Hello!
This article is a little like my article about the ''pet-en-l'air'', it is about a word that has many unclear definitions: ''la cadenette''. This is a French word and I do not know the English equivalent. If you know, please leave a comment!
When we were preparing our first conference about 18th century men's hairstyles, this word was a source of interrogation : what is ''la cadenette''?
In the ''L'Art du perruquier '' of M. de Garsault, ''cadenettes'' are mentioned describing wig hairstyles and natural hairstyles.
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Extract of L'art du perruquier
By M. de Garsault
1767
Source: Gallica |
Men's fashion natural hairstyles include ''bourses'' (hairbag), ''cadenettes'' and ''cadogan''.
The ''catogan'' is well described and explained, the ''bourse'' has visual and lexical descriptions in engravings and dictionaries, the ''cadenette'' remained a mystery to me.
For M. de Garsault, this is a wig with two ''cadenettes'':
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Extract of L'art du perruquier
Planche II, H; Perruque à deux cadenette
By M. de Garsault
1767
Source: Gallica |
To have more information about the word, we looked for it in 17th and 18th century dictionaries for descriptions.
''Cadenette'' is missing into the Richelet's Dictionnary of 1680.
Into the
Dictionnaire de Furetières de 1690 (found on Gallica), this is the definition:
''Cadenette s. f. Grande moustache, poignée de cheveux qu'on laissait croitre autrefois du côté gauche tandis qu'on tenait les autres courts. La mode de cadenettes a été fort longtemps en vogue''
Homemade translation:
''Cadenette. Long mustache, bunch of hair that long time ago we used to have long on the left side when all others were short. The ''cadenette'' fashion has been there for a long time''
The ''Académie Française'' dictionaries have almost identical definitions between the edition of 1694 and 1762.
''Cadenette s. f. Longue tresse, moustache qui tombe plus bas que le reste des cheveux. Autrefois, on portoit des cadenettes''
(édition de 1694)
Homemade translation:
''Cadenette. Long braid, mustache that falls lower than the remaining hair. Long ago, we were wearing cadenettes'' (edition of 1694)
In the description of 1762, the words ''moustache'' (mustache) and ''autrefois'' (long ago) are gone. More details (in French) in
this web search about dictionaries of previous centuries.
Because the definitions that we had found were not like the description of M. de Garsault, we decided to not put an emphasis on that word during the first conference in 2018.
This illustration fits with the definition M. de Furetière gave in his dictionary.
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Portrait of a ''Prince in full-length'' described by Gallica as wearing a long ''cadenette''
From the Collection of Roger de Gainières (1642-1715)
Source: Gallica |
Alas, during the 2018 conference, a man wanted to know more about ''cadenettes''. At this time, I had not done this research yet and the question was beyond my field of knowledge.
Time passed but the question was still there. What is a ''cadenette''? Various examples of hairstyling were called a '' cadenette''.
Most examples that I have found is locating the ''cadenette'' at one or both side of the head, in front of the ears, like in the dictionary definition of M. de Furetières.
In the historical notes of the
patterns of ''La Fleur de Lyse'', the ''cadenettes'' are two braids of the hair in front of the ears. Illustration by Delphine Bergeron.
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Illustration of ''cadenettes''
Illustrator Delphine Bergeron
Extract of historical notes of :Petit Habit du soldat français
Fleur de Lyse
With the gracious permission of Suzanne Gousse |
For the great reenacting group
Les Mousquets du Roy, the ''cadenettes'' are strands of hair struck into ribbon in front of the hair.
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A french soldier of 1690, with winter clothing.
Crédit photo: Ed Read
Les Mousquets du Roy
With the gracious permission of David Ledoyen |
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Soldiers of ''troupes de la Marine'' of 1690
Les Mousquets du Roy
With the gracious permission of David Ledoyen |
For others, the hairstyle that I call a rattail is a ''cadenette''.
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Detail: Le repas de chasse
Artiste: François Boucher
1735
Exposed at Musée du Louvre |
Can it be that a ''cadenette'' is not a specific hairstyle and is more a generic name? Can it be that the definition changed over time like happens to many others words? Can it be that the definition is dependant on the context?
I came to a conclusion after searching on Gallica and BANQ - that a ''cadenette'' is like a braid, a generic word not related to a very specific hairstyle.
For this article, only sources from 17th and 18th century were selected.
According to the
Petit dictionnaire de la cour et de la ville, written by Jean Marie Bernard Clément, published in London in 1788, it is Henri D'Albret, Seigneur de Cadenet, who invented the ''cadenettes''. Earlier in 1750, Gilles Ménage, said that the inventor of the ''cadenette'' was Honoré D'Albert. Even the historical sources are not giving the same name for the inventor of the infamous hairstyle! Who can we believe?
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Extract of Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue françoise
by Gilles Ménage
1750
Source: Gallica |
The ''cadenettes'' in historical translation dictionaries
I was amazed to see that the book that helped be the most with that name were translation dictionaries. The first I encountered was a three language dictionary between French, Tatar and Manchu.
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Extrait du Dictionnaire Tartare-Mantchou-François
Par Louis Langlès
1789-1790
Source: Gallica |
In that dictionary, a word is described as making a braid and as making a ''cadenette''.
Another dictionary is relating the braid and a ''cadenette'', and it is translating ''Langue-d'Oc'' to French.
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Extract of dictionnaire Languedocien-François,
contenant un Recueil pratique des principales fautes que commettent,
dans la diction et la prononciation françoise,
les Habitants des Provinces Méridionales,
autrefois connues sous la dénomination générale de la Langue-d'Oc
By Pierre-Augustin Boissier de Sauvages
1785
Source: Gallica |
This source is better because the relation between the ''cadenette'' and a braid is more clear.
Because those sources are late compared to the time frame I chose, I looked for the contexts when that word was used into published books of the 17th and 18th century.
The ''cadenettes'' in a military context
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Extract of Cassations de soudrilles
des Oeuvres du Sieur de Saint-Amant
By Marc-Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant
1642
Source: Gallica |
This first text is from the 17th century. It is a parody of what military men can/have to do when peace is signed. In the beginning, each paragraph is devoted to a specific military job: Valets, sergeants, signs, lieutenants, captains, drums... The ''cadenettes are associated to the grade of Captains but there is no indication of where the cadenette is sitting on the head. Unfortunately, this is the case in most of texts that contain the word ''cadenettes''.
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Extract of Règlement provisionnel pour le service de l'infanterie et de la cavalerie en campagne
By the Secrétariat d'État à la Guerre
1744
Source: Gallica |
This text is more official, being a regulation written by the ''Secrétariat d'État à la Guerre'' (War Secretary) in 1744. Here the ''cadenettes'' are associated with the grade of soldiers that are assigned to guard, their sergents would have checked that their ''cadenettes'' are tied, their gaiters put on, the hats dusted and their weapons functional...
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Extract of Code Militaire, ou compilation des ordonnances des rois de France concernant les gens de guerre
Tome quatrième
By M. de Briquet
1761
Source: Gallica |
The version illustrated here dates from 1761, but the same order appears as soon as the first
compilation des ordonnances de 1728. This extract is about guidelines for order lines that sergents must maintain over theirs soldiers: the beds have to be done before 9 AM, the soldiers have to be clean before leaving their barracks: hands and faces washed, hats dusted, cravats put on, hair brushed and put in queue or in ''cadenette''. Here the ''cadenette'' is an alternative to the queue, which I suppose to be the modern equivalent of a ponytail.
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Extrait de la Seconde suite d'estampes pour servir à l'histoire des moeurs et costume des français dans le dix-huitième siècle
Année 1776
De l'imprimeur de Prault, imprimeur du Roy
Source: Gallica |
This extract is describing an engraving from 1776. The text gives the history of the women's hairstyle first then give a few words about the history of men's hairstyle. Here the braid and the ''cadenette'' are two distinct aspects of hairstyle, which are exclusively military, with the famous queue. This extract tends to show that a braid and a ''cadenette'' are alike but still different.
To link the 18th century paintings to the texts I have selected in this part of the article, I think that a military ''cadenette'' is the hairstyle that I called rattail before.
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Detail of military ''cadenette'', which I used to call rattail
'' Siège de Fribourg-en-Briscau, 11 novembre 1744''
Artiste: Pierre-Nicolas Lenfant
1744-1445
Collections du Château de Versailles
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The ''cadenette'' as a social marker
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Extract of Le Railleur ou la Satyre du temps, comédie
by André Mareschal
1638
Source: Gallica |
This extract is from a 17th century parody and tells about the superficial things that make young women fall in love: sparkles, feathers, gold, and ''cadenettes''
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Extract of Nouveau Mercure
Avril 1717
Source: Gallica |
In this theatre description the character of Arlequin, uses the cut hair of Samson ''en guise de cadenettes'' (as cadenettes) to have access to the legendary strength of Samson. The actions after, all ridiculous, show that it does not work.
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Extrait de L'Aeneide travestie
Livre quatriesme
Contenant les Amours d'Aenee et de Didon
Par Antoine Furetière
1649 |
The interesting part of that extract, is that it is one of the few that refers the use of a ribbon for a ''cadenette'', under the word ''bandelettes''. These ribbons need to be tight to be presentable. M. de Furetières, who wrote that text, is more known for his dictionary than his literal work. The extract comes from a parody that presents heroes of greco-roman antiquity. one thing to understand, even if the action of a piece of theatre was a long time ago, 17th-18th century theatre was being played with ''normal clothing'' of the period (understand here 17th and 18th century). The context looks like a man is waiting for one or more women to join him and is being asked to tighten his ''cadenettes'' to be more presentable.
''Cadenettes'' for woman
Some texts were talking about ''cadenettes'' as a women's hairstyle.
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Extract of Le rabais du pain, en vers burlesque
1649
Source: Gallica |
In this extract from the 17th century, the ''cadenettes'' are attributed to women and not to men, like all others extracts seemed to imply.
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Extract of Dictionnaire des origines, découvertes, inventions et établissements
Tome premier
ou
Tableau historique de l'origine & des progrès de tout ce qui a rapport aux Sciences & aux Arts, aux modes et aux Usages, Ancien & Moderne, aux différents États, Dignités,Titres ou Qualités; & généralement tout ce qui peut être utile, curieux & intéressant à toutes les classes de Citoyens
Par une société de gens de lettres
1777
Source: Gallica |
This extract, written by an educated community in the late 18th century, describe ''cadenettes'' to be wigs that women were wearing in the morning before brushing their hair , during the Henri IV period. Henri IV's reign was at the end of the 16th century, long before this text was written. Exploration of the word ''cadenette'' in the 16th century will be needed to confirm this affirmation.
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Extract of l'Encyclopédie méthodique. Arts et métiers mécaniques.
Tome 6
de Jacques Lacombe
1782-1791
Source: Gallica |
I really had trouble interpreting this extract. It comes at the end of the article dedicated to ''
perruque de femme ou chignon'' (women's wig or bun), under the general section dedicated to wigs for woman. Before the author was describing ''
favoris de boucles'' ( curls meant to be in front of the ear). The ''cadenette'' is made with hair behind the ears. What is confusing in French about 18th century wigs, is that braids (tresses) is the name of the threads and hair that is use to make wigs. In this text, ''tressé gros'' may mean less hair in each thread of hair.
Here is a picture described by Gallica as a woman wearing a ''cadenette'' wig or hair.
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Engraving of Marie-Antoinette d'Autriche
Title according to Gallica: Marie-Antoinette, de profil à gauche, coiffée en boucles et cadenettes, chapeau noir surmonté de plumes multicolores, vêtue d'une amazone couleur fraise écrasée, l'habit ouvert sur une veste blanche brodée ; montée en femme sur un cheval blanc à housse bleue bordée d'or
Source: Gallica |
This is an engraving showing the famous Marie-Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. Here the ''cadenette'' seems to be a simple braid back up into the bun.
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Extract of Journal de voyage fait par ordre du Roy dans l'Amérique Septentrionale
Adressé à Mme la Duchesse de Lesdiguières
By le Père de Charlevoix de la Compagnie de Jésus
Tome troisième
1744
Source: BANQ |
Here ''cadenettes'' is use to describe the hair of Native American Woman. They use snake or eel skin to make their hairstyle. It is the second mention I have found that clearly mentions the use of a kind of ribbon to make a ''cadenette'', a skin of snake or eel in this case.
Cadenettes for Native Americans
Like the last text shown, the word cadenette is not a French exclusivity and is used to describe Native American hair as well.
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Extract of Nouvelle relations de la Gaspésie, qui contient les moeurs & la religion des Sauvages Gaspésiens Porte-Croix, adorateurs du soleil, & d'autres peuples de l'Amérique Septentrionale dite le Canada
Dédiée à Madame la Princesse D'Épinoy
Par le Père Chrétien LeClercq
1691
Source: BANQ |
According to Chrétien LeClercq, Mi-kmaqs from Gaspésie were shaving their heads in a way that they were not able to wear ''cadenettes'' for one year when mourning a loved one.
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Extract of Journal de voyage fait par ordre du Roy dans l'Amérique Septentrionale
Adressé à Mme la Duchesse de Lesdiguières
By le Père de Charlevoix de la Compagnie de Jésus
Tome deuxième
1744
Source: BANQ |
Once again, the hair of Native Americans is described using the word cadenette.
When I wrote this article, I was about to finish it when I found
THE source I was looking for to describe the ''cadenette''. This source has both of the descriptions, the hair in braid on the left side of the face and at the back hair of the head. That was a lovely finding.
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Extrait du dictionnaire critique de la langue française
Tome premier A-D
Par Jean-François Féraud
1787
Source: Gallica |
Even if this article is pretty long, it does not contain all the titles published in the 17th and 18th centuries that used the word ''cadenette''. I have seen the word used to describe the wig of a theatre actor, the hair of woman in China, the hair of Native Americans of Louisiane.
In the end, I can say that the ''cadenette'' is used to describe different hairstyles. It seems to be generic, as braids are. Like many words that have a few definitions, the context where the word is found helps to understand which definition it refers to.
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Detail: Le repas de chasse
Artiste: François Boucher
1735
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This hairstyle can now officially called a ''cadenette'' instead of a rattail!
Mlle Canadienne
