Miter
The miter is the liturgical hairstyle , distinctive the tops prelates of the Catholic church having pastoral load, i.e. the bishop S and the Abbé S.
Origin and use
The miter is carried only during the liturgical ceremonies. Before the council the Vatican II, the provosts of the chapters cathédraux and the Chanoine S of certain secular chapters had the right of miter , by pontifical authorization .
Before, in certain particular rites and for certain functions, the Diacre S could also be miters.
The miters of the abbots and the bishops are rigorously identical. The miter appears in Occident during the 12th century, probably about the years 1140 - 1150. Its form evolved/moved however much. It was originally made up of a Bonnet closed, enclosed by a circular stringcourse tied behind the head and falling down on the shoulders in the shape of two bands, the Fanon S. the former and posterior faces, called titles or horns , gradually rose in a parallel way, to become increasingly high and increasingly pointed until the 18th century. The two sides of the miter could mean Symbolique lies the two Wills, the Nouveau being in front.
The traditional liturgy Roman (Rite tridentin) prescribed with the bishop the port of three differently decorated miters according to the circumstances:
- the miter auriphrygiate , also called invaluable miter or gilded , out of cloth of Gold or Money, sometimes in white Silk, doubled red and raised silk invaluable embroideries and stones,
- the orfrayée miter , out of gold cloth or stitched, doubled white gold silk red silk, without embroideries nor invaluable stones, except Pearl S,
- the simple miter , carried in times of Mourning and Penitence. It is out of money cloth, with edges and Fanon S fringed of gold for the Pape; out of damask white silk, with fringed pennons of white for the cardinal ; out of silk or white fabric, with fringed pennons of red for the bishop S. the cardinals and the bishops always carry the simple miter in the presence of the Pape.
The pope had of it a fourth, whose only circle was gilded, to chair certain assemblies.
The ordinary form of the Roman rite does not distinguish any more the miter auriphrygiate of the orfrayée miter .
Structure
In Architecture, the name of miter is given to the top of a Cheminée.
Gallery