by local motifs such as the one or two headed eagle, an ancient solar symbol representing the power of the sky gods. The two-headed eagle later became a European heraldic emblem for the Hapsburgs and as such sometimes replaces the tree in the embroideries of Spain and Russia, as does the heart in the embroideries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Worship of the fertility goddess continued through the Paleolithic, the Neolithic, and Bronze Ages among the matrilineal societies of Old Europe, even after their culture was overlaid by that of the aggressive, patrilineal Indo-Europeans. The belief systems of the two cultures were substantially different, but the sacred images and symbols of Old Europe were never totally uprooted, thanks to their continued use by indigenous craftswomen.
Western Europe
Western European clothing was more decorative than traditional for it was a product of fashion and trade rather than a reflection of religious rituals and values. Commercial availability of fabrics and sewing materials, as well as of of widely circulated pattern books, resulted in shared embroidery designs all throughout Western Europe. Outer clothing was mainly decorated with ribbons and trimmings, whereas embroidery was usually restricted to headcoverings, aprons and linen garments. Embroidery motifs served to affirm affiliation to a group only in isolated regions.
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