Tea at Trianon: On the Veiling of Women

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

On the Veiling of Women

Hallowed Ground has an interesting discussion, with a link to quotes from some of the Church Fathers. Up through Victorian times, married woman in the West usually wore little caps or bonnets even at home, not just at church. Some Protestant fundamentalist sects have continued this practice. (Are they aware it comes from Tertullian?) Such social customs are interesting; it is intriguing how various practices evolve through the centuries and adapt to different cultures. St. Paul only mentioned having women's heads covered in church, which was in the code of canon law until 1981. More discussion here. Share

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: I am considering to start wearing a head-cover when I attend Mass. Nobody does this here in Germany so I am afraid that I will look odd. In Romania the practice is still observed by some Eastern-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic ladies. I know how one feels with and without a head-cover. A head-cover in the church is like a statement of orthodoxy. It is also an invitation for restrain to those who may look at you...; October 30, 2007 at 4:00:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Considering what times we live in, I think each one needs to decide what is suitable and effective for the given circumstances and situation. One can always wear a hat or beret rather than a mantilla, but it is up to you.; October 30, 2007 at 5:20:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: Yes. true Elena. I think my Kashmir foulard would be OK. It is cold in these old churches from here anyway.:-); October 30, 2007 at 5:27:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: That sounds lovely! Saint Francis de Sales said that there is nothing wrong with being quietly elegant! In fact, he recommended it!; October 30, 2007 at 5:44:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: If you think about it much of what Catholics and Protestants do come from Judiasm. I wouldn't like to go back to head coverings, but respect for a woman's reputation slipped away with the head coverings. For better or for worse, the Women's Liberation Movement has been creeping along for many decades and started in small ways before the inception of the NOW movement.; October 30, 2007 at 6:54:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Well, I think it was mostly for the worst. Don't you?; October 30, 2007 at 6:54:00 PM EDT