The Phrygian Hat – A Barbaric Symbol Of Liberty
The Phrygian hat, worn by inhabitant of Phrygia, a region from ancient Anatolia, is one of the most ancient head-covering cap whose symbolism was kept “alive” until our contemporary times. This hat is a rather simple, made of soft material, with a crest, comb, or pointed top.
How does this hat look like? Well, this hat is a sort of cross between a close-fitting cap and a hood. The Phrygian cap is brimless, but may have flaps over or in front of the ears, and also sometimes has a long flap in the back to protect the neck.
For the Greeks, the Phrygian cap indicated that the person wearing it was not from mainland Greece, as these hats were worn primarily in Anatolia. For the Romans, the cap acquired additional symbolism, because it was given to manumitted slaves when they received their freedom. Therefore, initially and mainly, the Phrygian hat was an icon for a slave who has gained his freedom and is coming back to his roots.
It was first regarded as a symbol of the eastern countries, which were considered rather barbaric. Actually, the very first significance of the hat was that it was borne by people who were not Greeks.
A Liberty Cap appears on the State flags of West Virginia and New Jersey. The official seals of the United States Army and the United States Senate also depict a liberty cap. Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the first college to be chartered in the new Republic of the USA, has got a seal where a traditional Phrygian hat can be seen.
Although these caps are not often worn anymore, many people are familiar with their symbolism. A Phrygian hat which is integrated into a piece of art, whether is a painting or a sculpture, will send a very specific message. Its significant symbolism will not leave these hats anonymous, but they will be revived by the new trends of fashion.
You can buy stylish smurf hats now available in different colours and prints.
categories: clothes, fashion, hat
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