Geographical Classification of the World Folk Headdress Types

세계 민족 헤드드레스 유형의 지역별 분류

Headdress which adorns the head has been used not only as a type of dress but also as a vehicle to express the human's mentality and a tool to convey ideas. This study first examines the type of headdress observed in the world folk costumes and investigates their geographical distribution and aims to examine how the types of headdress are inter-related to the peoples' natural environments, way of life and cultural background such as religion and aesthetic, ethical standards. Headdress used as important elements of many peoples' folk costumes can be categorized into scarf-type, hat-type and adornment-type. Veil-type, the one of scarf-types, was developed in Southwestern Asia and Arabic Africa influenced by natural and religious factors. This type is more simplified in Turkey and Eastern Europe and only covers head and neck in the former and only head in the latter while also being called 'headkerchief-type'. Hat-type is observed in many different parts of the world. Adornment-type has been used to symbolized one's noble social status and authority in societies dominated by shamanistic cultural background; it was also used in Far East out of the motivation to fulfil one's aesthetic desire. Headdress though it was originally made from the idential purpose of wearing, has developed into the various types affected by each people's natural environments, emotion and ways of life.