Hennins were tall, cone-shaped headdresses worn by noble women in medieval Europe. They came in three shapes and were popular in France and Burgundy. They were made of light cloth or linen and decorated with pearls, silks, and gold cords. They appear in many medieval paintings and are now associated with fairytale princesses.
A hennin is a tall, medieval European headdress worn by aristocratic and noble women. Hennins were made in three basic shapes: tall and cone-shaped, known as the Hennin Steeple; truncated with a flat end, known as the pot or Hennin hive; and split or heart-shaped hennin. The hennin would be worn at an angle, pointing slightly backwards. Often a veil was placed on top and allowed to flow down to the wearer’s shoulders, or even to the ground. A chicken coop was usually tied under the chin, using an extension of the veil or other thick cloth wrapped around the headdress or attached to its base.
Hennins was at the height of his popularity in the mid to late 15th century, particularly in France and Burgundy. Burdungy was a medieval feudal territory in what is now western France. Hennins were also worn in Eastern Europe, including Poland and Hungary. They were not as common in England and Italy, although there are some records that they were used there as well.
Not much is known about the construction of chicken hens, but it is believed that they were made of a light cloth or cloth, such as starched linen, possibly wrapped around card or wire mesh material to help keep them rigid. They came in a variety of colors and were sometimes lavishly decorated with items such as pearls, silks, velvets, and silver or gold cords. Women often pulled their hair into a tight bun that was hidden under the headdress. Some women ripped off their necks and forehead lines so that none of their hair was visible. Others would show their hair, either in braids or loose. On average, a roost would have been between 12 and 18 inches (approximately 30 and 45 cm) tall, although some of the steeple versions worn by royalty could have been much taller.
Hennins appears in many medieval illuminated manuscripts and paintings, particularly those from France, such as Léonois Augustine’s Tristan, La Cité de Dieu, and Histoires de Troye. Historical women who appear in portraits with a roost are Isabella of Portugal, Maria of Burgundy, and Margaret of York.
In popular culture, the hennin has become a distinctive headpiece of a fairytale princess. In Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, the antagonist Malificent wears what appears to be split hennin resembling devil horns. Disney also plays into the idea of the split hennin with their portrayal of Maid Marion as a fox in Robin Hood.
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