Lika cap
Encyclopedia
The Lika cap is a traditional cap used together with the folk attire of the Lika
region in Croatia
. The hat has a round shape with a flat top; the top color is red while the area around the side is black, often with black tassel
s hanging down the back. Overtime the cap has become an important cultural symbol of the Lika region and its Dinaric
people. It is worn as part of the Croatian national costume
of Lika.
. During the Bronze Age
, the Iapodes used a bronze sheet as the base of their cap, which was lined with textile or leather, and attached with a bronze fringe.
, the Austrians created buffer territories against the Ottoman Turks
called the Croatian Military Frontier. Here they created a military police unit who were called the Seressaner (from the Latin meaning "tent dwellers"), made up of men from prosperous Lika families.
The hajduk
s of Lika are said to have used this cap when fighting the Ottoman Turks. The regional origins of the cap demonstrates its affinity with other Dinaric styles, such as the Montenegrin cap
and Šibenik cap
.The Coat of arms of Croatia
(šahovnica) is often adorned on the cap, while some older versions have repoussé designs on them. They are now worn mainly at festivals in full costume as well as national dances
.
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
region in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The hat has a round shape with a flat top; the top color is red while the area around the side is black, often with black tassel
Tassel
A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.-Etymology:...
s hanging down the back. Overtime the cap has become an important cultural symbol of the Lika region and its Dinaric
Dinara
Dinara is a mountain located on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of its summits, also called Dinara, is the highest point in Croatia at 1,831 m and a prominence of 728 m.-Etymology:...
people. It is worn as part of the Croatian national costume
Croatian national costume
Croatian national costume or Croatian dress refers to the traditional clothing worn by Croats living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, with smaller communities in Hungary, Montenegro, and Romania...
of Lika.
Origins
The caps are originally derived from the headgear worn by the Iapodes, an archaic Illyrian tribe that lived in the lands of western Croatia known as LiburniaLiburnia
Liburnia in ancient geography was the land of the Liburnians, a region along the northeastern Adriatic coast in Europe, in modern Croatia, whose borders shifted according to the extent of Liburnian dominance at a given time between 11th and 1st century BC...
. During the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, the Iapodes used a bronze sheet as the base of their cap, which was lined with textile or leather, and attached with a bronze fringe.
History
During the Habsburg rule over CroatiaKingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)
The Kingdom of Croatia was an administrative division that existed between 1527 and 1868 within the Habsburg Monarchy . The Kingdom was a part of the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen, but was subject to direct Imperial Austrian rule for significant periods of time, including its final years...
, the Austrians created buffer territories against the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
called the Croatian Military Frontier. Here they created a military police unit who were called the Seressaner (from the Latin meaning "tent dwellers"), made up of men from prosperous Lika families.
The hajduk
Hajduk
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
s of Lika are said to have used this cap when fighting the Ottoman Turks. The regional origins of the cap demonstrates its affinity with other Dinaric styles, such as the Montenegrin cap
Montenegrin cap
The Montenegrin cap is a cap traditionally worn by Montenegrins and Serbs of Montenegro. Originally worn by males, it is now not exclusively for them....
and Šibenik cap
Šibenik cap
Šibenik cap is a regional variant of a traditional red cap used in the Balkans that was developed in Šibenik, Croatia.-History:The cap is more orange in colour instead of red, and simplified in cut...
.The Coat of arms of Croatia
Coat of arms of Croatia
The coat of arms of Croatia consists of one main shield and five smaller shields which form a crown over the main shield. The main coat of arms is a checkerboard that consists of 13 red and 12 silver fields. It's commonly known as šahovnica or grb...
(šahovnica) is often adorned on the cap, while some older versions have repoussé designs on them. They are now worn mainly at festivals in full costume as well as national dances
Croatian dances
Croatian dance traditionally refers to a series of folk-dances, the most common being the Kolo. Croatian dance varies by region, and can be found throughout the various regions of Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia, Hungary, and Romania...
.