new thread
My attention was brought to an engraving of the medieval liturgy. The title is in German and it seems to be something like the late 15th century or early 16th shortly before Luther's Reformation.
They all have the clerical tonsure (a big round shaved part at the crown of the head where many men go bald), but the hair behind is flowing behind their collars. This is pronounced with the priest standing up against the altar and the cleric walking away from the left of the altar.
The latter cleric seems to have his hair in two layers at the back. The deacon and subdeacon (standing behind the priest's back), also with tonsures, have shorter hair, a kind of page boy style.
Anthony
My blog
I think they had the "tonsure" hairstyle in order to show their obedience. Longer hairstyle was popular during the 17th and 18th century.
Inevitably, cutting hair always has the same symbolism, like putting one's joined hands into the hands of the bishop for an oath of loyalty. It is a sign of submission and obedience.
The tonsure is also something you can't hide. You can't take it off and put it on like clothes. It's with you all the time. For a priest, deacon, etc., it reminds him of his vocation and consecration to God and the Church. The cleric can cover his tonsure with a skull cap, which is more often seen on bishops' heads and coloured violet. An ordinary priest's skull cap is black, like that of a rabbi.
Hair has been longer or shorter over the centuries, but the tonsure remained until the 1960's. It fell out of use after Vatican II. I have worn it myself, but in its reduced version of about one inch diameter on the crown of the head. A tonsure that size is difficult to shave, even for an experienced barber.
Anthony
* * *
My blog