Wer kennt sie nicht? Die Wachen vor dem Buckhingham Palast sind zwar nicht die einzigen, die diese je nach Perspektive imposanten oder lächerlichen, fast 46 cm hohen Mützen tragen, wohl aber die bekanntesten. Die knapp 3 Pfund wiegenden Mützen sind aus Bärenfell, für jede von ihnen wird das Fell eines kanadischen Schwarzbären benötigt. Offiziere bekommen Mützen von weiblichen Braunbären, ihr Fell ist dichter und voller.Laut eines Buches von John Whiteclay Chambers II, starteten die Britischen Fußtruppen der Armee um 1670 mit Mützen von Grizzly Bären, seit der Schlacht um Waterloo 1815, also seit fast 200 Jahren werden die Schwarzbärmützen getragen, ursprünglich um bei militärischen Aktionen größer und einschüchternder zu wirken. Die Tradition hat sich bis heute gehalten, auch ohne Schlachten. Alle Soldaten durften damals diese Mützen tragen, die ihnen dann auch persönlich gehörten, heute sind die Mützen Leihgaben. Allein zwischen 2003 und 2008 gab das brit. Verteidungsministerium (MoD) über £320,000 dafür aus. Gekauft werden die Mützen bei einem brit.Hutmacher, der die Felle über internationale Auktionen bezieht. Pro Jahr werden 50 und 100 Felle bezogen, ein Fell kostet um die £ 650. Bei guter Pflege können sie über 100 Jahre halten.
Warum Bärenfelle?Bislang galten sie als nicht austauschbar, ihr Material ist wasserabweisend, offenbar ein wesentliches Kriterium im von häufigem Regen geplagten London, denn bereits (erst!) 1993 gab es erste Vorstöße seitens einiger Abgeordneten für Mützen, die nicht aus Tierfellen stammen, für andere Einheiten, wie die ursprünglich leopardenfellbeschürzten Trommler, gibt es schon seit längerer Zeit künstliches Ersatzfell, eigenen Tests zufolge war es bislang nicht möglich ein Material zu entwickeln, das dieselben Qualtätsmerkmale aufweist.
PETA hat nun in Zusammenarbeit mit Stella MacCartney einen Durchbruch verzeichnet, ein aus Plastikfasern entwickelter Prototyp scheint Tests in Bezug auf wasserabsorbierende und kühlende Eigenschaften bestanden zu haben. An der Technologie, kurz "Bear 28 " genannt, hat MacCartney mit PETA seit 4 Jahren gearbeitet. Man ist nun gespannt, wie das brit. Verteidigungsministerium reagiert. Ein erstes Treffen war für Ende Juli vorgesehen...Hoffen wir also, dass es bald ein Ende mit diesen unrühmlichen Mützen aus Bärenfell hat!
Between 2003 and 2008 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) spent just over £320,000 on bearskin hats. For each hat of 45.7 cm (18 inch) height, the skin of one Canadian black bear is needed. "The standard bearskin of the British Foot Guards is 18 inches tall, weighs 1.5 pounds , is made from the fur of the Canadian black bear. However, an officer's bearskin is made from the fur of the Canadian brown bear as the female brown bear has thicker, fuller fur, and is dyed black. The British Army purchase the hats, which are known as caps, from a British hatmaker which sources its pelts from an international auction. The hatmakers purchase between 50 and 100 black bear skins each year at a cost of about £650 each. If properly maintained, the caps last for decades; some caps in use are reportedly more than 100 years old."
According to a book by John Whiteclay Chamber II, the British Army foot guards started wearing tall grizzly bearskin fur hats already in the 1670s. In 1815, after the Battle of Waterloo, all soldiers were allowed to wear fur caps. Whereas in the past, each man owned his own hat, today each battalion receives a bearskin hat on loan when assigned to ceremonial responsibilities at Buckingham Palace in London.
"Initially the big bear fur hats were intended to make soldiers look taller as they marched over hills in battle, but they haven't been worn in action for over a hundred years." Other fur, like the leopardskin aprons worn by ceremonial drummers, has already been replaced with fake versions."
Could Guards wear Stella McCartney synthetic bearskin?"For almost two centuries the Army's Guards regiments have been decked out on ceremonial occasions in real bearskin hats.
Tourists come to marvel at them at Buckingham Palace.
But the Guards could soon be wearing a faux-fur version, designed by the vegetarian Stella McCartney.
On Thursday a delegation from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) is meeting Peter Luff, minister for defence equipment, support and technology, to propose their animal-friendly alternative.
Peta claims the plastic-fibre hat now meets rigorous Ministry of Defence water repellency tests, after years working on a technology called Bear28.
The hats are also fitted with air vents to keep wearers cool on parade.
McCartney said: "Historically, England has a very high regard for animals, so it makes perfect sense that the MoD should continue shedding ceremonial furs from uniforms.
"Initially the big bear fur hats were intended to make soldiers look taller as they marched over hills in battle, but they haven't been worn in action for over a hundred years.
"I've been working on this with Peta for a few years now and am really happy with the final product, as I hope the MoD will be when they see it."
Dan Matthews, senior vice-president at the animal rights group, added: "In 2005 the MoD carried out specific weather tests on their own prototype which failed on water absorption levels.
"After four years working on this hat, we carried out the same tests at the same test centre and it passed."
He claimed it was a "win-win situation" as the synthetic hats were cheaper than real bearskins, 230 grams lighter "and the bears will certainly be happier".
However, while the MoD said it "remains open" to new ideas, a spokesman stressed it would not be chucking out the original bearskins anytime soon.
They are worn infrequently, need little maintenance and last many years, she explained.
She said: "The MoD remains open to testing material that industry might offer us to asses whether a faux fur meets the requirements for a replacement bearskin hat material. So far industry has not been able to produce a suitable material to meet the Guards' requirements."
She also stressed: "All bearskins used in the UK are sourced from Canada where bears are culled under the direction of the Canadian government to keep the bear population under control."
Bearskin hats have been worn since the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 where they were taken as a badge of honour by the Grenadier Guards when they defeated Napoleon's bearskin-wearing Imperial Guard."
Nur wenigen Truppenmitgliedern ist es gestattet, zeremoniellen Pflichten ohne Bärenmütze nachzugehen wie hier Conmael, Irischer Wolfshund und Maskottchen der Irish Guards.Kleine Randbemerkung über die sich vielleicht lohnt nachzudenken..:
"Die Tradition von Tiermaskottchen gibt es nicht nur in der Brit. Armee. Sie ist oft ein humorvoller Weg das Eis zwischen Offizieren und Soldaten verschiedenster Ränge zu brechen, so wie auch eine Gelegenheit für das Militär dem Tierreich liebevoll Tribut zu zollen, so wie ihre Vorfahren, die eng mit mit heidnischen Traditionen und der Natur verbunden waren und wo Tiere ein Anrecht auf Respekt, Schutz und Rücksicht hatten.
Doch in keiner anderen Armee wird die Tradition der Würdigung bestimmter Tiere als Maskottchen seit 200 Jahren so respektiert wie in Großbritannien. Ein Land legendär für seine Exzentrik wie für seinen unnachahmlichen Humor."
Übrigens, auch Tabby III, noch besser bekannt als Billy the Goat, nun im Whipsnade Zoo auf Rente, bewies viele Jahre lang, dass es wirklich ohne Bärenmütze gehen kann...-
Only few troup members are allowed not to wear that special head gear like Conmael, an Irish wolfhound and mascot of the Irish Guards....
A little note apart but maybe worthwhile to think about:
"The tradition of animal mascots is not unique to the British Army. It is often a humorous way of breaking the ice between officers and soldiers of all ranks conditioned by the rigidity of Army life. It is also an opportunity for the military to pay an affectionate tribute to the animal kingdom very much like their ancestors for whom pagan traditions and nature were sacredly bonded and where animals just like men were entitled to respect, protection and consideration.
But nowhere has this tradition of honouring a particular animal mascot been so adamantly respected for more than two centuries than in Great Britain. A country known for it's legendary eccentricity as well as inimitable sense of humor." (found here in the context of animal mascots)
By the way, also Tabby III, more known as Billy the Goat, in the meantime enjoying pensioner's life at Whipsnade Zoo had been living proof over numerous years that ceremonial obligations don't need bearskin hats...
Animals Asia unterstützt die Kampagne gegen Bärenfellmützen in der brit. Armee und ruft auf an Vertreter des Parlaments zu schreiben. Mehr dazu hier:
Animals Asia has joined the campaign against bearskin pelts in the British Army too, read full article here and join the campaign:
End the use of bear skin pelts in the British Army/Animals Asia 02.08.2010 (engl.)
Here an extract of their letter:
"More than 200 British Members of Parliament signed on to Early Day Motion (EDM) 1756 in a recent parliamentary session in the House of Commons. This progressive motion pointed out that the ornamental caps serve no military purpose whatsoever – as one of the MPs who support EDM 1756 pointed out, they are not even bullet-proof – and called on the government to support a change to a modern and humane synthetic fabric.
With the resources, science and technology which are at the MoD's disposal, it is inexcusable that the same army which is capable of building some of the most sophisticated equipment and machinery in the world claims it is unable to find a synthetic replacement for bearskins after two decades of "searching" and despite the wide availability of luxurious synthetic materials."
Und zuguterletzt ein eindeutiges Statement eines Angehörigen der dänischen Truppen, der anlässlich eines Balls am dänischen Königshof am 27. Januar unter der Bürde seiner Bärenfellmütze einfach umkippte....Bjoernepels heißen die Mützen auf Dänisch und hier geht es zu einer Seite mit verschiedenen Adressen, wo man seinen Protest kund tun kann. Leider funktioniert der Stop Bjoernepels link zu einer Petition bei mir nicht...-
Last but not least a statement of a different kind of a member of the Danish troups who fainted under the burden of his bearskin hat in the evening of January 27th during a ball at Christiansborg Palace of HM Queen Margarethe II and HRH Prince Henrik, attended by European Parliament members, MPs and their spouses.
Bjoernepels is the bearskin headgear called in Danish and here you find addresses where to send your protest notes. Unfortunately the mentioned petition site does not work for me. Maybe someone knows a link that will work...
And there are still other countries out there using them ....
Sources and related articles:
- End the use of bearskin pelts in the British Army/Animals Asia Foundation 02.08.2010
- Could Guard Wear Stella McCartney's synthetic bearskin? /Telegraph UK 21.07.2010
- God Save the Bears/PETA Campaign
- Bärenfellproblem/Modepilot 03.09.2008
- Bärenfellmützen vor dem Aus/Pressetext Austria 03.09.2008
- Bare skin not bearskin.../Daily Mail Online 12.05.2010
- 'Bum Salute' bearskin protesters/Manchester Evening News 02.09.2007
- Kampagne gegen Bärenfellmützen: Parlamentsmitglieder protestieren../peta de
- Queen Margarethe of Denmark requires fur from protected bear/Lifescape 16.02.2010 Att.: incl. addresses for petitions to the European Parliament, Danish Parliament & the Danish Royal Family
- More on bearskin hats ... incl. list of nations still using them for military/ ceremonial display on wikipedia
And just that you see that there is still a real market outside for fur....I clicked myself from here to here ..., don't miss the shipment information about polar bear rugs (prices here...)
And here just something else concerning Canada's oldest company & with 550 stores the largest one dealing with furs resolved their financial crisis by getting a new owner...they were bought by an US investor...-
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen