Musings Hats off to brown county
~ by Mark Blackwell
The weather here in God’ s Country( or maybe it should just be God’ s County) Indiana is taking a decidedly chilly turn. And for some of us, who suffer from a loss of natural scalp insulation, our thoughts turn to headwear— that is hats and caps. Hats are utilitarian, a fashion statement, and even status symbols; sometimes all three at the same time.
The origin of hats is lost in the mists of history, but I have seen photographs of chimpanzees using large plant leaves for shelter from rain. So, maybe humans were already wearing head gear on our migration out of Africa. And since prehistoric humans spent a lot of time outdoors, a big palm leaf hat would serve to keep the sun off, as well.
Early examples of hat wearing include“ Otzi” the 5,000 year old fellow that was discovered in the Austrian Alps in 1991, when the glacier that preserved his body melted. He was found wearing a bearskin hat, which would have been an appropriate choice for hiking in the mountains.
At some point on the timeline of history, somebody decided to distinguish their hat from anybody else’ s, so they adorned it with a special crease, hatband, or feather. It got noticed by other folks, who then modified their hats, and that was the beginning of fashion. Humans have used particular styles of hats to identify with the people of their tribe or village or country.
Even in modern times we identify the beret, which is a felted wool or knit flat cap, with the French. However, it probably originated with the Basque people of northern Spain. The sombrero is a practical sunshade and symbol of Mexico. The ubiquitous conical straw hats, like the non la of
32 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2024