In another thread on the history of head covering by Muslim women, I asked this question about the history of head covering in Europe.

It seems that among the elderly in Orthodox and Catholic countries there are still some women who do this. I also have noticed women with their hair covered in medieval depictions of women from all over Europe.

Was this always common, or restricted to some sections of society and only certain countries? Was this as the result of biblical invocations to cover the head when praying or was it just a cultural expectation of modesty? When did it begin to fall out of favour?