Got Scarf?

Okay, I'm not a fashion expert.  I'm the last person on earth who is qualified to be commenting on European fashion trends.  Most of the sharply-dressed women I see walking around Sweden make me feel shamefully shabby, frumpy, and uncool.  I've been more than happy to embrace the stylish and practical Swedish look of skirts with tights and tall leather boots for winter.  But, what the hell is up with the GIANT scarves, ladies?  As soon as the weather gets cold, the women here pile on scarves that look something like this:

From what I've seen, the thicker and raggedier the yarn and the longer and more cumbersome the scarf, the better.  Are we going for some kind of head-slimming effect here?  How can your neck possibly get so cold that you need a scarf that would effectively warm a family of five?  Doesn't it get heavy after walking around in the rain and snow?  Is there some kind of new neck-strengthening workout regime going on that I don't know about?  Does it pose a safety risk to your head-turning abilities when you constrict yourself with a huge woolen neck brace?  Am I really that clueless about fashion to think this is possibly the silliest look a grown woman could go for?  Can anyone out there fill me in on why someone needs to wrap the equivalent of two entire sheep around their face?