Ancient footwear

[Benning Boy]

There is occasional discussion of ancient footwear here. Check this site and note that what was worn by Scots of old was probably found more widely throughout Europe, if this site is any indication. I'm referring to the bocskor.

http://mek.oszk.hu/02700/02790/html/104.html

[Profane James]

Interesting - socks!

[OC Richard]

Those remind me of the Bulgarian shoes, still widely made and worn. I have a pair of those. As I recall they're called Opanki.



Here you can see a mix of modern shoes and the traditional shoes.



There are a number of similarities between Bulgarian and old Highland Scots folk costume and bagpipes. Both love bright-coloured scarlet tartans, both have roughly similar shoes, both bagpipe species have similar combing and the occasional appearance of "Goddess eyes" ornamentation.

Bulgarian "tartans"





Combing and "Goddess eye" motifs on a Bulgarian bagpipe and Scottish bagpipe





And of course the ancient Gaelic shoes still survive on the Aran Islands, called pamputai or in English "pampooties"

[Profane James]

Wow! Huge bags on those pipes!

[unixken]

Wow! Huge bags on those pipes!

Looks like they're hugging the whole sheep, to me.

[OC Richard]

Looks like they're hugging the whole sheep, to me.

Yes they pretty much are!

Bulgarian and Macedonian pipes use nearly a whole sheepskin (everything except the back legs).

The chanter is tied into the neck, the blowpipe and drone are tied into the fore-legs.

Interestingly, Scottish pipers call the part of the bag that the chanter is tied into the "neck" (though in fact it isn't, Highland pipe bags being cut to shape from a flat sheepskin).

Bulgarian bags have the hair left on (cut very short) and are turned inside-out, so that the entire inside of the bag is hairy.

[OC Richard]

Wow! Huge bags on those pipes!

Italian ones are even bigger!