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I get the little, the red and the hood... but how does the riding fit in there?

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31

Here is a definition of a riding hood from Webster's Dictionary:

Riding hood.
    (a) A hood formerly worn by women when riding.
    (b) A kind of cloak with a hood.

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  • OK thanks! I wouldn't have guessed there is somethink like a "riding hood"
    – Melken Osterhose
    Commented May 1, 2011 at 15:02
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    Yeah, they are most likely obsolete (though I'm not an expert on the history of clothing), at least in terms of being needed for riding/travel.
    – gbutters
    Commented May 1, 2011 at 15:50
  • Riding fits in the name because she is wearing the formal hooded cloak that a woman rider would wear back in those days.
    – user25057
    Commented Aug 19, 2012 at 6:48
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The original German title of the fairy tale, "Rotkaeppchen", has no connotations with riding gear. This only got in when it was translated into English. The literal translation of the fairy tale title would be "Little red hat" (or cap).

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    A reasonable explanation would be that the Riding was added to form an alliteration, making it sound better and more memorable.
    – Fabien Snauwaert
    Commented Jan 16, 2016 at 15:49
  • It seems that the most literal translation seems to be "skullcap".
    – Make42
    Commented Jun 25, 2021 at 16:26
  • I think in the fashion of the times that Rotkaeppchen is set, the English equivalent would have been "bonnet".
    – teylyn
    Commented Jun 25, 2021 at 23:57

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