Ancient history

Headgear in the Middle Ages:the pennant

Headgear was indispensable for both women and men in the Middle Ages. For example, they served to protect against dirt, lice and the weather. Women, especially the married ones, also wore them for moral purposes. One form of headgear was the so-called pennant. This is a cloth that the woman wraps around her head in such a way that her hair and part of her face are covered.

The pennant in the Middle Ages

The pennant was often part of the nun's costume. This is hardly surprising, since wearing a pennant was considered particularly modest. The big advantage of this hat is that no needles are needed. If the pennant is wound well, it will last all day without any problems, or at least it only needs to be adjusted from time to time. It was worn from around the 9th to the 15th century, only the type of winding has changed over the centuries. In depictions it is often worn together with a veil.

Wrap a medieval pennant

There are different ways to wrap a headscarf in a medieval style. The so-called pennant is one of them. In this way of wearing, the scarf is wrapped around the head and chin, with one end sticking out at the side. We used a cloth measuring 180 cm x 50 cm. This headscarf is also available in our shop. It shouldn't be much shorter for this winding technique.

Once you get the hang of it, you can try out how tight the pennant is for you. If it's tied loosely, it won't pinch, but you may have to touch it up more often.

Instructions in six steps

Step 1

First you guide the open cloth along the back of your head. The side on which the towel will later hang out should be slightly longer.

Step 2

Now tuck in the side on which the end of the sling will later hang out.

Step 3

Now guide the twisted side up behind your head.

Step 4

You now lay the upper part over your forehead, while the previously unused other side of the cloth runs along under your chin.

Step 5

Now swap both ends once:the end that runs along the chin comes up and the end that runs over the forehead comes down.

Step 6

Almost there! Now all you have to do is pin the lower end to the back of your head and let go of the upper end.

Our tip:There are many ways to tie a headscarf. You can find another variant in the blog post “How to tie a medieval headscarf”.