Text and photo Laila Duran ©
In many parts of Scandinavia the men´s folk costumes are decorated with elaborate stitching and intricate cuts, but few have the adornment of silver like the Sami folk costumes. Visiting a wedding in Kautokeino, in the northern regions of Norway, I was stunned by the richly decorated men´s costumes. The belts with silver buttons and rattling leaves tell the story of the man´s origin and social status. The belts are made of leather and from the time of confirmation, at about the age of fifteen, the collecting of silver starts. Young unmarried men wear round silver buttons and married men wear square ones on their belts. The white silk neckerchief is the symbol of the bridegroom. This day is the first day he wears the belt with square gold gilded buttons. The fastening is a gold chain with a beautifully forged globe.
The kirtles (tunics) from Kautokeino are traditionally blue with hundreds of meters of ribbons stitched on to red cloth at the hem.
The belt with the square buttons symbolize that he is now a married man. The belt is fastened with a large buckle and a gold chain.
The bridegroom is wearing white on his wedding day. Both the silk neckerchief round the neck and the larger kerchief on the front of the kirtle are decorated with large brooches of gilded silver.
I have been told that the shape of the hat symbolizes the four points of compass: north, south, east and west.
The fronts as well as the backs of the kirtles are decorated with colorful ribbons stitched to red cloth. A brooch is fastened to the silk neckerchief and the neck line is closed using a silver clasp adorned with colored stones.
The belt of the unmarried man has round buttons with hanging leaves. As I had the pleasure of attending this wedding, I was delighted to see that all the belts were different in style and design. Personal taste and creativity allows everybody to design their own personal accessories.
Over the white shirt a jacket, called “Blåkofta”, is worn, which is short enough to show the embroidered skirt waistbands. It is closed with silver lacing rings and a silver chain.
The jacket is embellished with embroidery at the cuffs, shoulders and center front.
The shawl was 175 cm long and 55 cm wide. It was common to separate the red fields with borders in green, blue, pink, orange and purple color. The most elaborated shawls also had small flower motifs brocaded on the red ground. The shawl on the photo was woven in 1935 by the wearer’s mother in law.
For more information about Setesdal and the museum please visit www.setesdalsmuseet.no
Hanna Jimheden modeling a folk costume from “Bjäre” for the next edition of Scandinavian Folklore.
The shoes used with the Scanian costumes are Empire style. Colorful ribbons in a variation of colors are used for decoration.
Monica wearing a formal festive costume from Vemmenhög. The white apron and the head dress are used only on festive occasions.
