History
During the Crimean War, knitted balaclavas were sent over to the British troops to help protect them from the bitter cold weather. British troops required this aid, as their own supplies (warm clothing, weatherproof quarters, and food) never arrived in time. It should be noted that the references to these hats were not written during the war itself; according to Richard Rutt in his History of Handknitting, the name "balaclava helmet" first appeared much later, in 1881.
This type of headgear was also known in the 19th century as an Uhlan cap or a Templar cap.
In modern American English, when made for those serving in the armed forces, they are usually known as "helmet liners". They are traditionally knitted from wool, and can be rolled up into a hat to cover just the crown of the head, or folded right down as a collar around the neck.
Modern balaclavas can also be made from silk, cotton, polypropylene, neoprene, acrylic or polar fleece.
Read more about this topic: Balaclava (clothing)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.”
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809)
“The history of his present majesty, is a history of unremitting injuries and usurpations ... all of which have in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world, for the truth of which we pledge a faith yet unsullied by falsehood.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)