Tonsure

The tonsure (Latin tonsura " scissors " of tondere " scissors " ) is the complete or partial removal of head hair for religious reasons or any resulting hairstyle. It is known from various religions such as Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism. Even in ancient Egyptian religion, there was tonsured priest. When Catholic clergy, it was customary to shave a larger or smaller area of ​​the scalp so that a fringe of hair remaining.

History

The original meaning of tonsure is not fully understood. However, evidence of similar interventions give prehistoric trepanation. Penitent settled early on the main shave their heads. In this respect, the tonsure can be interpreted as a sign of utter devotion to God in the consecrated life. An opposite position can be seen in Orthodox Judaism, the members of Aaron's priesthood prohibits any head hair removal.

A religious explanation is a symbolic opening of the skull ( trepanation ) in direction. This would better take better escape or positive spirit of the affected persons holding eg invaded demons.

According to Peter Berresford Ellis Christian tonsure was taken at the time of the missionary in Gaul and Britain by the Celtic Druids, who traditionally wore this type of hairstyle and they were airbacc giunnae. The Celtic Christian monks wore the tonsure under now abgewandeltem name ( generator gear mog or tonsura civilis )

From the penitents and hermits the first monks took over this custom, and of these they went in the 6th century about all Christian clergy, which it was required by law 633 on the fourth synod of Toledo.

Molding

A distinction was a bald -cropped front head, as so-called " tonsure of the apostle Paul, " of the circular plate on the vertex, the so-called " tonsure of the apostle Peter ". The former was common as so-called " tonsure of the apostle Saint James " in the British and Irish in the Greek Church, and in a slightly different form, the second at priests and monks of the Western Church.

The only just the clergy enterer they wore in the periphery of a smaller coin, the priests in the periphery of a wafer, the bishops even bigger, and the Pope only a narrow circle of hairs stood on his forehead. The shearing of the consecration went ahead and was repeated weekly or before each high feast.

Presence

Effective January 1, 1973, the tonsure of Pope Paul VI in the Catholic Church. abolished.

In some altrituellen Latin communities, such as the French Benedictine Abbey of Sainte -Madeleine du Barroux Monastery Bellaigue and the Abbey of St. Pius X convent rich stone, it is further practiced. Even in Orthodoxy the tonsure remains rite of passage in the first and each additional degree of monasticism.