Capirote

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Procession of the Reales Cofradias Fusionadas in Malaga Lagrimas - Fusionadas.jpg
Procession of the Reales Cofradías Fusionadas in Malaga
Brotherhood with green capirotes in Malaga Pollinica - Mayordomo.jpg
Brotherhood with green capirotes in Malaga
Brotherhood of Saint Rochus with velvet capirotes SevillaNazarenoHSanRoque02.JPG
Brotherhood of Saint Rochus with velvet capirotes
Brotherhood with silk capirotes Venerable Hermandad del Santisimo Cristo de la Lanzada y Maria Santisima de la Caridad, Granda, Semana Santa 2009 (6).JPG
Brotherhood with silk capirotes

A capirote [1] is a Catholic pointed hat of conical form that is used in Spain and Hispanic countries by members of a confraternity of penitents. It is part of the uniform of such brotherhoods including the Nazarenos and Fariseos during Easter observances and reenactments in some areas during Holy Week in Spain and its former colonies, though similar hoods are common in other Christian countries such as Italy. Capirote are worn by penitents so that attention is not drawn towards themselves as they repent, but instead to God.

Contents

History

Historically, the flagellants are the origin of the current traditions, as they flogged themselves with a discipline to do penance. Pope Clement VI ordered that flagellants could perform penance only under control of the church; he decreed Inter sollicitudines ("inner concerns" for suppression). [2] This is considered one of the reasons why flagellants often hid their faces.

The use of the capirote or coroza was prescribed in Spain by the holy office of Inquisition. Men and women who were arrested had to wear a paper capirote in public as sign of public humiliation. The capirote was worn during the session of an Auto-da-fé. The colour was different, conforming to the judgement of the office. People who were condemned to be executed wore a red coroza. Other punishments used different colours.

When the Inquisition was abolished, the symbol of punishment and penitence was kept in the Catholic brotherhood, however, the capirotes used today are different; they are covered in fine fabric, as prescribed by the brotherhood. To this day, they are still worn during the celebration of the Holy Week/Easter most notably in Andalusia, by penitentes (who perform public penance for their sins) who walk through streets with the capirote.

The usage of the capirote during the Holy Week was once common throughout Spain's colonies, but this custom has since died out in most of them by the late 19th century. Notable exceptions to this are some parts of Mexico and Guatemala. Similar hoods are common in other Christian countries such as Italy.

The capirote is today the symbol of the Catholic penitent: only members of a confraternity of penance are allowed to wear them during solemn processions. Children can receive the capirote after their first holy communion, when they enter the brotherhood.

Design

Historically the design is called the capirote, but the brotherhoods cover it with fabric together with their face, and the medal of the brotherhood that is worn underneath. The cloth has two holes for the penitent to see through. The insignia or crest of the brotherhood is usually embroidered on the capirote in fine gold.

The capirote is worn during the whole penance.

Use outside of the Catholic Church

Early Klan members in capirote-like uniforms Ku Klux Klan costumes in North Carolina in 1870.jpg
Early Klan members in capirote-like uniforms

According to historian Michael K. Jerryson, the capirote was appropriated by the early 20th-century American Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist and anti-Catholic group. [3] Alison Kinney of New Republic traces the modern uniform to the popularity of the film The Birth of a Nation , whose costume inspiration was not credited. [4]

The Penitent One wears a capirote in the video games, Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2 .

See also

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Holy Week in Mexico is an important religious observance as well as important vacation period. It is preceded by several observances such as Lent and Carnival, as well as an observance of a day dedicated to the Virgin of the Sorrows, as well as a Mass marking the abandonment of Jesus by the disciples. Holy Week proper begins on Palm Sunday, with the palms used on this day often woven into intricate designs. In many places processions, Masses and other observances can happen all week, but are most common on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, with just about every community marking the crucifixion of Jesus in some way on Good Friday. Holy Saturday is marked by the Burning of Judas, especially in the center and south of the country, with Easter Sunday usually marked by a Mass as well as the ringing of church bells. Mexico's Holy Week traditions are mostly based on those from Spain, brought over with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, but observances have developed variations in different parts of the country due to the evangelization process in the colonial period and indigenous influences. Several locations have notable observances related to Holy Week including Iztapalapa in Mexico City, Taxco, San Miguel de Allende and San Luis Potosí.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Week in Taxco</span>

In Taxco, the processions and ceremonies of Holy Week are elaborate and have gained international fame. Between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, there are ten major processions, six during the evening and four during the day. Most processions are about two and a half kilometers long and take about two hours to complete. These commemorations date back to at least 1622 when they were begun in the atrium of the Church of the Ex monastery of San Bernardino de Siena. Now these processions and ceremonies center of the Santa Prisca Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazareno (Spanish confraternity)</span>

A nazareno (nazarene) is a member of a brotherhood which performs penance rites during Holy Week in Spain. They parade wearing the clothing that conforms to the rules of the brotherhood. The most common term in use is Nazarenes, in but some regions they are known as capuchones (hoodies),or mozorros (lads) or some variation of implying “worthy of punishment”

References

  1. Diccionario de la lengua castellana
  2. A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years Door Diarmaid MacCulloch
  3. Michael K. Jerryson, Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World, 2020, 217
  4. Kinney, Alison (8 January 2016). "How the Klan Got Its Hood". The New Republic. Retrieved 29 November 2022.