Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-11-13
THE LAND OF
QUAINT COSTUMES
EVERY ISLAND HAD ONCE ITS
OWN DISTINCTIVE DRESS
THE BUTTER DANES" IN
MOST REMARKABLE HEAD
DRESS TO MARK RELI-
GIOUS BELIEF

GIOUS BELIEF
iceland is paradise of quaint
costumes. Every island, almost
every town, once had its own dis
tinctive dress, and many still retain
it.
The butter market at Middelburg
has pretty setting. The wagons
and chaises roll up to the two gate
ways in endless procession, and the
fair Walcheren danes descend with
much shaking of voluminors skirts
and aprons, much patting of caps
and adjusting of coral necklaces, to
set their baskets of golden butter
and pearly eggs in even rows upon
the long benches within, before trot-
ting off to the inevitable shopping.
The product of dairy and chicken
coop belongs exclusively to the
farmers wives in iceland. 1t is
they who do the selling, they who
spend the earnings. You may find
the men at the grain market; on the
corners where pigs, calves, or sheep
are for sale; in the cafes about the
market square with their fellows,
and upon the days of great cattle
markets very busy, indeed, driving
shire I'd bargains.
The butter m;.ket is ready for
business about o'clock. If you
saunter in, then, through the iron
gateway, now standing Hospitality
wide to invite buyers, you will find
| the front row of benches occupied
around all three sides of the arcade
with closest rows of heavy baskets.
| and the back row by the wall with
hundred or mort rosy farmers
| wives and daughters, dainty as the
| proverbial new pin, in glistening
whAe ca gold spirals, coral neck
laces, many hngerrings, and best
black aprons over the second-best
gown. The very best belongs to
| festivals and mis-.
The gay frontispiece and the bare
arms give an air of gayety to the
somber> costume, and the upturned
gold spirals at each temple are fine
hangers f.; many broad pearl-tipped
pendants, which quite belle the de-
mure primness of the close white
cap.
They are not so demure, after all,
these dainty little danes, who trip
so swiftly and lightly from house to
house, from shop to shop, from
booth to booth, in the market place.
They are mischievous and roguist,
despite the somewhat puritanical air
lent by their garb, and quick at re-
partee and banter.
A tiny maid of four, wee laddie
unable to speak plainly, wear pre-,
cisely the same costume as mother
or father-full, long, black skirts
white cap, tiny gold spiral. cora
beads, and aprons for one; black
cloth or velvet trousers and jacket
much adorned with silver buttons
silver-buckled shoes, and queer blacl
hat for the other. /.
At Ter Goes the butter market i
also ruled by the ladies'. 1t, too, Il
held in an inclosure and its gait
opens upon the market place. With
out it, the men are grouped in mum
bers, but within the danes reigr
supreme. There is no great Under
to cast 'cturesque shadows nor t.
filter the sunshine with touches
gold pendant .- coral bead now ant
then as with living fire. There il
not the SAME cool, green shadow tt
make yellower the golden b, ter o
whittier the pearly eggs; but tn
mat .ons md maids who buy and sci
there are far more startling t
strang. rs han the Wa!cherel
auti. S.
Over their ,dices gay kercl;, f
folded il prescribed and curiou
lines, and the caps which cover thei
shapely heads are of lace platte
into wide-spreading wings. There
always small close cap which fit
. the heads snugly, disclosing the hal
only at the forehead, where it roll
back in a tiny smooth puff.
From beneath this cap ]ut SHIN
gold plates, like window mirrors
secured firmly in place by huge gol
: pins. Above this is worn the lac
cap, coming down smooth an
,, straight to end squarely across tn
Shoulders for a (Roman) Catholi
woman, gathered or plated to flar
widely and coquettishly for tn
woman whose faith is Calvinistic.
Their fathers or husbands ais
mark belief by headdress. The Fro
estant wears his beaver hat wit
brim rolled up the entire round, tn
(Roman) Catholic turns his down
$ front to form a visor.