Medieval headwear includes: caps, hats, coifs, hoods, kerchiefs and others. Hoods were often made of cloth, however caps and hats were made of felt.

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