142 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



but his word once given is sacred. His inextinguishable love of home is still 

 stronger than his genuine German migratory inclinations ; he respects and 

 exercises hospitality ; is industrious, and manifests at the same time lively 

 enjoyment of life, good sense, and ability. In the eastern part of the 

 Thiiringer-Wald, old persons still ^ear leather breeches, long dark-colored 

 coats, with large polished or mohair covered buttons, shoes with buckles, 

 and a large triangular hat ; whilst the village youths, throughout almost 

 the whole of Thuringia, wear a species of plain national dress, boots, long 

 pantaloons of cloth or summer stuff, a green or brown jacket, and a light cloth 

 cap ; in Franconia the fur cap also. A prominent part of the female dress is 

 an expensive cap, made of velvet or silk, with genuine gold and silver em- 

 broidery, and an abundance of bows of riband. The Franconian females 

 wear a large straw hat in the form of a great hood, which for girls is 

 mostly trimmed with green riband and rosettes, for women and for persons in 

 mourning with black riband. A handkerchief wound round the head in the 

 manner of a turban, the broad points of which fall down on the nape of the 

 neck, is also often worn instead of the hood. The bodice of girls is mostly 

 fancy colored, that of women dark colored ; the full heai^y frock of cloth or 

 some other woollen fabric is green, with light green trimming. In Gotha 

 countrymen wear a coat woven of v,'ool and flax (linsey-woolsey), or an ordi- 

 nary peasant's coat of cloth. Under this they have a fancy colored waistcoat, 

 and yellow leather breeches. Over it, when about to attend to business out 

 of the house, the peasant throws a Avhite or blue linen frock, shaped like 

 <i shirt. Grey cloth or white linen gaiters cover the legs. The women 

 generally wear dark green or dark blue cloth, frieze or linsey-woolsey petti- 

 coats, trimmed v,"ith light blue and green ribands ; out of doors, a yellow straw 

 hat and black cloak. The bridal dress consists of a red head-dress of riband, 

 lying evenly around the bound up hair, upon which is placed the wreath, 

 a black bodice, long very full petticoat, and a black jacket v/ith wide 

 sleeves, and trimmed with strips of yellow velvet. From the left to 

 the right side depends a belt of linked plates of silver with a gilt clasp ; 

 at the place where it hangs lowest, a key and handkerchief are fast- 

 ened; Blue velvet muffs or gloves, tipped with marten's fur, cover the 

 hands. 



The female peasants represented in pi. '^■fig. 1. in Sunday dress are from 

 the neighborhood of Erfurt. They wear the above mentioned caps of black 

 color trimmed with ribands ; variegated kerchiefs, plain, colored, or figured 

 long sleeved jackets, with a large turned over collar ; under the latter 

 a tucker ; and besides these articles, a frock and apron with or without 

 trimming. 



Thuringia abounds in popular festivals, and also in peculiar local gather- 

 ings, of which fairs, shooting targets, and church-ale are the principal ones. 

 The Thurinorians are fond of dancino; also, and their favorite, true national 

 dance is a kind of figured waltz. Their simple, generally melancholy, and 

 love-breathing popular ballads are ever sung by the musical sons and daughters 

 of Thuringia. 



The peasants in the Duchy of Saxe Altenhurg are a species of people 

 314 



