Why do knit hats have pom poms?

Even though we already own a number of winter woollen caps, we are frequently fascinated by the colourful woollen caps available in stores. Some of these caps have pom-poms on top, which adds to their appeal. However, have you ever wondered why pom-poms are used?

If you've ever given it any attention, you might think of it as a decorative item, but that isn't entirely true. There's a reason why you have that spherical smush of cloth on the tippy top of your head, that ball, that burst of joy.

After all, why would all the caps have the same decoration? There has to be a purpose for this. By adding fluffy fabric to the top of the cap, a pom-pom is created. This pom-pom adornment is reported to have been practised for ages.

The origins of the pom-pom hat can be traced back to a very long time ago in Scandinavia. The practice of clipping flowers onto a cap is thought to have been used since the Viking Age.

In a figurine discovered in 1904 on the farm Rällinge in Södermanland, Sweden, the Viking deity Freyr, or what is usually assumed to be the Viking god Freyr, is represented wearing a headgear or helmet with a pom-pom on it. Viking god Freyr, according to Norse mythology, wears a pom-pom on top of his helmet.

The pom-pom could be used to conceal or gather the seams left by nålebinding the cap, a fabric-creating method that predates knitting. Other historical hats, such as this 16th-century Monmouth cap used by soldiers and sailors in England, have a small tab at the seam, which could be a connection to the current pom-pom.

Some scholars believe that this sort of cap served as a protective cover for soldiers of the French line infantry firing their guns during a historical re-enactment of the Napoleonic conflicts of the 19th century, according to The Outline.

Bobbles were also employed in military uniforms during Napoleon's reign in France. As a result, the soldiers did not sustain head injuries in tight spaces.

Knit caps with pom-poms were also used by sailors in the 18th century. They used these hats to avoid hitting their heads in confined quarters or when the waves were rough.

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