Figure 1.--This American boy in a photograph taken about the turn of the 20th century wears a tunic suit with what looks to be braided rather than curled hair.
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Figure 1.--This American boy in a photograph taken about the turn of the 20th century wears a tunic suit with what looks to be braided rather than curled hair. |
Braids are strands of hair woven together, also referred to as plaits. It is also used to refer to a band or ribbon to trim or confine the hair. It does not always refer to hair. It can refer to rope raided out of twine or even leather bindings. It is often associated with equestrian tack. It is the hair style, however, that is most widely known and generally considered a girls' style.
Braiding is a easy and quite practical way to make laces, straps, ties, and many other narrow wares. It was a well established medieval craft. There are far more possibilities than just the simple
3-strand braid that everyone knows. Although there are many ways to make cords and narrow strips of fabric, this discussion is limited to a few of the most common
braids made from a set of elements and using no equipment.
The elements are divided into two equal or nearly equal groups, and the outside element from one group is carried over the rest of that group and added to the inside
of the other group.
Type: 3-strand: This is the "basic" braid, virtually ubiquitous in time and place. Examples include: 1) Medieval London- worsted wool, each element composed of 5 strands (Crowfoot et al. 1992); 2) Medieval York- interesting example made from hair moss (Walton 1989); 3) Medieval York- as part of a more complex diamond mesh structure (Walton 1989).
Type: 5-strand: Construction: over 2. Examples include: 1) Durham, early 10th c. silk edging sewn to tablet-woven band (Crowfoot 1939).
Type: 8-strand: Construction: over 3/over 4. An examples is: 1) Durham, early 10th c. silk edging sewn to tablet-woven band (Crowfoot 1939).
This braid is excellent for making cords and lacings. It is constructed with a multiple of 4 elements. The elements are divided into four groups. The outside cord is
taken over its own group and two adjacent groups, and then carried under the last group it crossed over to end in the center of the band.
Type: 4-strand: Construction: over 2, under 1. This braid can also be made quite quickly with 4 weighted bobbins. Then end of the braid is attached to a fixed point, allowing the bobbins to hang. If the bobbins
are held so that they are at the corners of a square, the braid can be made simply by interchanging the diagonal elements. Examples include: 1) prehistoric Denmark- leather thong (Hald 1980).
Type: 8-strand: Construction: over 5, under 2. Examples include: 1) Most common braid found in medieval London (13-14th c.), all were silk, and at least one was more than one color (Crowfoot et al. 1992) and 2) prehistoric and medieval Denmark (Hald 1980).
Type: 12-strand: Construction: over 8, under 3. Examples include: 1) survives in Scandinavian folk crafts, probably much earlier (Hald 1980) and 2) very common in other areas such as Peru or the Middle East.
Type: 6-strand: Construction: over 4, under 1, over
This is a variation on the basic form of round braid. Examples include Medieval London- one silk braid found (Crowfoot et al. 1992).
There are a few other types of braid which I think are interesting and useful, but which don't fit in the previous categories, so I've tacked them on at the end.
Type: 5-strand guilloche: Construction: 2 outer over 2 inner, wrap 5th
This braid can be produced more quickly using 2 card-weaving cards, threaded in opposite directions with 2 strands each. Instead of passing the weft through the
shed, it is wrapped around the inner pair. Examples are Durham, early 10th c.- silk edging on tablet-woven band (Crowfoot 1939)
Fingerloop braids: This type of braid was very common in medieval London (Crowfoot et al. 1992). They were used as edging on mesh hairnets, purse strings, and for fastening
clothing. Examples of 5, 7, 10, 14, and 20 loops have been found. All were of silk, mostly monochrome, but one used 2 colors. Fingerloop braids of 3 and 4 colors
are known from elsewhere. Construction of a 5-loop braid: The 5 elements are folded in half, and the ends are attached to a fixed object. I know two entirely different ways to do this. One is
from Crowfoot et al. 1992, and apparently nowhere else, and the other is a much more common method (which I learned at Pennsic, see also Speiser's papers.)
Crowfoot method: 1) Hold 3 loops on the fingers of the left hand and 2 on the fingers of the right hand (palms up, one loop per fingertip); 2) Pass the center loop (the right-most loop on the left hand) over the first loop on the right hand, and through the second (outside) loop, finally depositing it on the index finger of the right hand; Pass the center loop (the left-most loop on the right hand) over the second loop on the left hand and through the first (outside) loop, finally depositing it on the index finger of the left hand.
Other method: Start with the loops in this position: Left hand: skip the little finger, put loops over the next 3 fingers. Right hand: skip the little finger, put loops on the next 2 fingers.
If you tip your hands slightly toward each other, the loops suddenly have a top (outside strand) and bottom (inside strand), making sort of a shed. Using your right little finger, reach thru this shed on the inside 2 strings of the left hand, and pick up the BOTTOM strand on the outside loop, transferring that loop
to the little finger on your right hand. Now do the same thing on the other side. Reach with your left little finger thru the inside 2 loops on the right hand, and pick up the outside loop from the bottom. Now adjust all the loops so your little fingers are free. You can do this with one hand, you don't need the other hand to pick up & move loops. (I actually do this
step after every manipulation, not just after a pair.)
Repeat as desired... If you notice, picking up the loop from the bottom twists it as you work. This joins the braid together, If you pick up the loop from the top, you actually get two entirely separate layers, which can be useful if you want to make a braid with a hole in it.
In another very common class of braids, the elements serve as both warp and weft, following a diagonal course over and under the other elements (tabby weave).
These braids were used in Scandinavia as garters and carrying straps (Hald 1980). Arrowhead and zig-zag patterns were common (created by the starting
arangement of colors, not by differences in method.) Scraps of wool braid were found at Mammen, and a leather strap made in this technique was found at Oseberg.
There is a certain romance that surrounds the history
and tradition of the Hackamore. The hackamore has woven its' way from Spain by way of the
Conquistadors through Mexico to California and into the modern western horse world. Thus, the terminology for the different parts of the hackamore are of Spanish origin. The term Hackamore is used
when describing the complete set of the bosal, the
mecate, the headstall and the fiador. The bosalita is
the pencil(sized) bosal used in the two rein set.
The material used in the construction of the different
parts of the hackamore had to be readily available to
the working vaquero or cowboy. Rawhide, leather
and horse hair were always at hand. The technique of construction was dependent on the
skill and time constraints of the maker.
This article will show you one method of tying the mecate (may-kah'-tay) on the bosal. The
mecate is a rope traditionally made from twisted mane hair. Usually 22 feet in length and
has a button with a tassel on one end called a mota. The mecate is used as both the reins
and as a lead rope. The mecate varies from 3/8" to 1" in diameter. The most commonly
used are 3/8" to 3/4". A general rule is to use the same diameter or mecate as the diameter of the cheek of the bosal. The mecate size should not vary more than a 1/8" larger of smaller than the diameter of the bosal.
Native Americans, both genders, braided their hair. I have no information, however, on tribes with the origins of this style, which tribes briads were popular with, or variations over time. They do not appear to have been a child's style and may in fact have been worn by adults.
Braided single tails hair were worn by the Chinese in the 19th and early 20th century. I think they were primarily worn by men. I'm not sure at what age boys began wearing them. I also have no information on the origins of the style.
Braids in America has been generally considered a girls' hair style, but some boys have also worn them. One author describes "French braids". I'm not sure just what French
braids are. She specfies many styles, incliding: the inside and outside French braid, double French Braids, braided headband, halo, spiral, twistie, and fishtail.
Heidi braids: Another hair stle expert refers to Heidi braids. Heidi braids require hair that is long to very long so that the braids can wrap completely around the head. This appears to be similar to halo braids.
Creating a beautiful Heidi Braid is not as complicated as it looks. The key to successfully creating this braid is to practice the actual braiding to get both of the braids to be the same thickness and size so that the crown is evenly balanced.
Braids are generally associated with girls. Braided hair is a very common hair style for girls, although I do not know about the chronology of the style. I know very little about
braids. There are different styles, but I know little about this. I do know that braids, often pig tails, were popular by the 1920s. They were often ties with ribbons. Boys of the era, in fact, took immense pleasure in pulling girls' pig tails.
Figure 2.--This American boy appears to be wearing a velvet tunic sailor suit. Notice his hair bow and elaborate hair style with both ringlet curls and braids. |
Some boys have also worn braided hair.
Significant chronological differences exist. In the 18th century boys wore single tail braids, sometimes tied with a ribbon. In the 19th century and early 20th century, boys who wore long hair sometimes wore it braided.
Braiding by the 19th century was not a common style. In America, it was more common to curl long hair. But a few mothers chose to braid it. I have few details on this. I do not know if this was more common in certain countries or at specific chronological periods.
Hair bows for boys appear to have been used sometimes in combination with other styles Figure 1). The other child on this page (figure 2) has an unusual hair style. The front hair is braided and the braid looped back and tied with a ribbon that matches his collar bow.
HBC does not yet have enough images of boys with braids to determine which clothing styles were commonly worn with braids. The existing images show that at the turn of the 19th century that boys with braids wore sailor tunic suits. This may reflect more the popularity of the sailor tunics than an association between tunics and hair braids.
HBC has no information on the braiding styles used on boys hair. It is likely that they were some of the same styles used by girls and women. Some of the exceptions include halo braids and twin pig tails. Thsee probably were not worn by boys. But some of the others one were worn by boys.
American boys appear to have worn braids in several fashions.
Plain braids: Some boys may have worn plain braids. Some boys may have, for example, worn braids rather than curls.
Braids and curls: Some boys appear to have worn their hair in a combination of braids and curls.
Braids and bows: Some boys wore braids with hair bows. This was fairly common in the 18th century when it was fairly common to wear to wear a bow on a a single pony tail worn at the back. It was much less common in the 19th century when hair bows became more associated with girls' hair styles.
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