The horned female headdress in the late Middle Ages

Abstract

The female corniform headdress appears represented for the first time in the second half of the 14th century in the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. During the 15th and early 16th centuries, it was shown in paintings and sculptures from the north of the Meseta in Castile and Aragon, with extension to Galicia and the Atlan-tic Pyrenees (France). The texts of travelers of the 16th century tried to interpret its origin and meaning. The artists represented it during the late Middle Ages in a noble environment and in courtly and gallant literature, and also in an ennobled religious context.