Difference between revisions of "Fustanella"

Revision as of 10:56, October 9, 2006

Greek Fustanelles - (Right) - the Makedonomahi, which is from Macedonia, the northernmost region of Greece. (Left) - The Fustanella (Tsolias) Prevailed in the urban centers of Moreas (Peloponnese) and Roumeli (Central Greece).

Fustanella (for spelling in various languages, see chart below) is a kilt-like garment worn by men in the Balkans until the 19th century and is frequently identified with the elite Greek ceremonial unit of Presidential Guard, the Evzones.

Etymology

The ultimate derivation is from the Italian fustagno, referring to the fustian fabric of the early kilts. This in turn derives from Medieval Latin fūstāneum, perhaps a diminutive form of fustis, "wooden baton"; though the word may also derive from Fostat, a suburb of Cairo where cloth was manufactured.

Early history

The modern fustanella probably originated in the Ottoman vilayet of Ioannina, which comprised much of the region of Epirus, today divided between Albania and Greece and inhabited primarily by ethnic Greeks. The use of the garment was probably spread by klephtic bands via Epirus into the rest of Greece during the 18th and 19th centuries. Similar garments exist as part of the folk costume as far north as Romania and as far east as Syria, with nationalists on every side claiming the garment to be an indigenous creation. Similarities to historical garments in literature and on art objects make these claims difficult to prove or disprove.

One claim of an ancient link to the modern Fustanella involves an ancient statue dated from the 3rd century BCE in Kerameikon (a part of Athens to the northwest of the Acropolis) shown here [1]. Another claim involves a small figure from the 5th century BCE in Slovenia, evidenced here. Another one was found in the outskirts of the Ancient Greek city of Epidamnus (modern Durrës, Albania, ca. 30 km W of Tirana) [2]. Another claim involves a very ancient statue dated to c. 500 BCE and wearing a fustanella-like garment. The statue carved in a niche in the Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept [3][4], near Mount Hymettus in Athens. Archedemos, although living in Athens, came from the Spartan colony of Thera. This is why he carved himself wearing the dorian tunic. The Dorian tunic was also a garment of Kouretes [5].

Possible Vlach origin

Another theory is that this type of garment was brought from the territoy comprising modern Romania, by the Aromanians. The ethymology could also be explained in this way: in Romanian, fuşte means "lance"/"wooden baton", from latin fustis. A diminutive of it is fus, meaning spindle. Hence, fusta means a fabric made using a fus. The -ela termination is a typical Romanian ending of diminutives, in this case of the Romanian fusta, meaning skirt. Also, the territory were the fustanella was first used in the southern Balkans, that is Epirus.

Evolution

The garment is made from long strips of linen sewn together to make a pleated skirt. Some Greeks, such as general Theodoros Kolokotronis had almost four hundred pleats in their garments, one for each year of Turkish rule over Greece. The style evolved over time. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the skirts hung below the knees, and the hem of the garment was gathered together with garters and tucked into the boots to create a "bloused" effect. Later, during the Bavarian regency, the skirts were shortened to create a sort of billowy pantaloon that stopped above the knee; this garment was worn with hose, and either buskins or decorative clogs. This is the costume worn by the modern Greek evzones Presidential Guard.

While the image of warriors with frilly skirts tucked into their boots may seem impractical to a contemporary audience, it should be noted that modern paratroopers use a similar method to blouse their trousers over their jumpboots. Lace was commonly worn on military uniforms in the west until well into the 19th century, and gold braid and other adornments still serve as markers of high rank in formal military uniforms. Fustanella were very labor-intensive and thus costly, which made them a status garment that advertised the wealth and importance of the wearer. Western observers of the Greek War of Independence noted the great pride which the klephts took in their foustanella, and how they competed to outdo each other in the sumptuousness of their costume.

Today

Today fustanella are part of traditional Albanian and Greek dresses, worn mainly by ceremonial Greek military units and folk dancers.

Incidentally, the correct Greek plural is foustanelles (φουστανέλλες) but as with the (semi-correct) foustanellas, it is rarely employed by native English speakers.

Name in various languages

Native terms for "skirt" and "dress" included for comparison:

Language	Kilt/short skirt	Skirt	Dress
Albanian	fustanellë/fustanella		fustan
Aromanian
Arvanitic
Bulgarian	фустанела (fustanela)	фуста (fusta)
Greek	φουστανέλλα (foustanélla)	φούστα (foústa)	φουστάνι (foustáni)
Italian	fustanella	gonna
Megleno-Romanian	fustan		fustan
Romanian	fustanelă	fustă

External link

The fustanella in Greece

A portion of content for this article is credited to Wikipedia. Content under GNU Free Documentation License(GFDL)

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 == Evolution ==
 The garment is made from long strips of linen sewn together to make a pleated skirt. Some Greeks, such as general [[Theodoros Kolokotronis]] had almost four hundred pleats in their garments, one for each year of Turkish rule over Greece.
-The style evolved over time. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the skirts hung below the knees, and the hem of the garment was gathered together with garters and tucked into the boots to create a "bloused" effect. Later, during the [[History of Modern Greece##Reign of King Othon|Bavarian regency]], the skirts were shortened to create a sort of billowy pantaloon that stopped above the knee; this garment was worn with hose, and either buskins or decorative clogs.  This is the costume worn by the modern Greek evzones Presidential Guard.
+The style evolved over time. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the skirts hung below the knees, and the hem of the garment was gathered together with garters and tucked into the boots to create a "bloused" effect. Later, during the [[Bavarian regency]], the skirts were shortened to create a sort of billowy pantaloon that stopped above the knee; this garment was worn with hose, and either buskins or decorative clogs.  This is the costume worn by the modern Greek evzones Presidential Guard.
 While the image of warriors with frilly skirts tucked into their boots may seem impractical to a contemporary audience, it should be noted that modern paratroopers use a similar method to blouse their trousers over their jumpboots.  Lace was commonly worn on military uniforms in the west until well into the 19th century, and gold braid and other adornments still serve as markers of high rank in formal military uniforms. Fustanella were very labor-intensive and thus costly, which made them a status garment that advertised the wealth and importance of the wearer.  Western observers of the Greek [[War of Independence]] noted the great pride which the klephts took in their foustanella, and how they competed to outdo each other in the sumptuousness of their costume.