Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/137

129 FOLK-LORE OF THE FEROE ISLANDS.

[Reprinted from Landt's Description of the Feroe Islands, 1810.]

WEDDING-DRESS consists of a fine blue, and sometimes red jacket, called stakkur, somewhat short in the body, with long round skirts formed into many small folds or plaits. The sleeves, which reach to the wrists, are ornamented with small black velvet cuffs, and to the extremities are sown broad lace ruffles, which are folded back on the cuffs. Around the neck the bride wears a fine white handkerchief, with broad lace at the edges. On the breast is fastened a large silver pin, from which is suspended by one corner a square plate of the same metal about four inches wide. This plate is furnished with a great many projecting rings or hooks, from which hang abundance of silver spangles that on the least motion glitter and make a rattling noise. Around the middle is a girdle of red velvet, interspersed with silver figures and fastened before with a silver buckle; but one end of the girdle hangs down over the skirts of the jacket. The hair is formed into two braids, which are folded round the head, and above them are placed a small roll or fillet ornamented with ribbons, either of different colours or interwoven with gold and silver, which are entwined and fastened to each other in a great many knots and figures to the height of about two or three inches. To the back part of this fillet are fastened four broad ribbons, often interwoven with gold and silver or covered with various ornaments: of these four ribbons, each of which is about eighteen inches in length, two are suffered to hang down the back; but the other two are drawn forwards and fastened in such a manner as to hang down on the breast. (If the bride be a widow or with child before marriage, she must wear below the fillet a cap of red velvet or cloth, which stands somewhat upwards in order to cover the