October 06

It's Mad Hatter Day!
Were you expecting us to talk about the character in Alice in Wonderland?

We tend to celebrate Alice's adventures in Spring, and so the kind of hat we'll be talking about now that we're knee deep into October is the witch hat!

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The history of the witch hat is complex and multifaceted, with origins tied to various cultural and historical contexts, not just witchcraft. While the iconic pointy black hat is now strongly associated with witches, its roots lie in diverse areas like fashion, religious practices, and even social stigmas. 

Fashion and Social Status
  • Hennin: Tall, conical hats called hennins were fashionable among noblewomen in the medieval period, later influencing styles in the countryside. 
  • Alewives: Women who brewed and sold beer (known as alewives) wore tall hats to be visible in marketplaces. This association with women in a traditionally male-dominated trade, and the subsequent association with brewing beer, may have contributed to the later association of pointy hats with witchcraft, according to some historians. 
Religious and Social Persecution
  • Puritans: Some theories link the pointy hat to Puritan fashion, where wide-brimmed, black, conical hats were common. Puritans were often viewed with suspicion, and this association with a religious group could have contributed to the hat's later association with witchcraft, according to some scholars. 
  • Antisemitism: Another theory suggests a link to the "Judenhut," a conical hat forced upon Jewish people in medieval Europe to identify them. This hat's association with persecution could have influenced the perception of the pointy hat as a symbol of oppression. 
  • Heretics: In some cases, those considered heretics or "different" were forced to wear pointed hats to be easily identified, further solidifying the hat's connection to those marginalized by society. 
We interrupt your history lesson with a cute & simple 
no-sew DIY witch hat tutorial that's only 90 seconds long
Now back to your regular programming ...

Witchcraft and Stereotypes
  • Symbol of Fear and Mistrust: Over time, the pointy hat became associated with witchcraft, particularly during the witch trials and hunts. The hat served as a visual marker of those accused of witchcraft—often women who defied social noms. 
  • Visual Symbol: The pointy hat, along with other stereotypical witch attire (black robes, etc.), became a visual shorthand for the archetype of the witch. 
Halloween and Popular Culture: The pointy witch hat remains a popular costume choice, especially for Halloween. This has further cemented the hat's connection to witchcraft in modern popular culture. 

For more info on witch iconography (including hat & costume origins), 
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