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Traditionally abridal crown (German:Brautkrone or, in theBlack Forest,Schäppel) is aheaddress that, in Central and Northern Europe, single women wear on certain holidays, at festivals and, finally, at theirwedding. Bridal crowns today, of another type, are also often provided by churchparishes for the use of brides at their weddings.
A bridal crown, along with thebridal wreath andveil, is probably the oldest decorative form of headdress worn by women. With it thebride would symbolise her purity, and it was also a status symbol for her family. Especially in farming areas, the bridal crown was and is very popular. In several regions the bride takes her crown off after the church service and hangs it over the wedding table as a sign of the peace.
The design of bridal crowns is very varied and depends on the place and region. To begin with they were decorated with flowers, fir branches, herbs and ripe fruits. In later times and even today, more expensive materials were used such aspearls,mirrors,silver andgold.
These more valuable headdresses could only be afforded by wealthy families. The less well off could, however, borrow them from neighbours and friends in return for payment in kind. Often the churches or parishes had bridal crowns and could hire them out. In the course of the 18th century, the bridal crown was replaced by the bridal wreath in many places, as had been the pagan custom in the 4th century.
WhenPrincess Mary of Saxe-Altenburg married KingGeorge V of Hanover in 1843, he wore a large, golden crown and she a somewhat smaller golden bridal crown.
Such bridal crowns are traditionally worn together with anational or local costume (e.g.Tracht in Germany or Austria) or as a less expensive item in the shape of a small crown or adiadem.
InNorway,Sweden andSerbia, bridal crowns were made of silver; inBavaria andSilesia of gold wire, glass stones and glittering metal flakes.
In theBlack Forest, bridal crowns also havepearls, glass balls,mirrors and ribbons or paper roses. Locally bridal crowns are always known asSchäppel, and they vary in design from place to place. An insight into the range of theSchäppel in theBlack Forest is the collection at theBlack Forest Costume Museum inHaslach.[1]
The so-calledBorta is worn by theSorbs inLusatia.
InThuringia they wear aHormt as part of the farming costume at Altenburg.
A wide range of bridal crowns are also seen in Hungary and Slovakia—many featuring artificial flowers and beads.
InScandinavia bridal crowns today usually are made of brass, silver or gold, are fashioned like a smaller type ofcoronet of a princess and often have gems and ornate decorations. They are often attached to long veils.[2] Scandinavian church parishes keep such crowns of their own and lend them to brides for their wedding ceremonies and receptions.[3] The crown relates to theVirgin Mary, and is a statement of a young woman's purity andvirginity at her wedding.[4][5]
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