The Orkney Hood, History’s Creepiest Headwear
National Museums ScotlandThe 1,700-year-old hood shows the height of medieval Scottish style.
What did Scottish people wear 1,700 years ago? If the Orkney Hood is any indication, fashion was probably in a very dark place.
Discovered in 1867, the Orkney Hood is believed to be the oldest sample of textiles in Scottish history. The fringed cloak dates back to about 250 AD – 615 AD. And it remains eerily well preserved despite its age.
Since the cloak was originally found in a peat bog, experts believe that the conditions there allowed the garment to survive for so long. Thanks to a lack of oxygen, the hood looks remarkably new and essentially free of decay.
However, researchers continue to debate over the full story behind the hood. They’re still not sure whether the cloak was lost in the peat bog or deliberately placed there. It’s also unclear who owned the hood.
The hood holds other secrets, too. When experimental archaeologist Jacqui Wood tried to replicate it, she discovered that four people had worked together to make the garment. That level of quality points to one conclusion: A very wealthy person must have worn it centuries ago.
Interestingly enough, the hood and the fringe were originally two separate garments. Wood speculates that a high-status person once wore the fringe, which was later repurposed as a child’s hood.
“From my own impressions, a mother or father found a very nice quality piece of fabric and made the hood for a child,” Wood explains.