114. Snood. Cf. i. 363 above. Scott has the following note here: "The
snood, or riband, with which as Scottish lass braided her hair, had an
emblematical signification, and applied to her maiden character. It was
exchanged for the curch, toy, or coif, when she passed, by marriage,
into the matron state. But if the damsel was so unfortunate as to lose
pretensions to the name of maiden, without gaining a right to that of
matron, she was neither permitted to use the snood, nor advanced to the
graver dignity of the curch. In old Scottish songs there occur many sly
allusions to such misfortune; as in the old words to the popular tune of
'Ower the muir amang the heather:'
'Down amang the broom, the broom,
Down amang the broom, my dearie,
The lassie lost her silken snood,
That gard her greet till she was wearie.'"