A detail from an illustration of the battle of Gadebusch 1712 which was made by Magnus Rommel who participated in the battle as Swedish quartermaster general.

In the beginning of the Great Northern War the Swedish Carolean soldiers did not look quite like they are commonly depicted in modern illustrations. The hats had not yet developed into tricornes even if they were not far removed from them. They usually had two sides folded up in various combinations, including some that looked like tricornes from the front but like floppy hats from behind. The first unambiguous evidence of tricornes among Swedish soldiers are from 1704 and 1705, and they probably spread quite rapidly at that time.

Not even the for Caroleon soldiers so characteristic turnbacks were in general use in the beginning of the war. In the infantry they appear to have been non-existent, but a few examples of cavalrymen wearing turnbacks can be found even before the war began. Since Charles XII himself preferred to be depicted with cavalry boots and turnbacks, it is likely that they soon became standard in at least the cavalry. When they were introduced in the infantry is more uncertain and the first evidence of the infantry having turnbacks is not earlier than from an illustration of the battle of Gadebusch 1712. The artillery did not introduce turnbacks until the 1720s. But if it was Charles XII who was responsible for the introduction of turnbacks then it is likely that the infantry had turnbacks already before the Russian campaign 1707–1709. Because Charles XII would have had very limited opportunities to influence the appearance of the uniforms during his exile in the Ottoman Empire 1709–1714.

At the bottom of the page there is a presentation of how the uniforms are depicted in contemporary paintings of the battle of Narva and Düna. A more detailed article about the evolution of the Swedish Carolean uniform is also available.

Information about the colour of the neck cloths is scarce and in uncertain cases I have depicted them as white without explanation (this despite the fact that the most common colour was black). However, an overview of what is known about the neckcloth colours can be found on this page.

"Indelta" Cavalry & Dragoons			"Adelsfanor"		Enlisted Dragoons
	Livregementet till häst		Swedish		Liv-dragoon Regiment
	Östgöta		Bremen-Verden		Ingermanland
	Småland		Pomeranian		W. A. von Schlippenbach's
	Södra Skånska		Livonian		G. E. d'Albedyhl – Schreiterfeldt
	Norra Skånska		Estonian and Ingrian		A. J. von Schlippenbach – Skogh
	Riksänkedrottningen		Stånd Dragoons		Bremen
	Bohuslän Dragoons		Uppland		Verden
	Västgöta		Skånska		Pomeranian
	Jämtland Company		Västgöta		Meijerfelt's
	Åbo & Björneborg		Finnish		Hielm's
	Nyland		Gotland		Dücker's
	Karelska (Viborg)		Land Dragoons		Taube's
	Karelska Dragoons		Estonian		Horse Grenadiers
	Männing Cavalry		Ösel		H. O. d´Albedyhl's
	Uppland 3-männings		Livonian		Gyllenstierna's
	Skånska 3-männings		Laurentzen's Free Dragoons		French
	Västgöta 3-männings		Enlisted Cavalry		von Schwerin's
	Åbo, Nyl, Viborg 3-männings		Drabant Corps		Smiegelski's
	Åbo Double Regiment		Vallacks (Niester, Polish)		Bassewitz'
	Nyland Double Regiment		Bremen		Vietinghoff's
	Karelska Double Regiment		Pomeranian		Bender
	Uppland 5-männings		Estonian		Tyska (German)

Note that the Finnish cavalry regiments are described on a separate page together with the Finnish infantry regiments.

Livregementet till häst
(Life Regiment on Horse)

1700

1707

1710

The colour of the shabraques (which had three crowns in yellow in the outer corners) is only mentioned for the year 1700 and described as just "blue" while the coat and its lining is described as light blue. For the years 1703/06 Höglund writes that the coat was light blue with blue lining.

Östgöta Cavalry Regiment

1700-?

?-1709

1710-1718

1719-

The cloaks on all pictures follow the description of those that were ordered in 1717 (blue cloak with blue collar and yellow lining). For the year 1700 it is only mentioned as “blue" and for 1710 Höglund writes that the whole uniform, with the exception of white hat lace, identical with the one from 1700.

The appearance of the shabraques is only described for the year 1700 and in the order from 1717 (which was not delivered in time for the Norwegian campaign in 1718). They are identical with the only difference that the latter mention that a griffon in yellow wool decorates the outer corners.

Småland Cavalry Regiment

1700-?

?-1709

1710-

Södra Skånska Cavalry Regiment
(South Scanian)

-1700	1701-1703	1703-?	1711-
Ten-year-old uniform which was donated to Skånska 3-männings Regiment after the outbreak of the war. Colour of hat lace, buttons and shabraque unknown.		Old light blue coats were used to manufacture vests but recruits had leather vests and leather breeches in 1704. Button and shabraque colour unknown. Hats with silver lace 1704. New uniform issued 1706/07 but not described in the sources.	Colour on hat lace, buttons lining and cuffs not mentioned. Only 223 cavalrymen had approved equipment at the general muster in 1711.

Norra Skånska Cavalry Regiment
(North Scanian)

Riksänkedrottningens livregemente till häst
(Queen Dowager's Life Regiment on Horse)

Bohuslän Dragoon Squadron

1702

1712

Västgöta Cavalry Regiment

1700-?

?-1713

1714- Button colour and shabraques not mentioned.

Jämtland Cavalry Company

1695-?

?-1722 The company is reported in 1717 to have had 125 hats as well as blue cloaks together with grey karpuses and old grey cloaks.

Swedish Adelsfana

Other Adelsfana Units

Estonian Adelsfana & Livonian Adelsfana 1700?	Estonian Adelsfana 1708/09	Pommeranian & Bremen-Verden Adelsfana
Höglund describes uniforms that are identical with the Swedish Adelsfana (1689-1704) but provides no dates for the Baltic units.	Höglund only writes that they had hat, blue coat, leather vest and leather breeches. But the regiments in the Baltic provinces appear to have been uniformly dressed at this time, so both the Estonian and Livonian Adelsfana probably looked like the picture above.

Uppland 3-männing Regiment

1700-1704

1704-1709?

1712-1719

1719

Had both white and black neckcloths in 1700. The uniform issued in 1704 is unknown. The one that was issued in 1712, when the regiment was restored, had the same colours as the one from 1700. The regiment received new uniforms in 1719, which consisted of: hat with lace, vadmal pie coat, vadmal coat, vest made of leather or vadmal and a black neckcloth. However, it was disbanded the same year and the cavalrymen were transferred to Uppland Stånd Dragoons. The colour of the shabraque is not mentioned at any point in time.

Other 3-männings and 5-männings

Skånska 3-männings 1701-1711	Skånska 3-männings 1711-1721	Västgöta 3-männings 1704-1716	Uppland 5-männings 1710-1715
Were given Södra Skånska’s ten-year-old uniforms when it was raised in 1700 and still wore these when the Danes invaded Scania 1709. Colour of hat lace, buttons and shabraque unknown. The shabraques were however blue in 1712.	Colours of the lining, cuffs, vest and breeches are not mentioned.	Coat and cloak of vadmal without description of colours. Hat lace not mentioned either.	Hat lace and button colour unknown, but in 1716 they had pewter buttons and the trumpeters had white lace. The colour of the shabraque is not mentioned at any point in time.

Skånska ståndsdragonerna
"Scanian Estate Dragoons"

A company and command journal written by Gustaf Wilhelm Coyet 1702-1704 contains information about the regiment's uniforms. In June 1702, it is mentioned that the dragoons must have their hats cocked and turnbacks om their coats coats. In July 1703, blue breeches and yellow stockings were delivered. In November 1703 it is mentioned that the regiment still had piecoats but in May 1704 new recruits arrived and cloaks are mentioned. In December 1704 black neckcloths are mentioned.

The colour of the shabraques and pistol covers are completely unknown for the entire time period, but I have made an assumption that all "ståndsdragoner" had the same colours on these items.

Other "Stånd" Dragoons
"Estate Dragoons"

The colour of the shabraques and pistol covers are only mentioned for Uppland Stånd Dragoons. But because theirs were yellow in 1704 and the Öselska Land Dragoons, which were recruited in the same way, also had yellow shabraques, I have made the assumption that all Stånd Dragoons were issued yellow shabraques (with a blue edge?) at that time.

The uniforms for the Finnish Stånd Dragoons are completely unknown and the Gotland Stånd Dragoons are only known to have had blue coats in 1705.

Land Dragoons

The uniform for Laurentzen's Free Dragoons is completely unknown. This unit, which existed 1701-1706, was raised by the burghers in Wenden, Wolmar, Walk and Lemsal.

The Drabants Corps

1700-?

?-1716

The uniforms are only described for the year 1700 and then really only in the form of lists of how much material was used for them.

Enlisted Cavalry Regiments

Estonian Cavalry Regiment 1697-?	Bremen Cavalry Regiment 1701-?	Pomeranian Cavalry Regiment 1702-?	Vallack Regiment  Niester Dragoon Reg. Polish Regiment on Horse Red coats in 1718
According to Lars-Eric Höglund, the shabraques were white, while Anders Larsson states that they were red. No one mentions any colour on the edge, but it is my own "compromise" that matches the coat.	The shabraques were decorated with the royal cypher and crown in yellow.	The shabraques were decorated with count Mellin’s coat of arms in the outer corners. Colour of the vest is unknown. According to Anders Larsson, they had silver lace hat, collar and cuffs.

Livdragonerna
(Life Dragoons)

Narva 1700

Kliszow 1702

Fraustadt 1706

Poltava 1709

With the exception of the neckcloth, the Life Dragoons appear to have had the same uniform colours throughout the war. When the regiment was raised in 1700 they received black neckcloths, in 1707 they received blue and white striped neckcloths and in 1716-18 black and white neckcloths were issued to the life dragoons.

However, the colour of the hat lace is only mentioned in 1707 when it was made of gold, while in 1700 it is only stated to have been made of camel hair.

The colour the shabraques is only mentioned at the beginning of the war. In 1700, they were yellow with a blue edge, while the non-commissioned officers had shabraques was made of "blue cloth decorated with yellow and silver lace around it". The privates' shabraques were still yellow with a blue edge according to a source from 1703. The pistol covers were yellow (yellow baize and leather according to Larsson).

Enlisted Dragoons

W. A. Schlippenbach's Dragoon Regiment 1703-1709	Schreiterfeldt's Dragoon Regiment 1703-1709	A. J. Schlippenbach's (Skogh's)  Squadron 1701	Skogh's Dragoon Squadron ca 1708
Yellow pistol covers. Colour on cuffs and lining unknown	Colour on cuffs, lining, buttons and hat lace unknown. Was called G. E. d'Albedyhl until 1704.	Vest, buttons and shabraque unknown. Became Skogh's squadron in 1706.	The only mentioned colours are blue for the coat and leather for vest and breeches.
The yellow colour on cuffs, lining and hat lace for the three regiments above is guesswork based on the fact that the regiments in Lewenhaupt’s corps appear to have been uniformly dressed.
Bremen Dragoons 1700-1704 The uniform that was issued in 1704 is unknown.		Verden Dragoons 1703-?
According to Höglund, the pistol covers had the same colour as the cuffs (chamois-yellow). While the shabraque is specified as blue, with blue and yellow edge for privates, and yellow edge and silver lace for non-commissioned officers. Anders Larsson describes the shabraque as blue with "silver and blue/yellow round cord studded". For non-commissioned officers they were "of blue cloth with "a hand's breadth" chamois coloured cloth band around and on either side of the yellow band a blue/yellow/silver cord. Corporals' cord of white/blue/silver".		According to Höglund, the pistol covers and shabraques were blue with a white edge. For non-commissioned officers, these were also blue with silver lace. Anders Larsson describes no pistol covers and only the non-commissioned officers' shabraques, which were blue with a silver lace two times around and between these a serpentine-shaped narrower silver lace. My shabraques follow Larsson's description of the non-commissioned officers, but with white instead of silver.
Pomeranian Dragoons 1703-?		Meijerfelt's Dragoon Regiment 1706-1709 Button and shabraque colour unknown.
Anders Larsson describes the shabraques as blue "with a thick gold-yellow camel hair lace embedded and then with a 2-finger wide golden yellow thick camel hair lace studded. In the middle with a blue winding seam studded". The non-commissioned officers' shabraques and pistol covers were "of blue cloth with with a wide gold lace and another 1 ½ finger wide lace".
Hielm's Dragoon Regiment 1705-1709		Dücker's Dragoon Regiment 1705-1709
Yellow pistol covers with blue edge. Blue shabraques decorated with the royal cipher in yellow edged with yellow and black thread.		According to Anders Larsson: "Blue cloth shabraque underlined with black linen. Studded with a yellow wide camelhair ledge and with a narrower one of the same kind which is also made with yellow cloth and decorated with blue and yellow lace."
Taube's Dragoon Regiment 1704-1709		Gyllenstierna's and d'Albedyhl's Dragoon Regiments 1706-1709
According to Höglund: yellow pistol covers with blue edge. Blue shabraque with yellow edge, laced with blue and yellow cord. The pictures above follow the illustration in Höglund's book. Larsson describes the shabraque as blue "with blue and yellow edge, yellow name cipher and crown in the outer corners. A blue/yellow round cord attached with blue/yellow lace. Yellow pistol covers with a blue band around."		Raised in 1706 as one regiment but was soon split into two.
French Dragoon Regiment 1707-1715 Bender Dragoon Regiment 1712-1715 Tyska (German) Dragoon Regiment 1716? Was originally a French grenadier regiment captured at the Battle of Blenheim. Transferred to Saxon service and was again captured at the Battle of Fraustadt after which it entered Swedish service as an infantry battalion. Was captured by the Saxons in the Battle of Kalisz but returned to the Swedish army and then converted into a dragoon regiment. Formed by the ethnic Swedes in Bender. Only a proposal for uniforms and it is unclear if it was issued. The shabraque is not mentioned. The regiment was formed in 1716 by the remnants of the other regiments in Pomerania. When it was mustered in the late winter, early spring of 1716, it had very diverse uniforms. They consisted of hats with or without lace, or karpuses. Grey, blue, red, brown or black coats. Camisoles of leather or blue or brown cloth. Leather breeches or grey vadmal breeches.
Schwerin's Dragoon Regiment 1710-1715	Smiegelski's Polish Dragoon Squadron 1711-1713	Bassewitz' Dragoon Regiment 1711-1715	Vietinghoff's Dragoon Regiment 1714-1715

Horse Grenadiers

This regiment, which was meant to be raised in 1706, was never fully recruited. The enlistment patent was issued to Albrecht Otto von Hagen on 13 June 1706, but already on 17 November, Hagen died in a duel in Vilnius after which his regiment was disbanded. According to the patent, the regiment was to consist of 600 men and Hagen stated at one point that he had recruited 200 men. What happened to the crew after his death is unknown.

The uniform was decided by Charles XII in October 1706 to consist of coats and cloaks lined with fine yellow baize, elk hide camisoles and buckskin breeches. The grenadier caps are called karpuses and, like the grenadier bags, would have embroidered fronts of cloth (the cap in the picture is speculative). Schabraques and pistol covers were to consist of black leather. However, it is highly doubtful that these uniforms were delivered as Hagen died only a month later. Interestingly, Hagen had wanted the entire uniform to be made of cloth (including lining and schabraques) but the king felt that the uniform would then be too heavy.

Battle Paintings

A detail of Daniel Stawert's battle painting from 1706 of the Battle of Narva that hangs inside Drottningholm Palace.

The pictorial evidence of the appearance of the uniforms at the beginning of the war comes mainly from battle paintings of the battles of Narva and Düna. The pictures at the top and bottom are details from these, but a more detailed description of what they show can be found in Erik Bellander's book "Dräkt och uniform" (page 217-218). The descriptions are quoted here and begin with the account of Daniel Stawert's paintings in Drottningholm:

Narva. Among the foot soldiers in the foreground is a soldier in a long, blue coat, where the skirts are not folded up, and a hat with a brim particularly folded at the front. The cavalrymen wear blue coats, one of which is fur lined and one of which has red lining, red collar and drooping red cuffs. The cloaks are blue, one of them fitted with a medium blue, distinctly angular collar. Two cavalrymen wear red cloaks. No turnbacks can be discerned. In two cases there is a hat with a fur brim and a red hill. it is almost a matter of karpus here. Otherwise, the headgear consists of a hat, which is more folded up than before and sometimes approaches the tricorne type.

Düna. The foot soldiers wear long coats without turnbacks. The hats are more or less turned up, some three-sided. A couple of non-commissioned officers wear hats that are high-slung in the front. One clearly has white socks. The same applies to the cavalrymen, who lack buff coats. The hats are not triangular. a Saxon cavalryman, on the other hand, has turnbacks.

Another battle painter from these first years of the Great Northern War was Joh. Lithén (ennobled Litheim), who followed Dahlberg in the field. His presentation of the Battle of Narva shows, among other things, the following details. The cavalry, which dominates the foreground, has indistinct turnbacks. The hats are folded up all around but not fastened. Only two officers and a couple of privates have a three-sided raised, but not attached, brim. A cavalryman wears a karpus-like headdress. Almost all cavalrymen have long hair, an officer and some privates have also a hair pouch. The foot soldiers wear hats with irregularly folded up brims, in one case a hair pouch.

Battle paintings give a good indication of what the contemporary uniforms looked like, but they definitely cannot be compared to photographs of battles. To the extent that the artists did not have enough information about something, they used their imagination to fill in the knowledge gaps. A lot of battle paintings are therefore very unreliable. In the picture below, for example, we see a blue-clad cavalryman with red lining on his coat in the Battle of Düna. No regiment with that colour combination took part in the battle.

 
A detail of Daniel Stawert's battle painting from 1707 of the Battle of Düna that hangs inside Drottningholm Palace.

See also the Swedish infantry uniforms and the Finnish regiments' uniforms There si also a more detailed article about the Evolution of the Swedish Carolean uniform.

Bellander, Erik. Dräkt och uniform. Stockholm (1973).
Höglund, Lars-Eric – Sallnäs, Åke. Stora nordiska kriget 1700-1721 - Fanor och uniformer. Karlstad (2000).
Höglund, Lars-Eric – Sallnäs, Åke. Stora nordiska kriget 1700-1721, II. Karlstad (2003).
Larsson, Anders. Karolinska uniformer och munderingar åren 1700-1721. Östersund (2022).

The information from Kalle Kroon comes from an e-mail he has sent me, but I have published it on my blog.