76- JDEvans, refcring to cult figures and ornamental objects

-76SALIENT POINTS FROM THE NOTES O F JOSEPH
CASSAR
RULLICINO FOR A HISTORY OF MALTESE
COSTUME
D r . V. M .PELLEGRINI LL.D.
J.D.Evans, r e f c r i n g t o c u l t f i g u r e s and o r n a m e n t a l
objects
p r e s e r v e d a t t h e n a t i o n a l museum, expresses t h e doubt t h a t
most p r o b a b l y , t h e costumes o ft h o s e f i g u r e s showed o n l y the
d r e s s o f t e m p l e o f f i c i a l s , and u n f o r t u n a t e l y , we h a v e n o
knowledge s o far,, o fwh^t the everyday dress o four f o r e f a t h e r s
was l i k e .
T h r o u g h t h e e x a m i n a t i o n o f a ni n c i n e r a t e d piece
of c l o t h b y S i r T h e m i Zar/imit, e x c a v a t e d f r o m t h e d e b r i s o f
T a r x i e n , we know t h a t t h e r e w a s a l r e a d y t h e use o ft e x t i l e a n d
woven f a b r i c , showing considerable knowledge o f i n t e r l a c i n g .
The same d o u b t c o u l d b e a l s o a p p l i e d t o t h e Roman p e r i o d .
C i c e r o , w h o v i s i t e d our i s l a n d , c o n f i r m s t h a t women's g a r m e n t s
were woven i n Malta,
while Diodorus Siculus e x t o l l e d the
l o c a l a r t i s a n s f o r t h e i r e x p e r t i s e and i n m a k i n g t e x t i l e s
famous f o r t h e i r f i n e n e s s a n ds o f t n e s s .
But did the n a t i v e s
a d o p t Roman f a s h i o n s a s s h o w n i n s t a t u e s , o rd i d t h e y h a v e
f a s h i o n s o ft h e i r own?
According
cloak
fied
t oCount
Ciantar,
f o r meni s the kapott
for the lower
around the
classes
shoulders,
the
first
knowledge o fa
w i t h a hood attached
into
rendered
a mantar,
to i t , simpli
a long
famous i n Spain
cloak
thrown
a n dI t a l y
for
their
identit
*
its
use
bybandita
a n do t h e r s
wanting
B e t w e e n 1 2 6 6 a n d1 5 3 0u n d e r
Castillians,
Sicilian
type,
villages,
forbade
costumes i n Malta
to conceal
the Angevins,
were
definitely
A r a g o n e s e - and:.o fSpanish o r
a n dwe know t h a t Jews used t o s e l l
notwithstanding
t r a d i n g o fwool
t h a t i n 1A73the
a n dc o t t o n yarn
clothes
Consiglio
outside
Birgu
i n
Popolare
a n d Raba
-77Apart from the w r i t i n g s of C o u n t C i a n t a r a n d C a n o n A g i u s
de S o l d ^ n i s , i t i s s t r a n g e t h a t t h e b e s t k n o w l e d g e w e h a v e o f
costumes i n M a l t a , comes from t r a v e l l e r s 1 a c c o u n t s a b o u t M a l t a .
In
" . . . t h e i n f l u e n c e from n e a r b y S i c i l y ,
states
at
Folklore", J.Cassar
h i s "Studies i n Maltese
least
recall
t o Norman t i m e s , was s t r o n g and s u s t a i n e d . One must
that
the p r i z e s c a p t u r e d by t h e M a l t e s e
the f i f t e e n t h
material
Pullicino
w h i c h g o e s back
century onwards,included
from t h e L e v a n t .
s l a v e s may
privateers
, no doubt, r i c h
The p r e s e n c e
from
clothing
o f T u r k i s h and Moslem
h a v e i n t r o d u c e d s m a l l i t e m s o f d r e s s w h i c h were
i n c o r p o r a t e d w i t h the n a t i v e costume.
Cities
Moreover,
were v e n t u r i n g a f i e l d
Maltese
later
trad-
ers
from t h e T h r e e
and
P o r t u g a l , and t h e y b r o u g h t b a c k w i t h them s u p t u o u s d r e s s e s
and e x p e n s i v e m a t e r i a l s f o r t h e i r
superb
costumes
Ignazio
during
the C a r n i v a l
array
were
businessmen,
dealings i n Spain andPortugal.
these
dresses were
richer
Under t h e Order's
richly
rule,
I t i s known
embroidered
fibose
that
Church,
them
dress innovations,
worn
"garments,
which
but more
priests
a n dc a n o n s ,
secular
dress o rdress
t o Malta
I t could be said
also
used
not proper
o f the
were
o rwith
i n baby
"who w i l l
sequins,
layette.
t o legislation
s o tò i n r o o s e r u l e s
those
which
gloves, slippers,
hadt oresort
condemning
nobility.
against
show,
powers
gold andsilver,
were
that
by the Maltese
o n the spending
o rwoven with
likewise,
almost a l l
we come a c r o s s l e g i s l a t i o n
impact
pearls andother jewels"
The
Cities,
andextravagant fashions andinordinate
a s e r i o u s economic
faimily.
than
that i t was
o fd r e s s e s o fn o mean
whobrought
after
excessive
flaunted their
o f 1765".
donned b y masked women f r o m t h e T h r e e
o f whose husbands
had
who
Saverio Mifsud, writes i n his journal,
a g r e a t p l e a s u r e t os e ea s u p e r b
value,
wives,
as f a r as Spain
t o curb
o n dress o f clerics
dare
t o dress
t ot h e o r d e r a n d d i g i n i t y o f
78
Canons, accor- *
d i n g t o t h e C o u n c i l o f T r e n t a n d t h e A p o s t o l i c Còbstitutions".
his
state,
to the p e n a l t i e s s t a t e d b y t h e S a c f c c d
D e a l i n g w i t h M a l t e s e costume, t h e f a l d c t t a or g h a n n o i l a
m e r i t s s p e c i a l mention.
i c t i n g arguments.
I t s o r i g i n has given r i s e
to c o n f i
B e g i n n i n g With t h e a s s e r t i o n t h a t i t was
c o n s i d e r e d t o b e t h e f e m a l e n a t i o n a l costume, G,P.Badger
its
origin
said
to the o r i e n t a l v e i l ,
Aldo F a r i n i
once
refers
block
to the
mantle
t o h a v e b e e n worn a s a s i g n o f m o u r n i n g by t h e e x i l e s o f
Celano i n about 1 2 1 2 ,
who
carne t o M a l t a , w h i l e Amy
a s s u m e s i t t o be t h e t y p i c a l
female a t t i r e
A.Bernardy
i n the M e d i t e r r a n e a n .
J . C a s s a r P u l l i c i n o r e f e r s t oa limetone s t g l e f r o m
Carthage,
d e d i c a t e d t o P e r s e p h o n e . , .'...ting f r o m t h e t h i r d o r s e c o n d c e n t ­
u r y B . C . , o n w h i c h w a s r e p r e s e n t e d a woman i n H e l l e n i s t i c s t y l e ,
wearing a headgear similar t o a faldetta.
Whatever t h e
o r i g i n , t h e f a l d o t t a wasi n use i n Malta since 1227, t h e date
fixed by Aldo F a r i n i , and latter o n i t wasmodified f o r country
or c i t y use. I n t h e country i t was white o rgreon, while i n
the c i t y i t continued t o b e b l a s k , b u t t h e more modest type,
the Culqana
w a s o fb l u e c o t t o n , c o v e r e d a l l o v e r w i t h w h i t e
spots o rflowery designs.
The
Knight
Camillo
women h i d i n g i n t h e i r
guard
Spreti warns h i s fellow Knights
manta o r faldetta,
especially after
y o u r s e l f a tn i g h t time, p a r t i c u l a r l y ,
women,
who, c o m p l e t e l y
abominable
enveloped
against
i n their mantles,
t r a d e o fa l l u r e m e n t , i m p o r t u n i n g
the
while seeking
t o cloak
their
Contrary
t o these
abuses, i n time nearer
the
and
other countries.
pursue
from
dark:
evil
their
passer-by,
alms.
t o usrn we f i n d
m e m b e r s o f t h e M.U.S.E.U.M.,
a l a y o r g a n i z a t i o n , a s a s y m b o l o fv i r t u e
modeen f a s h i o n s
those
s i n u n d e r p r e t e x t o fb e g g i n g
faldetta inuse b y t h e female
outrageous
against
and h u m i l i t y
against
t h e c o u t o u r i e r s o fP a r i s ,
Rone,
-79I n c o l l u s i o n , i t i s w o r t h w h i l e v i s i t i n g our B i b l i o t h e c a
where one can f i n d v a r i o u s m a n u s c r i p t s c o n t a i n i n g p i c t u r e s or
d r a w i n g s o f male and fònale c o s t u m e s .
Outstanding a r t i s t s
who made u s e of t h e i r a r t to i l l u s t r a t e s u c h costumes, a r e
F . Z i m e l l i , C.De B r o c k t o r f f , H . B o l l a n t i , Edward Caruana D i n g l i ,
G i a n n i V e l i a and o t h e r s .
Modern r e p r o d u c t i o n s a r e now a v a i l a b l e ,
and the o r i g i n a l e n g r a v i n g s or l i t h o g r a p h s i n c o l o u r a r e v e r y
much s o u g h t a f t e r .
(Xi A t t i v i t a j i e t F o l c l o r i s t i c i
( i k o m p l i m i n n paġna 7 2 ) )
Folklor Malti
18 t a
f
T a h d i t i e t minn Guido Lanfranco l i l l - I s t u d e n t i
tan-New Lyceum(Science),Il-Belt, f i l - 1 5 , 1 6 u
Ottubru 1979, i l l u s t r a t i b i slides b i l - k u l u r .
Old
Views o f M a l t a — C h a n g e s i n t h eRecent E s t Tahdita minn
Guido Lanfranco, f i l - C a t h o l i c
Institute,Cbhala
p a r t i mill-Gimgha Storika tal-Gha4da Storika t a ( Malta) i l l u s t r ­
ata minn s l i d e s b i l - k u l u r , l is a r e t f l - 2 0 t a ! Novembru 1979.
Introduction
Phoenicea,
,to M a l t e s e
Folklore
Tahdita minn Guido
lill-membri tar-Rotary Club(Malta),
fid-19-5-80, i l l u s t r a t a bis-slides.
Lanfranco
fil-Hotel
Different Aspects o f Maltese Folklore Tahdita i l l u s t r a t a b i s s l i d e s , minn Guido Lanfranco-, f'Din 1 - A r t Helwa,
i l - B e l t , fit-22-5-80, taht 1-awspici tal-Ghaqda tal-Folklor.
Ahbarijiet
1979-80,
Folloristici l
jigu irrappurtati
igkopru a t t i v i t a j i e t l isaru
f'harga
ohra
t a
1
1-Imnara.
matul