So, white smoke has ascended the stack, you know
what that means people; the world has a new pope! Along with his new promotion, he’ll be moving
out of that metaphorical cubicle to a new office in the Vatican, which means he’ll
have to relocate for work. This shouldn’t
be a problem when you’re the freaking pope, right? I didn’t think so, but with great
responsibility comes a great hat. Which is
why, on The Hebephrenic Hatter, we’re
featuring the Mitre.
According to these guys, the pontifical Mitre (pronounced
Miter) can be traced back to Rome, but tradition states that it was used in the
time of the apostles. In fact, a derivative
of the Mitre (i.e. the camelaucum) can be dated back to the early 8th
century, and, according to this place, “the
word mitre derives from the Greek mitra, which signifies a
headband or diadem.” Which, as we all
know, a diadem is a form of crown. This use
of a sacramental crown for the pope symbolizes his authority in the church, so
not everyone can wear a Mitre. Tradition
dictates that you have to be at least a bishop to wear the sacred hat, which
makes the hat all the more authoritative.
With great power comes a powerful hat
which is why the Pope’s Mitre can and will be deemed the most powerful hat in
the world on this blog. Its biblical
origins are with the story of Moses, but, as is the case with all great hats,
it has evolved over time. So, when you
see Francis ascending the throne, keep in mind his hat is all powerful.
As always, so entertaining. I really like that you incorporate the origin of the name of the hats you talk about. I love the history tid bits. You used the word "freaking." I don't know how I feel about that...hehe brandon you are a very good writer, as well a entertaining. I am always intrigued the whole way through. I'm taking a guess on the next hat. I called it silently in my head. I won't get, because I may lose another dollar.
ReplyDeleteVery cool. I've always thought Catholic hats looked weird. They remind me of all the weird hats Richard III wears in Laurence Olivier's film rendition of the play, but this one looks like a tall sailor hat. It's interesting to learn a bunch of historical facts about all these different hats. Useful link and good picture, I keep forgetting to add pictures.
ReplyDeleteGreat, relavent post. It fits perfectly since there was just recently a new pope. I've always wondered about the stuff that the pope has to wear and why so this post was very informative and interesting to me. I like that in everything you post, I always learn something that I didn't know before. It is entertaining and knowledgeable at the same time. Nice work!
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