A kandys, plural ''kandyes'' ( grc, κᾰ́νδῠες, plural , probably from
Old Persian
Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...
* kandu "mantle, cover"), also called candys,
kantuš or Median robe,
is a type of three-quarter-length Persian coat. It originally described a leather cloak with sleeves worn by men, but evolved into a garment
worn by Athenian women. The kandys is sometimes compared to the much later 17th-19th century military
pelisse
A pelisse was originally a short fur-trimmed jacket which hussar light-cavalry soldiers from the 17th century onwards usually wore hanging loose over the left shoulder, ostensibly to prevent sword cuts. The name also came to refer to a fashion ...
as worn by
Hussar
A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...
s, in the sense that it was a sleeved jacket or coat worn cloak-style.
[
]
Semantics
It is suggested that the term ''kandys''/''candys'' was probably an Iranian word that was appropriated by the Greeks to describe the Persian garment, which in Old Persian
Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...
would have been called ''kandu'' (cloak).[ Other ]Old Iranian
The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian plateau, Iranian Pl ...
terms include ''kanzu-ka'' (Median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
), ''kan-su-ka'' (Elamite
Elamite, also known as Hatamtite and formerly as Susian, is an extinct language that was spoken by the ancient Elamites. It was used in what is now southwestern Iran from 2600 BC to 330 BC. Elamite works disappear from the archeological record ...
) and ' (Parthian Parthian may be:
Historical
* A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran
* Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)
* Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language
* Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
), all of which correspond with the term cloak
A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, serving the same purpose as an overcoat, protecting the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. Cloaks have been and a ...
.[ The prefix 'kan-', in such languages, means to cover or to throw, as in a coat thrown round the shoulders.][ Although some sources have suggested a link to ''kontusz'', the ]Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
term for a greatcoat
A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...
,
cited by Nick Sekunda
/ref>
cited by Rüdiger Schmitt
/ref> the link is anachronistic and not considered credible.[
]
Persian usage
The earliest evidence of the sleeved kandys is found on a 9th-century BC Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
stand excavated at Teppe Hasanlu
Teppe Hasanlu or Hasanlu Tepe ( fa, تپه حسنلو) is an archeological site of an ancient city''The Cambridge History of Iran'' (ed. by W.B. Fischer, Ilya Gershevitch, Ehsan Yarshster). Cambridge University Press, 1993. . Pages 57–58, 138. ...
, while garments have been found in 4th and 5th century BC Scythian
The Scythians or Scyths, and sometimes also referred to as the Classical Scythians and the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern
* : "In modern scholarship the name 'Sakas' is reserved for the ancient tribes of northern and eastern Centra ...
graves showing that the sleeves were so narrow and placed in such a manner that they could not realistically function as sleeves.[ The kandys was worn as a cloak rather than a coat, except in the presence of the King for inspections, when the arms were placed in the kandys's overlong or sewn-up sleeves.][ This has been interpreted as a precaution against assassination attempts.][ The Persian kandys was often purple, or made from leather and skins.][ Since 1990 the ]Encyclopædia Iranica
''Encyclopædia Iranica'' is a project whose goal is to create a comprehensive and authoritative English language encyclopedia about the history, culture, and civilization of Iranian peoples from prehistory to modern times.
Scope
The ''Encycl ...
has stated that most people believe that the candys (their spelling), along with a long-sleeved coat called a sárapis and long trousers called anaxyrides, formed part of the riding dress of the Medes
The Medes (Old Persian: ; Akkadian: , ; Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were an ancient Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, the ...
people and is represented by the mantle with hanging empty sleeves portrayed in the Persepolis
, native_name_lang =
, alternate_name =
, image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.
, map =
, map_type ...
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
s.[ These reliefs are also used as evidence for the theory that the Persian kandys may have acted as a status garment, as they are shown being worn by Iranian nobility, but not by their servants.][
]
Greek usage
The kandys, now made with functional sleeves, was historically worn by Greek women, particularly in Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, in the 4th century BC,[ and towards the end of the 5th century BC.] At this time, fashions were increasingly influenced by imports from the East and Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
.[ Among the more typical ]chitons
Chitons () are marine molluscs of varying size in the class Polyplacophora (), formerly known as Amphineura. About 940 extant and 430 fossil species are recognized.
They are also sometimes known as gumboots or sea cradles or coat-of-mail sh ...
and himatia that Athenian women dedicated to Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
at Brauron
Brauron (; grc, Βραυρών) was one of the twelve cities of ancient Attica, but never mentioned as a ''deme'', though it continued to exist down to the latest times. It was situated on or near the eastern coast of Attica, between Steiria and ...
were six kandyes, mostly described as being patterned. One of these was dedicated in 347 BC, although no dates were given for the other dedications, and Margaret C. Miller suggests they must date no later than the early 4th century BC.[ In Greece, the six kandyes linked with Brauron also had special significance - two were chosen to adorn the cult statue, one may have been made of silk, and another is described as ornamented with gold.][ Miller notes that one was made from ]linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
, which was considered unusual enough to mention in the lists, in contrast to the leather used for Persian kandyes, and suggests the use of Greek-made linen means that kandyes were made in Greece as well as potentially imported from Persia.[ At odds with the concept of the kandys as a symbol of luxury is an interpretation from the 1990s where the kandys is described as reflecting non-]Attic
An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...
and slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
status. Towards the end of the 5th century BC, Miller noted a surge in the number of depictions of Athenian women and children wearing kandys-like garments.[ While girls wore them as overgarments, small boys wore them open and without undergarments.][ One suggestion was that the kandys was dedicated prior to marriage, as a child's garment, but Miller notes that this interpretation is challenged by the use of husband's names in the Brauronian lists, and that contemporary vase paintings show mature women wearing kandyes.][
]
References
{{Historical clothing, state=expanded
Greek clothing
Robes and cloaks
Iranian clothing
Leather clothing
Achaemenid Empire