Information AboutVeil |
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Veils are articles of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, which cover some part of the Head or Face . HISTORY For many centuries (until around 1175 ) Anglo-Saxon and then Anglo-Norman women, with the exception of young unmarried girls, wore veils that entirely covered their hair, and often their necks up to their chins. It was not until the Tudor period ( 1485 ), when Hood s became increasingly popular, that veils of this type became less common. For centuries, women have worn sheer veils, but only under certain circumstances. Sometimes a veil of this type was draped over and pinned to the Bonnet or hat of a woman in Mourning , especially at the funeral and during the period of "high mourning". They would also have been used, as an alternative to a Mask , as a simple method of hiding the identity of a woman who was traveling to meet a lover, or doing anything she didn't want other people to find out about. More pragmatically, veils were also sometimes worn to protect the complexion from sun and wind damage (when un-tanned skin was fashionable), or to keep dust out of a woman's face. VEILS WITH HATS wearing a veil after the death of president Roosevelt]] Veils pinned to hats have survived the changing fashions of the centuries and are still common today on occasions when women wear hats. However, these veils are generally made of netting or another material not actually designed to hide the face from view, even if the veil can be pulled down, which is not always the case. Mantilla s are still worn by Spanish women during religious ceremonies. NUNS' HEADDRESSES A similar veil forms part of a Nun 's headdress; this is why a woman who becomes a nun can be said "to take the veil". The nun's veil covers the top of the head and flows down around and over the shoulders. In Western Christianity, it does not wrap around the neck or face. In Eastern Orthodoxy , a veil called an Epanokamelavkion is used by both nuns and Monk s, the former using it to cover their necks and shoulders as well as their heads. MUSLIM WOMEN See Also: Islam and clothing A variety of headdresses worn by Muslim women in accordance with Hijab (the principle of dressing Modest ly) are sometimes referred to as veils or Headscarves . Many of these garments cover the hair, ears and throat, but do not cover the face (for example the Dupatta , Khimar and Buknuk ). The Niqab and Burqa are two kinds of veils that cover most of the face except for a slit or hole for the eyes. The Afghan burqa covers the entire body, obscuring the face completely, except for a grille or netting over the eyes to allow the wearer to see. The Boushiya is a veil that may be worn over a headscarf, it covers the entire face and is made of a sheer fabric so the wearer is able to see through it. It has been suggested that the practice of wearing a veil - uncommon among the Arab tribes prior to the rise of Islam - originated in the Byzantine Empire , and then spread among the Arabs. WEDDING VEILS An occasion on which a Western, non-Muslim woman is likely to wear a veil is on her Wedding day, if she follows the traditions of a White Wedding . Bride s used to wear their hair flowing down their back at their wedding to symbolise their virginity, now the white diaphanous veil is often said to represent this. VEILS IN MORMONISM Mormon women also wear a veil as part of ritual temple clothing. This veil, along with the entire temple ritual clothing, is only worn inside the temple and is rarely seen. The veil is only lowered to cover the face of the woman during one part of the temple ritual and then is returned (thrown back over the top of the head). However, Mormons who have completed the temple rituals will be typically buried in this clothing. During the viewing of the body, the veil remains lifted up and on top of the head of the deceased. Immediately prior to the closing and sealing of the casket, the veil is lowered over the face of the deceased. Another type of veil in Mormonism is the veil of the temple, which is an actual cloth structure which is suspended from the ceiling. It often separates the temple congregation from the Celestial Room (most holy room of the temple). Toward the end of the main temple ceremony, the congregation will each pass through the veil curtain into the Celestial Room through an elaborate series of rituals. COURTESANS Conversely, veils are often part of the stereotypical image of the Courtesan and Harem woman. Here, rather than the virginity of the bride's veil, modesty of the Muslim scarf or the piety of the nun's headdress, the mysterious veil hints at sensuality and the unknown. An example of the veil's erotic potential is the Dance Of The Seven Veils . Sexual interest in veiled women is Veil Fetishism . IN WEST AFRICA Among the Tuareg of West Africa , women do not traditionally wear the veil, while men do. The men's facial covering originates from the belief that such action wards off evil spirits, but most probably relates to protection against the harsh desert sands as well; in any event, it is a firmly established tradition. Men begin wearing a veil at age 25 which conceals their entire face excluding their eyes. This veil is never removed, even in front of family members. [http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Tuareg.html EXTERNAL LINKS
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