Hair and beard care and male headwear in Castile at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries
Author: Vít Hrachový
Email: vit.hrachovy@sandbox.cz
Version 4 published in Sborník semináře Oděv v historii 2019, ISBN 978-80-88320-18-0, edited by Martina Hřibová.
Version 10, 14.07.2020
Abstract
Given the importance of specific Castilian fashion for the development of Western European clothing, the article focuses on one part of this sphere, namely the treatment and care of hair and beard and the related headgear of the male Christian population of the Castilian Kingdom at the turn of 13th and 14th century. The study is based on books published by King Alfonso X. - Cantigas de Santa Maria, Lapidario, Libro de los Juegos, Libro de los leyes, El libro de Calila e Digna. The article describes the care of hair, beard and teeth and fashionable hair and beard styles, summarizes the typology of depicted and preserved hats and headwear and sets the individual types into the social and utility context of the wearer. For the preserved hats, construction materials and design details are mentioned.
Introduction
The work focuses on hair and beard care and headgear worn by men in Castile, Spain at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Primary attention is paid to the Christian population, that was proud of an uninterrupted line of many traditions of the ancient Roman province Hispania, and continous bloodlines of the Germanic Visigoth lords among the ruling elites. Given the limited scope of the article, a numerous Jewish and Muslim population is deliberately left on the edge of the scene.
Thanks to the abundance of books published by King Alfonso X. the Wise (1221-1284) in the second half of the 13th century Castile, we’ve got a wealth of sources and over three thousand illuminations set in the context of Castilian society, place and time. The goal of the learned king was to address and depict all social strata. Gamblers, beggars, criminals or prostitutes were not omitted, and attention was also paid to shepherds, farmers, craftsmen, burghers.
Manuscripts such as “Cantigas de Santa Maria” (CSM), “Lapidario del Rey Alfonso X. ms. h.I.15 de la Biblioteca de El Escorial” (LP),” Juegos diversos de Axedrez, dados, y tablas con sus explicaciones, ordenados por mandado del Rey don Alfonso el sabio” (LJ), “Libro de los leyes”, also known as “Siete Partidas” (SP), “El Libro de Calila e Digna” (C&D) and others provide evidence of public as well as private life of the Church, soldiers, nobility, king, emperors and the Pope himself. Unfortunately, these rich sources are not available on digital media, and therefore this study is based only on fractions publicly available in publications or on the Internet, often of poor quality. The basis of the study is a sample of 1271 illuminations.
Due to the dry climate in the tombs, some garments and hats have been preserved, similar or identical to those depicted in illuminations. Archaeological findings complement valuable data on the construction methods and materials that illumination cannot convey.
1. Hair and beard treatments¶
Hair and beard treatments were subject to both fashion and cultural influences. The courtiers had their hair curled. Cofia, a short-cut canvas cap copying the shape of the head, leaves the forehead and neck uncovered to exhibit the curls. In the Christian population, hair usually didn’t fall under the chin level.
Jews are depicted with hair falling on their backs or braided in mid-thigh long braids.
Gentlemen could have their hair and beard bleached blond, dyed over gray and dyed using various colors. There were a number of medicines to treat baldness that could actually work against the types of baldness caused by bacterial infections and mycoses.
A large number of today’s beard fashions were also used in medieval Castile. Based on Alfonso X. decree the courtiers were supposed to be shaved smoothly. This set the trend, but exceptions existed [GMP2], p. 92. Young people and courtiers were therefore shaved smoothly, they could wear different kinds of moustaches, beard strips on their chin, bearded chin and goatee. Older or more honorable people wore a full beard. The length of the beard varied from a few centimeters up to the lower edge of their throats.
Jewish beards were longer and could fall to the chest.
Hair and beard care also included regular hygiene, parasite removal products, and dental, gum and oral care. Parasites were removed from the headgear by hot steam or ironing.
1.1. Hair and teeth care¶
Juan Ruiz, castilian poet from the first half of 14th century in his Book of true love (Libro de buen amor, 1330 and 1343) recommends cleanliness to seducers of ladies:
“Sey como la paloma, limpio et mesurado, sey como el pavón, loçano sosegado, sey cuerdo e non sañudo, nin triste, nin ayrado, en esto se esmera el que es enamorado.”
“Try to be like a dove, always clean and always gentle, try to be like a peacock: bright and prudent, wise a lot, never upset, neither woeful, never foul. Know, that these decorate every adorer a lot.” [RU].
According to [GMP] there were wet baths and dry baths. Visitors of the wet baths were bathing in wooden tubs filled with hot or cold water. The spa visitor wore an almost transparent apron, the forerunner of the bath towel. Sponges were widely used in the spa to wipe the body. The dry baths was medieval term for steambaths.
[SP] 2-21-13, folio 315, mentions the ritual bath of a candidate for knighting the night before the ceremony. The bath should include cleansing the body, washing the head and hands. [CSM] 212 mentions incidents in a public bath and the custom of the Toledo virgins to take a bath in a public bath before wedding. [KH]
The lapidary mentions a porous volcanic stone that is suitable for cladding the walls of a spa because it holds heat well. The illumination accompanying the text to this spa stone gives an insight into the spa (Fig. 3.1) [LP], folio 69r. Local Toledo laws declare it necessary to keep the spa operational. Operation of the spa was governed by local customs, ie opening hours were Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for men, Mondays and Wednesdays for women and Friday and Sunday for Jews. [GMP]
Since Christian, Jewish and Islamic cultures were living together in medieval Castile, the Arab world and its influence on the Iberian Peninsula should be mentioned. A Persian scholar Rhazes (before 925) described recipes for making hard soap [KI] . An Andalusian poet and scholar Zirjab (before 857), trained in Baghdad and then moved to Cordoba, promoted bathing in the morning and evening, using deodorant and inventing toothpaste that not only worked but tasted well [SI] . Zirjab also suggested wearing different clothes according to weather and time of year, and also in the morning, afternoon and evening [MMR] . He also popularized shaving of men and various hairstyles. The Caliphs in Cordoba said they had been washing their heads with rose water before the arrival of Zirjab. Zirjab introduced the use of salts and essential oils for further hair care [LR] . For five daily prayers, the Qur’an imposes a basic cleansing of the hands, face, and a great cleansing of the whole body before visiting the mosque. Toothbrushing with miswak (Salvadora persica) is part of a small cleansing performed five times a day [SN] .
Records from Cordoba, Moroccan Fez, Baghdad and Fustat in Egypt document thousands of spas and an elaborate sewer system. In Jaén, Spain, the Muslim baths in the cellars of the later Christian palace have been preserved to this day, see Fig. 3.2. Muslims showered with running water or performed dry cleansing [CG] . Muslim baths are a religious ritual where once used water cannot be reused. Therefore, the baths of Muslims in Castile were separated from the baths of Christians and Jews who bathed in vats [RI] (Fig. 3.3, Fig. 3.4).
Hair washing is specifically mentioned in more places in [LP] . So far there is lack of evidence about the frequency of head washing within different social classes. [LP] recommends 3 types of minerals to make hair washing products and several recipes to combat baldness. For example, the stone “bicaruquid” (probably illit, clay mica, [LP] folio 197) in powder form helps smooth out luxuriant hair. “Eraqui” (charcoal, [LP] folio 214) is recommended for washing and dyeing hair and, when mixed with olive oil, kills scabies. [LP] provides more recipes to treat baldness. The mineral “yetaniz” (probably a type of quartz, [LP] folio 216) was first broken in a mortar and then distilled in wine to cure baldness. As far as distillation columns are concerned, they were not exclusively owned by alchemists and doctors. Towards the end of the 14th century, Aragon sources mention the common ownership of a distillation column in the homes of rich ladies. They were used to prepare perfumes and skin care products and depilation. [BM]
[SP] 7-15-27, folio 887, dedicates a paragraph to barbers who cut men’s hair and shave their beards. The barber shop should be run in a closed impassable area outside the square or street so that accidental impact of a passing person into the barber does not cause injury or death to the customer. The article also mentions that venipuncture is also the provided by barbers, who should perform their work only when sober (Fig. 3.5).
Quality hard soap cooked from olive oil was used for washing hands, hair and shaving beard. During the 13th century it was one of the valuable export articles of the Castilian Kingdom and was known in Europe under the trade name “Castilian Soap”. [LP] folio 96 mentions the soap too. Despite its trade name, the hard soap isn’t a castilian invention. Greek author Zosimos of Panopole described the production of this type of soap already in the 3rd century A.D. [PJR]
The use of pomades, widespread in the ancient Roman empire, and perfuming hair lack support from written sources.
As far as the control of parasites is concerned, [LP] mentions three substances suitable for lice control by chemical or physical means. The recommended bath of hair in water mixed with quicksilver (mercury) is efficient, although rather toxic to humans ([LP] folio 113). The other two products were made from resources imported from Africa - a fine powder of crushed hard stones “muruquid” (probably siderite, [LP] folio 184) and “maruyra” (corrodite, mineral containing arsenic, [LP] folio 207).
Lapidary also mentions several recipes for dyeing hair and covering gray. The mineral “kolloquid” (unidentified, [LP] folio 91) is to be dissolved in water day and night and then applied to the hair by the comb to dye them permanently. The mineral “batocita” (a type of quartz, [LP] folio 95) is used for dyeing over gray. The mineral “adehenich tricolor” (probably chalkantite, malachite or copper acetate, [LP] folio 102) is an ingredience of various hair dyes. One of the recipes also combines “adehenich” with henna. The mineral “calcant” (blue vitriol, [LP] folio 124) bleaches the hair to blonde. Hair wash products, medicines and hair dyes were available from local pharmacists who personally prepared them and were responsible for their quality and safe level of toxicity. [SP] 5-5-17, folio 676
Facial care included dental and gum care. [LP] lists 11 minerals for the preparation of perfumed tooth powders and gum care, 4 teeth healing substances and 1 painkiller. Mouthwash perfume is mentioned in [SP] . The use of toothbrushes or threads is not mentioned in Spanish sources. The toothpaste or powder was applied to a coarse linen napkin, rubbing the gums and teeth. The ideal teeth were pure white and the gums crimson red. The mouth was rinsed with perfumed mouthwash based on wine or vinegar, scented with rosemary, marjoram, cinnamon, mint, pepper. [GA]
Dental care throughout Europe was based on the widely known medical manuscripts originating from southern Europe. After the 12th century, a collection of medical treatises on women’s health and hygiene, called “Trotula”, disseminated over Europe from Salerno, Italy. The popular work “Regimen sanitatis ad inclitum regem Aragonum”, was written by Arnau de Vilanova in 1309 [MC] and it was based on the 11th-century Milan literature.
In the second half of the 14th century, Albík of Uničov, court physician of Wenceslas IV., wrote a book “Regimen sanitatis seu Vetularius”. His recommendations to king are similar to Villanovas’: “If you do not want to have leaky or rotten teeth, clean them with peach wood at any time in the morning. Others rub their teeth in aloe wood mixed with salt. It’s mashed together, sieved, and put on the cloth. This whitens and cleans the teeth, causing the mucus to retreat and remove bad breath.” [DD] .
1.2. Barber and hairdresser tools¶
The use of the comb (Fig. 3.6) [LAMG] for the application of medicinal substances into the hair is mentioned in [LP] folio 91. The illustration of the combs sold in pilgrimage artifact stalls has been preserved on [CSM] 161 illumination (Fig. 3.7). These combs resemble the preserved combs from the 13th century from southern Italy (Fig. 3.8). The combs of Egypt (Fig. 3.9) and Andalusian Granada (Fig. 3.10) are magnificent works of art. There is archeological evidence of bronze, wooden as well as bone combs (Fig. 3.11, Fig. 3.12).
Illumination [CSM] 161 also documents razors (folding knives with a rounded handle) sold in a pilgrimage stand. Illumination [KL] fig. 15 of the manuscript “El libro de Calila e Digna”, published in 1251, shows the open barber razor that the outraged barber throws at his wife (Fig. 3.13). It should be noted that [KL] dates the illumination of [CD] to the 14th century, according to the depicted fashion. A similar type of razor was found in Netherlands, dating back before 1525 (Fig. 3.14).
Alum and its antiperspirant and anti-bleeding effects are described in [LP] folio 182. According to [AP], the use of the shaving brush spread from France to Europe only after 1748. In the earlier periods the soap was foamed by hands [JP].
Contemporary European iconography, eg Psalter of st. Louis (Fig. 3.15) [ZL] and the Morgan Bible [MB], document usage of spring scissors to cut hair in the biblical scene of Samson and Dalilah, to shear sheep and textiles. Castilian sources illustrate the use of pivoted scissors to shear sheep [CSM] 147 (Fig. 3.16), as well as textiles [CSM] 117 (Fig. 3.17) and pivoted scissors are displayed within the above mentioned stall goods in [CSM] 161. Pivoted scissors are also depicted in [LJ] folio 23r (Fig. 3.18).
Use of curling iron, hairdressing pliers or Roman calamister (two retractable metal tubes, hair wrapped around the inner tube and then pushed and pressed into the heated outer tube) [WS], to create hair curls, has not yet been documented in period sources, iconography or archaeological findings. [LP] folio 200 describes a recipe for preparing a hair bath made of stone “azul” (lazurite), that makes the hair curl.
1.3. Hairstyles¶
The following hairstyles are displayed in [CSM] and [LJ]:
- Shaved head. [CSM] 38-3 depicts a man with shaved head among convicts and gamblers dressed in torn, repaired clothes.
- The bald is depicted in [CSM] 159, [CSM] 83 folio 121v. Also [LP] mentions a number of recipes against baldness (see above recipe for stone preparation “yetaniz”).
- Comb over on the forehead of the royal notary [LJ] folio 65R.
- Short brush cut worn by some servants [LJ] folio 12V, folio 61R.
- Hair combed back [LJ] folio 51R, [CSM] 130 folio 184r.
- Clerical tonsure [LJ] folio 12v.
- A very common type of hairstyle is hair with fringes combed straight on the forehead. On the temples the hair is combed over or behind the ear. Hair length varies from below the ear to the level of the chin or larynx. [CSM] 184-2
- Whole head curled, hair cut above the eyebrows and at the back at the chin level [LJ] folio 65R.
- Like g), The fringe is curled upwards as well as the hair ends on the nape of the neck, so that the curls protrude in front of the cofia and at the back under the cofia [LJ] folio 66R.
- Like g), wavy hair with flap from right eye to left [LJ] folio 22V.
- Loose long hair falling on the shoulders as worn by a pilgrim to Santiago in [CSM] 26.
- Braids to the middle of the thighs of the Jewish archers [LJ] folio 11V.
- Untreated hair worn by gamblers [CSM] 38.
The studied sources produced no references to wearing hairpieces or blunt.
Figures Fig. 3.19 and Fig. 3.20 summarize the male hairstyles depicted in Castilian manuscripts from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.
1.4. Beards¶
Most men on the available illuminations in [CSM] and [LJ] are clean shaved (Fig. 3.21-a). Stubble can be seen in the [CSM] 130, folio 184r illumination (Fig. 3.21-b).
Length of Christian beard was mostly about 5 centimeters below the lower jaw, down to the level of the larynx (Fig. 3.21-a) the second figure from the left, Fig. 3.21 -c). Pilgrims are usually depicted clean shaved or with a longer beard [CSM] 159. Jewish beard started at about 5-centimeter length and in some cases their beard reaches from chin to chest [CSM] 25, [LJ] folio 11V.
The sideburns and cutlets were not shown on the illuminations.
Other depicted styles include a goatee (Fig. 3.21-d), a circle beard (Fig. 3.21-j), a pointed goatee (Fig. 3.21-e, second face from bottom right), soul patch (Fig. 3.21-g on the left) or a chinstrap with shaved cheeks and neck (Fig. 3.21-f in the middle).
Mustache illumination is documented by the following variants: a natural mustache as a part of the beard, a narrow straight mustache (Fig. 3.21-h right), a mustache tipping down on the sides of the nose (Fig. 3.21-i)) documented in multiple sources, eg [LJ] , [CSM] 235-2 and the horseshoe in [LJ] folio 19V and [CSM] 62 (Fig. 3.21-j).
Neither [LJ] nor [CSM] and [CSME] exhibit a narrow moustache under the nose, called a toothbrush, or massive mustaches. The area between the nose and lips is carefully shaved almost everywhere, and this also applies to hermits [CSM] 95, Jews and Muslims. For Muslims, this observation is supported by the Qur’an’s command, where Muhammad orders the men to grow beard on their chin, but the mustache must not cover the upper lip. This is both hygienic and practical. [SB]
The tip-twisted mustache might be depicted in [LJ] folio 61R, but the quality of the illumination available on the Internet is too low to make the identification certain. On the contrary, the tombstone of Aragon’s Don Bernaldo Guillen de Entenza (1237) from the Convent of Our Lady in El Puig, Valencia undoubtedly documents the massive mustache under the nose (Fig. 3.22) [CA], page 45. Tombstone of Don Diego López de Salcedo, deceased 1274, shows a large mustache with tips curved upwards (Fig. 3.23) [CA], p. 69. However some of the tomb drawings from [CA] were found to contain fundamental mistakes.
2. Male headgear¶
During the reign of kings Ferdinand III. of Castile (1199 - 1252) and Alfonso X. of Castile the Kingdom of Castile underwent extensive territorial expansion and consisted of many diverse territorial units. Snow and frosty winters were common in mountainous country parts, other regions had mild climate. In the hot south there were deserts and semi-deserts, partly irrigated and fertilized by Arab immigrants. For the outside working classes of the population, the headgear played a purely utilitarian role. Therefore all social strata worn cofia, various types of hoods and brim hats called sombrero. Hats also had a fashionable and statutory role. Some types of hats were reserved only for the elite society members, for example, a cylindrical capiello de los caballeros (see below) could only be worn by a noblemen. According to the type of hat, it is also possible to recognize scholars, pilgrims, etc. Rarely depicted hat types include eg so-called phrygian caps.
Last but not least, the fashion of headgear was also determined by religion or religious laws. For example, Jews are typically depicted wearing pointed hats with or without brim, very specific shapes [CSME] 380; [CSM] 2, 25, 34, 108; [LJ] Folio 13V, [LJ] Folio 82V. Tatars have pointed hats with inverted brim [LJ] folio 52R. Several types of turban binding can be seen on Mohammed devotees, depending on the region of origin and the particular confines of [LJ] folio 10R, [LJ] folio 12R, [LJ] folio 14R, [LJ] folio 17V, [LJ] folio 42V.
Fig Fig. 3.24 depicts the typology of male headgear of [CSM] and [LJ] according to [GMP].
2.1. Cofia¶
The small cloth caps closely fitting on the head were worn throughout Europe by both sexes of all social strata. They were called coif in english, coiffe in french and cofia in spanish. (Fig. 3.24, section 1).
Cofias were typically made of white flax. However, there were also colored, striped, silk, brocade, transparent cloth cofias, etc. (Fig. 3.25).
Depicted cofias covered only one quadrant of head, centered on the ear. The front vertical line exposed whole forehead and fringe. The bottom horizontal line exposed nape and neck hair. At least three artifacts designated as cofia from medieval Castile have been preserved.
There is no evidence for wearing coif by Spanish females so far. Women depicted wearing birgitta’s cap in [CSM] are all French.
2.1.1. White flax cofia¶
Cofia of white flax with small decorations, was found in the tomb of male burgher in the Church of Our Lady in Agramunt, Urgell (Fig. 3.26). It was dated to the 14th century AD, probably to the time of plague epidemics as the male body was covered with lime. Cofia is a part of the funeral clothing of a couple of donors aged between 20-30 years. Cofia is exhibited in Agramunt along with ladies nightwear - linen shirt, linen hose with garter and turban. [AG]
2.1.2. Silk brocade cofia of prince Fernando, 1211 AD¶
Cofia with dimensions of 20 x 16 cm, with flat woven Moorish motifs of white and blue silk threads and threads with gold and silver windings (Fig. 3.27 and Fig. 3.28 ).
This item has a unique shape covering the entire back of the head and neck.
Cofia comes from the funeral clothing of Prince Fernando (1189-1211), the eldest son of Alfonso VIII. of Castile (1158–1214) and Eleonora of England (1161–1214), who died at the age of 21. The style of cofia decoration is similar to that of his sister Eleonora of Castile (1202–1244). Cofia is constructed from two hemispherical parts and has a lining of fine white linen cloth. The strip of fabric lying on the back of the neck was made using a fine weaving technique of the Moorish type and was filled with wool and reinforced with gilded lambskin leather strips. Two triangular stripes are sewn to this stripe. The decoration of the cofia consists of Kufi letters (Arabic type of Kufi according to the city of Kufa in Iraq), woven with white and gold thread on a blue background. The inscription on the hem around the face reads according to Gomez Moreno’s translation: “The Lord is the restorer of comfort (or joy).” [VR]
2.1.3. Cofia of prince Enrique I. with shields of the House of Lara, 1217 AD¶
Prince Enrique I of Castile (1204–1217) died at the age of 13, after an accident while playing with children in the court of his educator. His silk cofia (Fig. 3.29 and Fig. 3.30) has dimensions of 18 x 14 cm and is decorated with brown color woven cauldrons, coats of arms of the Lara family. Hem and bib are embedded with finely sewn gold and brown stripes. [GM]
2.2. Hood “Capirote, capucha”¶
Capirote is a hood that covered the head and neck and falls on the shoulders ( Fig. 3.24, section 5). Hood designs contain button fasteners at the front or no buttons at all and put on over the head. All social strata worn hoods, usually pulled over the head, less frequently fitted to the head through the face opening so that the collar hung on one shoulder and the hood’s tip pointed to the opposite shoulder (Fig. 3.24, 5f). In [CSM] and [LJ] at least 5 different ways of wearing the hood are illustrated, see the collage enclosed Fig. 3.31. Farmers and wagoners wore different type of hood, called “capucha”. It is a hood with prolonged front and back part down, reaching down under the belt and the belt was worn over it, see Fig. 3.32. Cofia could be worn under the hood.
2.3. Sombrero¶
Sombrero refers to any hat with a crown and brim that could shield the wearer’s eyes from sunlight (Fig. 3.24, section 6). The hat was worn by men and women when travelling or on the hunt. Sombreros may have been made of felt, but palm fiber is also mentioned as one of the possible construction materials. Sombreros of palm fibers resembles traditional conical Asian rice hats. Sombrero was sometimes worn over cofia as well as over capirote. It was attached under the chin with a string with two knots. It is possible that one of the knots could be movable and work as a slide switch so that the hat could easily be dropped on wearers’ back, as seen in [CSM] 142, as shown in Fig. 3.33.
2.4. Capiello redondo¶
A subtype of hats was capiello redondo, ie hats with a round crown and brim turned downside up (Fig. 3.24, section 3). The hats could have been made of felt, the inverted brim could be decorated by a contrasting color, contrasting hem, or fur hem (Fig. 3.34). Capiello redondo was worn by musicians, pilgrims, merchants, teachers, scribes, bishops, priests, courtiers in the company of the king. Cofia was worn under the capiello redondo. Different furs were used to decorate the hat’s inverted brim. The fur type depended on the social status and the price of the fur. Lower and middle classes used lamb, dormouse, and rabbit. The luxurious capiello could be lined with sable, squirrel, marten, genet, otter or ermine. The most expensive fur used was from newborn or unborn pups. [FG]
2.5. Beret “capiello un forma de boina”¶
This term denotes a beret or cap worn by clerics, doctors, lawyers, scholars, painters and members of the military-knight orders. See Fig. 3.24, section 4 and Fig. 3.35 and Fig. 3.36 of [CSM] and [LJ].
2.6. Noblemen hat “capiello de los caballeros”¶
The knights’ hat (Fig. 3.24, section 2) was shaped as tapering bucket and it was reserved for the nobles, knights, kings and minstrels (Fig. 3.44). Cofia was not worn under the capiello de los caballeros. These hats were covered with precious fabrics, embellished with embroidery, gems, pearls, glass beads, and others, as shown in the collage of selected capiello de los caballeros of [CSM] and [LJ] in Fig. 3.37. To date, 3 hats of noble owners have been preserved.
2.6.1. Capiello of royal heir don Fernando de la Cerda, 1275 AD¶
Capiello of Fernando de la Cerda (1255 -1275) has a diameter of 19 cm, a maximum height of 15.7 cm, a minimum height of 13.5 cm (Fig. 3.38, Fig. 3.39). Base of the hat is made of birch veneer, covered with fine parchment and then with white and scarlet taffeta. Coats of arms made of beads are sewn on the taffeta. Heraldic castles consist of gilded silver plates with blue glass beads. The castles are set in the background of pink sea coral beads. Lions are embroidered with long stitches of red silk thread, eyes are embroidered with silver thread. The background of lions is covered with stitched white coral beads. The chinstrap is made of two pieces of silk fabric and is decorated with black geometric motifs embroidered on a gold background. The hems are made of 1.4 cm wide gold leaf embossed with heraldic emblems and decorated with red enamel, sapphires and garnets. [VR]
2.6.2. Capiello of king Alfonso X. 1284 AD¶
Capiello of King Alfonso X. Only the 2 photographs published in [GMP2] , p. 103 are available, the artifact description does not exist and the current location of the hat is unknown (Fig. 3.40, Fig. 3.41).
2.6.3. Capiello of prince don Felipe, 1274 AD¶
Capiello of Philip of Castile (1231–1274) with a diameter of 17cm and a maximum height of 15.3cm was made of taffeta, flax, silk and gold (Fig. 3.42, Fig. 3.43). The hat is of Moorish origin. It is made of brocade of gold and silk thread, embroidered with a quatrefoil motif, that contains heraldic themes of castles and eagles (Castile and Swabia). The castles have three towers embroidered with gold on a brown and red background. The background of imperial German eagles used to be blue, but faded over time to indefinable brown. The spaces between the medallions are filled with a pattern of entwinded strips of gold on a green background, that probably used to be blue. The lining is made of silk fabric. [VR]
Conclusion
The heritage of Alfonso X. the Wise contains richly illuminated manuscripts, which are excellent sources for studying Castilian culture. They can also be used to study fine details of hairstyles, beard styling, typology and hat decoration details. Preserved archaeological findings of capiello de los caballeros and cofias, as well as images on tombstones, confirm that illumination can be considered a plausible source. Preserved hats provide valuable information on construction details and materials used. Unfortunately, the complete set of all illuminations is not publicly available, so for example, ruling out some beard types has limited validity. Further research in Spanish archives has the potential to uncover much more study material in the fields of material culture and literature.
Thanks
I would like to thank Martina Hřibová for the idea of putting together an article and her support. Thank you Meroe Cahill for sharing high-quality photocopies of selected Cantigas de Santa Maria illuminations publicly. I also thank Nieves Rico Parreno for her willingness to help with all the questions. Unutterrable thanks go to Anna Hrachová for her support.
3. Figures¶
Fig. 3.1 Spa, 1253-1279 AD, Spain, Lapidario MS.H.I15, folio 69r, piedro de baňo
Fig. 3.2 Moorish spa, 1002 AD, Spain, Jaén, Source: https://www.jaenblogs.com/banos-arabes-de-jaen/
Fig. 3.3 Bathing of noble Jakob von Warte, 1300-1330 AD, Germany, Codex Manesse UBH Cod. Pal. germ. 848, folio 46v
Fig. 3.4 Spa, 1285, France, Siena: “Le regime du corps”, folio 8v
Fig. 3.5 Bloodletting, 1285, France, Siena: “Le regime du corps”, folio 11v
Fig. 3.6 Comb, 1284, Spain, Libro de astromagia, folio 8v
Fig. 3.7 Hair comb, razor, scissors, 1284, Spain, CSM 161 and Pidal “La Espaňa del siglo XIII”, s.30
Fig. 3.8 Ivory hair comb, 13. century, south Italy, Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlín, aufnahme nr. 1.204.179
Fig. 3.9 Hair comb, 1300-1400 AD, Egypt, Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, no.3957-1
Fig. 3.10 Hair comb, wood, silver, 24.1cm, 1400-1450 AD, Granada, VAMuseum, 0106615
Fig. 3.11 Hair comb, ivory, 1100-1200 n.l., Orense cathedral, San Rosendo, Celanova, Spain
Fig. 3.12 Hair comb, 14. century AD, Paris, photo by Valerie McGlinchey
Fig. 3.13 Břitva, 1250, Spain, Calila y Dimna, ms. escurialense h iii 9, [KL]
Fig. 3.14 Folding razor, before 1525 AD, Netherlands, Museum de Waag, Deventer
Fig. 3.15 Spring scissors, 1270, Francie, Hair cutting, Samson a Dalilah, St. Louis Psaltery, BNF Latin 10525, fol.61v
Fig. 3.16 Hinged scissors, 1284 AD, Spain, CSM 147, [KC]
Fig. 3.17 Hinged scissors, 1284 AD, Spain, CSM 117-2
Fig. 3.18 Hinged scissors, 1283 AD, Spain, LJ folio 23r
Fig. 3.19 Hair, collage 01, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM a LJ
Fig. 3.20 Hair, collage 02, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM a LJ
Fig. 3.21 Beard, collage, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM a LJ
Fig. 3.22 Moustache, the effigy of Bernaldo Guillen de Entenza, 1237 AD, Aragón, Monasterio de Santa Maria El Puig, Valencia, Spain, hand drawing of the effigy state in the year 1855, [CA]
![Moustache, the effigy of don Diego López de Salcedo, 1274 AD, Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Nájera, Spain, [CA]_](_images/02-15-Knir-nahrobek-Diega_Lopez_De_Salcedo_1274-Leon-Monasterio_de_Santa_Maria_la_Real_de_Najera_Spain-Carderera_y_Solano_Valentin-1855-Iconografia_Espanola-Madrid.jpg)
Fig. 3.23 Moustache, the effigy of don Diego López de Salcedo, 1274 AD, Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Nájera, Spain, hand drawing of the effigy state in the year 1855, [CA]
Fig. 3.24 Typology of spanish male hats, end of 13. century AD, Pidal: “La Espaňa del Siglo XIII”
Fig. 3.25 Cofia, collage, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM, LJ
Fig. 3.26 Cofia, 14. century AD, Spain, Agramunt
Fig. 3.27 Cofia, infante Fernando, 1211 AD, Spain, Museo de Burgos
Fig. 3.28 Cofia, infante Fernando, 1211 AD, Spain, Museo de Burgos
![Cofia, infante Enrique I., 1217 AD, Spain, [GM]](_images/03-06-Cofia-infante-Enrique-I-1217-Spanelsko-GM.jpg)
Fig. 3.29 Cofia, infante Enrique I., 1217 AD, Spain, [GM]
Fig. 3.30 Cofia, infante Enrique I., 1217 AD, Spain, [GM]
Fig. 3.31 Hood “capirote”, collage, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM, LJ
Fig. 3.32 Farmers’ hood “capucha”, 1284 AD, Spain, CSM FlorenciaMsBR20 396, folio 14r-1
Fig. 3.33 Sombreros, collage, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM, LJ. Bottom right there is blue phrygian cap.
Fig. 3.34 Round hat with upturned brim “capiello redondo”, collage, 1283-4 n.l, Spain, CSM, LJ
Fig. 3.35 Beret “capiello un forma de boina”, collage, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM, LJ
Fig. 3.36 Beret worn by members of knighly order of st. Virgin Mary, 1284 AD, Spain, CSM 299
Fig. 3.37 Capiello caballero, collage, 1283-4 AD, Spain, CSM, LJ
Fig. 3.38 Capiello caballero, 1275 AD, Spain, Ferdinand de la Cerda, Vestiduras ricas
Fig. 3.39 Capiello caballero, 1275 AD, Spain, Ferdinand de la Cerda, Vestiduras ricas
Fig. 3.40 Capiello caballero, 1284 AD, Spain, Alfonso X., Pidal: “Las Cantigas la vida en el s. XIII según la representación iconografica”
Fig. 3.41 Capiello caballero, 1284 AD, Spain, Alfonso X., Pidal: “Las Cantigas la vida en el s. XIII según la representación iconografica”
Fig. 3.42 Capiello caballero, 1274 AD, Spain, don Felipe, Vestiduras ricas
Fig. 3.43 Capiello caballero, 1274 AD, Spain, don Felipe, Vestiduras ricas
Fig. 3.44 Capiello caballero, 1284 AD, Spain, [CSME] 300
4. Index of figures¶
5. Index of sources and literature¶
5.1. Sources¶
| [CSM] | (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) Alfonso X: Cantigas de Santa Maria, T codex Cantigas de Santa María, de Alfonso X el Sabio, con la reproducción íntegra, a todo color, del códice “rico” T.I.1 de la biblioteca de El Escorial (Madrid) |
| [CSME] | (1, 2, 3) Alfonso X: Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex Cantigas de Santa Maria. Biblioteca de El Escorial MS B.I.2 |
| [LP] | (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) Alfonso X: Lapidario de Alfonso X el Sabio. Edición facsímil del Primer Lapidario contenido en los primeros 94 folios del ms. h.I.15 de la Biblioteca de El Escorial (Madrid) |
| [LJ] | (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) Alfonso X: Libro de los juegos Libros del Axedrez, Dados et Tablas, de Alfonso X, el Sabio. Edición facsímil del ms. T.I.6 de la biblioteca de El Escorial (Madrid) |
| [SP] | (1, 2, 3, 4) Alfonso X: Libro de los leyes Las Siete Partidas del Rey Don Alfonso X El Sabio, edición de 1807. Tomo I, II y III (edición en PDF). |
| [CD] | Alfonso X: El libro de Calila e Digna (Panchatantra) |
| [RU] | Juan Ruiz: The Book of True Love, Prague, Odeon, 1979, translated by Antonín Přidal, p.103 |
| [LAMG] | Alfonso X: Libro de astromagia, Vatican Library Reg.lat.1283.pt.A |
5.2. Literature¶
| [VR] | (1, 2, 3) Vestiduras ricas: el Monasterio de Las Huelgas y su época 1170-1340. 1. Madrid: PATRIMONIO NACIONAL, 2005. ISBN 978-8471203830. p. 162, 177 |
| [GMP] | (1, 2, 3) MENÉNDEZ PIDAL, Gonzalo. La Espaňa del siglo XIII: leída en imágenes. Madrid: Real Academia de la Historia, 1987. ISBN 978-8460048619, p. 131-2 |
| [KC] | KELLER, John Esten a Annette Grant CASH. Daily life depicted in the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky, 1998. Studies in Romance languages (Lexington, Ky.), 44. ISBN 978-0813120508. |
| [KL] | (1, 2, 3) GOLDBERG, Harriet, John E. KELLER a Richard P. KINKADE. Iconography in Medieval Spanish Literature. Hispania. 1985, 68(1). DOI: 10.2307/341597. ISSN 00182133. Also available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/341597?origin=crossref, p. 46 |
| [FG] | FRESNEDA GONZÁLEZ, María de las Nieves. Atuendo, aderezo, pócimas y ungüentos femeninos en la Corona de Castilla, (siglos XIII y XIV). Madrid, 2013. Thesis. Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Departamento de Historia del Arte I, leída el 18/12/2012, p. 391 |
| [AP] | Allan D. Peterkin: One thousand beards: a cultural history of facial hair. Vancouver 2001, S. 65. |
| [BM] | Bernat Metge, Lo somni. Barcelona: Barcino, 2006 (Els nostres clàssics, Collecció B; 27), ISBN 9788472267206, p. 88-89 |
| [CA] | (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Carderera y Solano, Valentín-Iconografía española : colección de retratos, estatuas, mausoleos y demás monumentos inéditos de reyes, reinas, grandes capitanes, escritores,etc. desde el siglo XI hasta el XVII R. 4736 |
| [CG] | Colin Chant, David Goodman (2005). Pre-Industrial Cities and Technology. Routledge. pp. 136–8. ISBN 1134636202, p. 136-8 |
| [GA] | Gilbertus Anglicus’ Compendium of Medicine, 1240. T. Anderson, Dental treatment in Medieval England, British dental journal volume 197 no. 7, October 9 2004, ISSN 1476-5373, p. 421 |
| [GM] | (1, 2, 3) GÓMEZ MORENO, Manuel, 1946. El Panteón real de las Huelgas de Burgos. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, p. 26 |
| [GMP2] | (1, 2) Gonzalo Menéndez Pidal: Las Cantigas la vida en el s. xiii segun la representacion iconografica. Cuadernos de La Alhambra, ISSN 0590-1987, Nº 14, 1978 |
| [GMPCB] | Gonzalo Menéndez Pidal, Carmen Bernis Madrazo: Las Cántigas: La vida en el S. XIII según la representación iconográfica II traje, aderezo, afeites. Notebooks of the Alhambra, ISSN 0590-1987, no. 15-17, 1979-1981, p. 89-154 |
| [JP] | Jean-Jacques Perret: La Pogonotomie, ou l’art d’apprendre à se raser soi-même. Yverdon 1770, p. 60. |
| [KH] | Kathleen Kulp-Hill: Songs of Holy Mary of Alfonso X, the Wise: A Translation of the “Cantigas De Santa Maria, Arizona Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies,US; Illustrated edition edition (14 Sept. 2000), ISBN 978-0866982139, p. 253 |
| [KI] | Kalın, İbrahim (2014). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199812578., p. 137 |
| [LR] | Lebling Jr., Robert W. (July–August 2003), “Flight of the Blackbird”, Saudi Aramco World: 24–33, retrieved 28 January 2008, p. 24-33 |
| [MB] | The Morgan Bible PML M.638.015, folio 15R |
| [MC] | Montserrat Cabré i Pairet, ‘From a Master to a Laywoman: A Feminine Manual of Self-Help’, Dynamis: Acta Hispanica ad Medicinae Scientiarumque Historiam Illustrandam 20 (2000), p. 371–93, here p. 385 |
| [MMR] | Menocal, María Rosa; Raymond P. Scheindlin; Michael Anthony Sells, eds. (2000), The Literature of Al-Andalus, Cambridge University Press |
| [PJR] | Partington, J. R. (1960). A history of Greek fire and gunpowder (Johns Hopkins paperbacks ed.). Cambridge: Heffer. ISBN 0-8018-5954-9. Retrieved 25 May 2015. |
| [RI] | Robert Irwin (2004). Alhambra. ISBN 80-7341-341-8, p.49 |
| [SB] | Sahih Bukhari, Book 72, Hadith #781 Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar: Allah’s Apostle said, “Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard (as it is). |
| [SI] | van Sertima, Ivan (1992), The Golden Age of the Moor, Transaction Publishers, p. 267, ISBN 978-1-56000-581-0, p. 267 |
| [SN] | https://sunnah.com/search/miswak |
| [WS] | William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875, p. 220 |
| [ZL] | Psaltery of st. Louis, Bibliothèque nationale de France MS Latin 10525, folio 61v |
| [AG] | A report from Agramunt’s Tourist Office on the exhibition of restored medieval textile finds, found in 1996. Available from: http://www.lleidatur.com/Portals/2/img/ca/pag/patronat_de_turisme/zona_de_premsa/newsletter/n104/es/noticia6.htm |
| [DD] | Courts and residences in the Middle Ages XXIV. Czech Radio [online]. Prague: Czech radio, 2010 [cit. 2019-10-11]. Available from: https://plus.rozhlas.cz/dvory-a-rezidence-ve-stredoveku-xxiv-6658524 |