witch’s hat The stereotypical image of a witch is that
of an ugly, old hag wearing a tall, black, pointed hat
with a broad brim. The origin of this stereotype is not
certain.
In medieval woodcuts, witches are shown wearing
various costumes of the times, including headscarves and
hats of different fashions. Many are shown bareheaded,
with locks flying in the wind.
It is possible that the witch’s hat is an exaggeration
of the tall, conical “dunce’s hat” that was popular in the
royal courts of the 15th century or the tall but blunttopped
hats worn by Puritans and the Welsh. No matter
what the fashion, pointed hats were frowned upon by the
Church, which associated points with the horns of the
Devi l.
Brimless, conical hats have been associated with male
wizards and magicians. It is possible that an artist, somewhere
along the way, added a brim to make the hats more
appropriate for women. By Victorian times, the tall, black,
conical hat and the ugly crone became readily identifiable
symbols of wickedness in illustrations of children’s fairy
tales.
Another possibility is that the witch’s hat may indeed
go back to antiquity. Ancient Etruscan coins from the
city of Luna have a head on one side which may be the
goddess Dia na, who is associated with witches. The head
wears a brimless, conical hat.
Most contemporary Witches go bareheaded or wear
ritual headwear such as headbands with a crescent
moon or other religious symbol positioned on the forehead.
In rituals in which Goddess and Horned God
are represented, the high priestess may wear a headband
crown, and the high priest a helmet with horns
or antlers.
