Feather Crowns
A strange phenomenon occurred every so often when a family member died a century ago. This was a time when pillows were hand-ticked with feathers pulled from the farm’s chickens, geese, and ducks. The feathers were collected, cleaned, and dried before placing them in a pillow ticking. The opening was sewn shut and used to comfort a sleepy head.
The feathers generally held their individual status throughout the use of the pillow. On rare occasions, though, they spooned together in a tight, rounded mass the circumference of a small bird’s nest. These round feather masses were known as feather crowns.
Two interesting folk stories about feather crowns:
If a person was alive and found a feather crown in his or her pillow, it could be an omen of death.
If a person had passed with his or her head on a pillow where a feather crown was formed, that person was known to have ascended to Heaven where a more substantial crown was received.
For the latter, these feather crowns were cherished family possessions acting as reassurances that their relative was within St. Peter’s gates.
This feather crown is primarily cream colored and perfectly formed. It was found in the bed of Dollie Kathryn Pridmore Trotter in the early 1900s. Ms. Trotter was the grandmother of Sandra Saylors Cox, who donated this precious relic to Old Independence Regional Museum in remembrance of her grandmother. Thank you, Sandra, for your generous contribution. We greatly appreciate it!
