boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
made of
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
or
cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...
, enclosed by material, and laced, from above the toes to the top of the boot, and open across the toes.
The word buskin, only recorded in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
since 1503 meaning "half boot", is of unknown origin, perhaps from
Old French
Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
''brodequin'') or directly from its Middle Dutch model ''brosekin'' "small leather boot".
A high-heeled buskin (Greek language, Greek ''kothornos'' () or Latin ''cothurnus'') was worn by Athenian Tragedy, tragic actors (to make them look taller). Buskins therefore sometimes appear as a symbol of tragedy, often contrasted with "sock" (from Latin ''
soccus
A soccus ( pl. socci) or sýkkhos (, pl. sýkkhoi), sometimes given in translation as a slipper, was a loosely fitting slip-on shoe in Ancient Greece and Rome with a leather sole and separate leather, bound without the use of hobnails. The word ...
''), the low shoe worn by
comedians
A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who ...
.
The buskin was also worn by hunters, and soldiers in
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
,
Etruscan __NOTOC__
Etruscan may refer to:
Ancient civilization
*Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things:
**Etruscan language
** Etruscan architecture
**Etruscan art
**Etruscan cities
**Etruscan coins
**Etruscan history
**Etruscan myt ...
, and
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
societies, to protect the lower legs against thorns, dirt, etc.
Byzantine emperor
The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
s were formally clad in purple buskins, embroidered in gold with
double-headed eagle
The double-headed eagle is an Iconology, iconographic symbol originating in the Bronze Age. The earliest predecessors of the symbol can be found in Mycenaean Greece and in the Ancient Near East, especially in Mesopotamian and Hittite Empire#icon ...
s.John Julius Norwich, ''A Short History of Byzantium'', Penguin 1998, p. 248.
See also
*
Clothing in ancient Rome
Clothing in ancient Rome generally comprised a short-sleeved or sleeveless, knee-length tunic for men and boys, and a longer, usually sleeved tunic for women and girls. On formal occasions, adult male citizens could wear a woolen toga, draped ov ...
*
Caligae
''Caligae'' (Latin; : ) are heavy-soled hobnailed military sandal-boots that were worn as standard issue by Roman legionary foot-soldiers and auxiliaries, including cavalry.
History
''Caligae'' (: ''caliga'') are heavy-duty, thick-soled ...
*
List of shoe styles
This is a list of shoe styles and designs. A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously throug ...