The Celtic Hair Bonnets Joannes Richter

Abstract
Analyzing the 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg I visited the Landesmuseum
Württemberg at the Old Castle in Stuttgart (Germany), which exhibits another sculpture with
similar braids. This sculpture has been found as early as 1698 in the city of Wildberg in the Black
Forest1.
The Wildberg sculpture is equipped with 6 voluminous braids which have been carved at the back
of the sculpture.
Additionally the Landesmuseum also exhibits a 2.3m tall Celtic Stele of Holzgerlingen2 with
bonnets, which had been found 1838 in the city of Holzgerlingen near Böblingen. In historical
literature the symbolism of the bonnets has been declared as unknown3.
Arranging these sculptures in a row I imagined the 6 rolled up braids of the Wildberg sculpture may
be fitted into the two „bonnets“ of the Stele of Holzgerlingen.
Are we allowed to define the „head caps“ of the Celtic sculptures as „hair bonnets“?
The following overview analyses and compares the available information the Stele of
Holzgerlingen, the Wildberg sculpture and the 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in
Forchtenberg.

3: The 3-faced sculpture at

Michael's Church in Forchtenberg
(own photograph)

2 Wildberg Sculpture
1 Holzgerlingen (4 views by Robert Knorr) - (1922)
1 (in German) Die Steinfigur von Wildberg (Heidelberger OJS-Journal): With remarks to old-Celtic sculptures and
divine iamges. Robert Knorr in "Germania: Anzeiger der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission des Deutschen
Archäologischen Instituts". Bd. 6, Nr. 1 (1922)
2 (in German) Stele of Holzgerlingen — Celtic Statue with a Janus-Head - Provenance/Rights: Landesmuseum
Württemberg, Stuttgart [CC BY-SA]
3 (in German) Page 121 at „Teutates und Konsorten“ – Reise zu den Kelten in Südwestdeutschland – Johannes
Lehmann (2006)
The 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg
Unfortunately the 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg merely describes the face
region and the braids.
The left-sided photograph displays the two braids which are disappearing in the background of the
sculpture. Obviously the sculpture does not reveal the total length of the braids.
In the right-sided photograph I used a graphical editor to enhance the braid- and eye-structures of
the 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg.
In my research the dark color of the cap could not be analyzed. The black cover area may have been
accentuated by dark paint.

5: Braids at the 3-faced sculpture at 4 Enhanced braid- and eye-

Michael's Church in Forchtenberg structures of the 3-faced sculpture at
(own photograph) Michael's Church in Forchtenberg
(own edited photograph)
The Wildberg sculpture
The Wildberg sculpture had been found before 1698 in the city of Wildberg at the river Nagold and
is exhibited at the Landesmuseum Württemberg at the Old Castle in Stuttgart (Germany).
In the web we may find two detailed descriptions of the discovery: (my own translation)
In Wildberg a very old 7′ 11″ tall sculpture has been found of an apparently Christian priest
with a long beard, braids and cincture (exhibited in K. Museum at Stuttgart, depicted by
Sattler, History up to 1260 Taf. 1 Fig. 2 etcetera). 1/4 hour at the west-side of Altnuifra we
may find some burial mounds. One of these has been opened and revealed simple bronze
rings, pieces of a body ring and a number of pearls made of clay, git, etc. 4
In 1698 this sculpture had been positioned on top of a garden wall. From here the sculpture
moved to the „Lusthaus Stuttgart“, ending up in the Lapidarium respectively Storage for
medieval and post-medieval sculptures of the Stuttgart museum.
A long time the Wildberg sculpture has been categorized as an object from the Migration
Period or an early medieval object, probably created by a pagan Alemannic tribe.
The four holes and the incision at the backside of the sculpture had been dated at the 16 th or
17th century and considered as mounting elements for a fixture of the sculpture. The overall
detailed carvings clearly indicate that the sculpture originally had been designed to be freely
accessible from all sides5.
The large mouth-hole may indicate a later modification of the mouth area by removing the tongue
or to mount additional elements such as a candle or torch fixture. The mouth-hole represents an
abnormal clumsy and rough work.
The region between the mouth and the eyes is blackened and indicates a heating source such as a
candle or an oil lamp, which may have been mounted in the widened mouth hole. .

7 Detail of the Wildberg sculpture

Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart
[CC BY-SA]
6 Detail of the Wildberg sculpture
Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart [CC BY-SA]

4 (German) Description of the Hagold authorities, chapter A7) - Beschreibung des Oberamts Nagold: Kapitel A 7
(Wikisource): Eh. Aufgestellt im Königlichen Museum zu Stuttgart, abgebildet bei Sattler, Gesch. bis 1260 Taf. 1
Fig. 2 und sonst) - Die Beschreibung des Oberamts Nagold erschien 1862
5 (German) Report by Robert Knorr - Die Steinfigur von Wildberg (Heidelberger OJS-Journals): Mit Bemerkungen
über altkeltische Bildhauerei und Götterdarstellung. Robert Knorr in "Germania: Anzeiger der Römisch-
Germanischen Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts". Bd. 6, Nr. 1 (1922)
Comparison of the Wildberg sculpture and the „Villiger Lälli-stone"
The argument of a broken tongue has been described in various papers, in which the „Villiger Lälli-
stone" is compared to the Wildberg sculpture. These papers are all in German.
▪ Die Steinfigur von Wildberg. - Heidelberger OJS-Journals
▪ Die Anfänge des Mittelalters - e-periodica
▪ Full text of "Helios und Keraunos oder Gott und Geist zugleich Versuch ...
In his paper Die Steinfigur von Wildberg the author Robert Knorr refers to the „Villiger Lälli-
stone", which in details is documented by the Swiss naturalist and ethnologist Paul Sarasin.
Paul Sarasin describes the 3-faced sculpture6, for which in the left photograph the tongue is
protruding and both faces at the right-sided photograph the (originally existing) tongues have been
removed by breaking and removing elements. The following photographs and descriptions have
been copied from the German paper "Helios und Keraunos oder Gott und Geist...“ by Paul Sarasin
(dated 1924).

8 Face with a protruded tongue 9 Two faces without tongues

Photograph by Paul Sarasin Photograph by Paul Sarasin

I noticed the tongue does not protrude in the classical way of the Medusa heads but sticks out to the
above left side:

6 Page 172 in (German) "Helios und Keraunos oder Gott und Geist zugleich Versuch einer Erklärung der Trias in der
vergleichenden Religionsgeschichte." Versuch Einer Erklärung Der Trias In Der Vergleichenden Religionsgeschichte
, by Paul Sarasin (1924). Verlag Der Wagner'schen Universitäts-Buch Handlung Innsbruck
The Stele of Holzgerlingen
The Stele of Holzgerlingen has been found 1838. Originally only the left side had been equipped
with an undisturbed “bonnet” wing. The right sided “bonnet” wing has been restored.
In 1996 the archaeologists discovered a princely tomb at the Hessian mountain Glauberg in which
they found an intact relevant sculpture with 2 “bonnet” wings. In archaeological documentation 7 the
symbolism of these “bonnets” is defined as unknown.

The Pfalzfelder Stele

The Pfalzfelder Stele (also named the Pfalzfelder Flammensäule)8 depicts “bonnet” wings, which
are as voluminous as the human head. The Celtic obelisk found in Pfalzfeld in 1649, the so-called
Pfalzfelder Flammensäule ("Pfalzfeld Flame Column"). It is said to be one of the most important
works from the La Tène culture; it is reckoned to date from the 4th century BC.” The Coat of arms
of Pfalzfeld is described as “an obelisk showing a human head with a winged bonnet beset with
scroll ornaments gules”.9
The size of these “bonnets” probably allows the bearer to store the volume of their hair braids into
both sections. The attachment region for the bonnets of the Pfalzfelder Stele is located at the ears,
where usually the braid structures are expected to be found at the human heads.
The braids may be stowed in the bonnets. Eventually a support structure (of twigs or metallic
wires?) is needed to keep the bonnets in shape. A suitable horizontal headband is depicted at the
forehead of the Pfalzfelder Stele. This headband is missing in the rather simplified sculpture of
Holzgerlingen.

The sculpture of Glauberg

The sculptures of Glauberg and Pfalzfeld both reveal a slight asymmetry. The asymmetry may
indicate a slight unbalance between the volumes of hair at the left and right side. In contrast the
stele of Holzgerlingen has been balanced perfectly in the repairing procedure for the missing
bonnet.

12: Photograph of the Pfalzfelder 10: Celtic prince of 11: Celtic prince of Glauberg
Stele by HOWI, license: CC BY-SA 4.0 "Holzgerlingen" [ license: CC (c. 500 BC) (from a stamp)
BY-SA]
7 (German) Page 121 in „Teutates & Konsorten“–Reise zu den Kelten in Südwestdeutschland – by J. Lehmann (2006)
8 exhibited in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bon
9 Coat of arms of Pfalzfeld
Comparing the sculptures at Holzgerlingen, Wildberg and Forchtenberg
The braids at the 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg have not been depicted in
their full length but their volumes reach a respectable size.

The Importance of Hair in Celtic culture

(In Celtic culture) The head represented the essence of one’s soul. That’s why during
battles heads of the enemy were collected and displayed. Hair had a kind of magical
symbolism, an indication of one’s supernatural connections.

It was considered disgraceful to cut short one’s hair or beard. If you wanted to humiliate
someone you would cut his hair and he would have to hide out and let it grow before
showing his face in public again10.

The following example illustrates how voluminous the braids may have been to fit in the bonnets:

13: Photograph of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797-1848) at the Meersburgs-castle in

Meersburg (my own photograph)

10 All About That Celtic Hair - Irish Fireside Travel and Culture
Obviously the winding volume of the bonnets depends on the hair volume, which in Celtic society
has been influenced by hair treatment. The Greek historian Diodurus Siculus (1. century BC)
claims:
"The Gauls are of high stature with bulging muscles and a white complexion. They are
fair-haired, but not always from nature. They have this habit of intensifying natures own
color with artificial means. They always wash their hair in lime-water, and then they
pull it backwards from their foreheads to the top of their heads and down towards their
necks. This makes them look like satyrs and Pan, while the treatment of their hair makes
it so heavy and rough that it resembles horses' manes11.

In the conclusion-chapter the three heads will be arranged in a row to illustrate how the braids may
have been wound up in circles to fit into the bonnets.

11 The Celts
Conclusion
Maybe an artificially supporting structure has to structure the hair braids in order to fill the bonnets
of the Celtic princes of Holzgerlingen, Pfalzfeld and/or Glauberg.
In this case the Wildberg sculpture and the 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg
may form the base for explaining the symbolism of the hair bonnets in the sculptures of
Holzgerlingen, Glauberg and the Pfalzfelder Stele.

14: "Stele of 16 Wildberg Sculpture 15: Braids at the 3-faced sculpture at

Holzgerlingen" Landesmuseum Württemberg, Michael's Church in Forchtenberg
Landesmuseum Stuttgart [CC BY-SA] (own photograph)
Württemberg, Stuttgart
[CC BY-SA]
Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................1
The 3-faced sculpture at Michael's Church in Forchtenberg ..........................................................2
The Wildberg sculpture ...................................................................................................................3
Comparison of the Wildberg sculpture and the „Villiger Lälli-stone"........................................4
The Stele of Holzgerlingen..............................................................................................................5
The Pfalzfelder Stele........................................................................................................................5
The sculpture of Glauberg ..............................................................................................................5
Comparing the sculptures at Holzgerlingen, Wildberg and Forchtenberg ......................................6
The Importance of Hair in Celtic culture..............................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8