Women's Hoods of the Bayeux Tapestry

Women’s Hoods in the Bayeux Tapestry, circa 1066 

Constanza de Mendoza 

(m.k.a. Sunny Buchler) 

sunny_buchler@sbcglobal.net 

The common interpretation of women’s 11th century headgear is something I am going 

to call a scarf-veil. 

My recreation of a scarfveil 

Edith from the Bayeux Tapestry 

I only think one of the three women in the Bayeux Tapestry is wearing a veil-scarf 

arrangement. The other two look more like hoods to me, plus, I have not been able to 

recreate the arrangements depicted using a veil-scarf. 

1

Aelfgyva in the Bayeux Tapestry 

Fleeing Woman in the Bayeux Tapestry 

Years ago I tried to adjust a "standard" hood pattern (see table on the next page) to make 

one of these hoods. The attempt was an abysmal failure - the "standard" hood patterns 

aim to be flat across the bust & shoulders, they have none of the folds seen in the above 

pictures. 

2

Standard Hoods as described by I. Marc Carlson 

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/%7Emarc-carlson/cloth/hoods.html 

According to the typology given in Nockert, Type 1 Hoods are 

typified as 

"Hood and liripipe cut in one piece. Tailored neck seam. 

Large cape (about 30 cm long) with diagonally cut line 

in the center, front and back. Gore inserted in the middle 

of both front and back. Wide neck (65 cm approx). Long 

liripipe (90 cm). Liripipe 3.5 cm wide." 

There is one example of this type of hood; the Bocksten hood. 1 


typified as 

"Hood cut in two equal parts, with a tailored, slightly 

ridged seam above the skull. Upper part of liripipe 

usually cut in one piece with the hood. Large cape (20- 

33 cm long). Long liripipe (60-84 cm). Liripipe width 

varies between 1.4 and 5 cm." 

There is also a gore in the front, and sometimes in the back, and 

a somewhat tailored neck seam. This group is made up from 

four hoods from Herjolfsnes, and comprises Norlund's "Type I": 

no. 65, no. 66, no. 67, and no. 70. The major difference between 

the Nockert Type 1 and 2 is the existance of a seam separating 

the side pieces. 2 


typified as 

"Hood cut in two equal parts, with a seam above the 

skull. Liripipe cut separately. Short cape (10-15 cm 

long) with diagonally cut neck and gore inserted on each 

shoulder. Narrow Neck (43-47 cm). Liripipe length 

varies between 47 and 68 cm, width 2-6 cm." 

This group is made up from eleven hoods from Herjolfsnes, and 

comprises Norlund's "Type II": no. 65, no. 71, no. 72, no. 73, no. 

75, no. 76, no. 77, no. 78, no. 79, and no. 80. Cutting the hood as 

a piece with the liripipe would then include London Hood no.174. 

3 

This hood type is not seen in Nockert's Typology. 

There are two examples of a Type 4 hood; the London Hood 

no.246/BC72 , and London Hood no.247 4 

1 http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/%7Emarc-carlson/cloth/hoodtp1.html 




3

So I decided to get a modern hijab to see how those worked. Much to my disappointment 

the one I ordered was made of stretchy material, however it did inspire me to something 

that I think works: 

This construction hypothesis requires the use of a band tied around the forehead - that’s 

good because headbands appear in the wills! They even occasionally appear in the art - 

now that I have a better understanding of what I'm looking at. With just the scarf-veil a 

headband is unnecessary, so the references confused me, but if they are used for hoods, 

then these references make sense! Also, my new version of the hood can be pulled down 

across the shoulders like Aelfgyva's (although possibly the bottom needs to be wider for 

me): 

Aelfgyva in the Bayeux 

Tapestry 

Even better - using a double arrangement of headbands, you can get the multi-layered 

version seen in the 10 th century art. Granted the art is quite stylized, however, all those 

sketchy lines have always made me think of FOLDS: 

4

Late 900s, Prudentius, 

Psychomachia. Ostentation 

throws off her finery as she 

prepares to flee from the 

Virtues. 5 

I can make an argument for the pattern as well; it's a simple shape too - a trapezoid sewn 

into a truncated cone. No advanced fitting techniques required. It is very fabric efficient 

as well, presuming it’s made from a narrow width of fabric (which can be woven on oneperson 

looms). If it’s cut with a half-gore to make the angled ends, there is absolutely no 

fabric waste. 

5 Picture reproduced on page 25 of Margaret Scott's Medieval Dress & Fashion. For more picture I 

recommend http://www.uvm.edu/%7Ehag/rhuddlan/images/ 

5

Pattern 

Possible cutting layout 

I tried both 24” and 33” width of fabric, the wider one is easier for the multi-layered 

version, but other then that it doesn't make much difference. 

Oh, and in case you really want to know, the headbands look like this: 

6

Headband for the simple version - I needed 

to pin the hood at the center of the forehead, 

otherwise there's a peak at the top. 

Multiple headbands for the multi-layered 

version. When wearing the hood I put a pin 

at the top of the head to keep the folds from 

falling back, and two on either side of the 

forehead to keep the front in place. 

7

Women's Hoods of the Bayeux Tapestry

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