mitre
(Latin: mitra, hood)
A folding cap of linen, silk, or cloth of gold, often ornamented, consisting of two parts, stiffened and peaked, sewed together on the sides and united above by a strip of folding cloth, having two fringed lappets hanging down the back, worn by the pope, bishops, and cardinals at solemn liturgical functions. It was first worn in Rome about the middle of the tenth century and its use became a general custom among bishops, 1100-1150. It is derived from a cone-shaped head-covering distinctive of the pope. It is frequently used in art to indicate that a subject is or was a bishop, or had other connection to the office.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Mitre
Form, Material, and Use
The mitre is a kind of folding-cap. It consists of two like parts, each stiffened by a lining and rising to a peak; these are sewn together on the sides, but are united above by a piece of material thet can fold together. Two lappets trimmed on the ends with fringe hang down from the back. The mitre is, theoretically, always supposed to be white. The official “Cæremoniale Romanum” distinguishes three kinds of mitres: the mitra pretiosa, auriphrygiata, and simplex. The first two differ from each other only in the greater or less richness of the ornamentation; the mitra simplex, or simple mitre, is one of white silk or white linen entirely without ornament. The fringe on the lappets at the back should be red. The bishop must wear the mitra pretiosa on those days on which the hymn Te Deum is used in the Office, the mitre auriphrygiata in the seasons of Advent and Lent, on fast days and during penitential processions, the mitra simplex on Good Fridays, at funerals, and at the blessing of the candles on Candlemas-day. When bishops attend a general council, or are present at solemn pontifical acts of the pope, they wear a plain linen mitre, while the cardinals on occasions wear a simple mitre of silk damask. The right to wear the mitre belongs by law only to the pope, the cardinals, and the bishops. Others require for its use a special papal privilege. This privilege is possessed, for example, by numerous abbots, the dignitaries of many cathedral chapters, and by certain prelates of the papal Curia, but, as a rule, the right is more or less limited: for instance, such prelates can only use a simple mitre of white linen, unless the contrary is expressly granted them. The mitre is distinguished from the other episcopal vestments in that it is always laid aside when the bishop prays; for example, at the orationes of the Mass, of the Office, in conferring Holy Orders, at the Canon of the Mass, etc. The reason for this is to be found in the commandment of the Apostle that a man should pray with uncovered head (1 Corinthians 11:4). The giving of the mitre is a ceremony in the consecration of a bishop. It occurs at the close of the Mass after the solemn final blessing, the consecrator having first blessed the mitre.
Antiquity
From the seventeenth century much has been written concerning the length of time the mitre has been worn. According to one opinion its use extends back into the age of the Apostles; according to another, at least as far back as the eighth or ninth century while a further view holds that it did not appear until the beginning of the second millennium, but that before this there was an episcopal ornament for the head, in form like a wreath or crown. In opposition to these and similar opinions, which cannot all be dis- cussed here, it is, however, to be held as certain that an episcopal ornament for the head in the shape of a fillet never existed in Western Europe, that the mitre was first used at Rome about the middle of the tenth century, and outside of Rome about the year 1000. Exhaustive proof for this is given in the work (mentioned in bibliography below), “Die liturgische Gewandung im Occident und Orient” (pp. 431-48), where all that has been brought forward to prove the high antiquity of the mitre is exhaustively discussed and refuted. The mitre is depicted for the first time in two miniatures of the beginning of the eleventh century; the one is in a baptismal register, the other in Exultet-roll of the cathedral at Bari, Italy. The first written mention of it is found in a Bull of Leo IX of the year 1049. In this the pope, who had formerly been Bishop of Toul, France, confirmed the primacy of the Church of Trier to Bishop Eberhard of Trier, his former metropolitan who had accompanied him to Rome. As a sign of this primacy, Leo granted Bishop Eberhard the Roman mitre, in order that he might use it according to the Roman custom in performing the offices of the church. By about 1100-50 the custom of wearing the mitre was general among bishops.
Origin
The pontifical mitre is of Roman origin: it is derived from a non-liturgical head-covering distinctive of the pope, the camelaucum, to which also the tiara is to be traced. The camelaucum was worn as early as the beginning of the eighth century, as is shown by tho biography of Pope Constantine I (708- 815) in the “Liber Pontificalis”. The same headcovering is also mentioned in the so-called “Donation of Constantine”. The Ninth Ordo states that the camelaucum was made of white stuff and shaped like a helmet. The coins of Sergius III (904-11) and of Benedict VII (974-83), on which St. Peter is portrayed wearing a camelaucum, give the cap the form of a cone, the original shape of the mitre. The camelaucum was worn by the pope principally during solemn processions. The mitre developed from the camelaucum in this way: in the course of the tenth century the pope began to wear this head-covering not merely during processions to the church, but also during the subsequent church service. Whether any influence was exerted by the recollection of the sacerdotal head-ornament of the high-priest of the Old Testament is not known, but probably not–at least there is no trace of any such influence. It was not until the mitre was universally worn by bishops that it was called an imitation of the Jewish sacerdotal head-ornament.
Granting of the Mitre to Dignitaries other than Bishops
The Roman cardinals certainly had already the right to wear the mitre towards the end of the eleventh century. Probably they possessed the privilege as early as in the first half of the century. For if Leo IX granted the privilege to the cardinals of the cathedral of Besançon (see CARDINAL: I. Cardinal Priests) in 1051, the Roman cardinals surely had it before that date. The first authentic granting of the mitre to an abbot dates from the year 1063, when Alexander II conferred the mitre upon Abbot Egelsinus of the Abbey of St. Augustine at Canterbury. From this time on instances of the granting of the mitre to abbots constantly increased in number. At times also secular princes were granted permission to wear the mitre as a mark of distinction; for example, Duke Wratislaw of Bohemia received this privilege from Pope Alexander II, and Peter of Aragon from Innocent III. The right also belonged to the German emperor.
Development of the Shape
As regards shape, there is such difference between the mitre of the eleventh century and that of the twentieth that it is difficult to recognize the same ornamental head-covering in the two. In its earliest form the mitre was a simple cap of soft material, which ended above in a point, while around the lower edge there was generally, although not always, an ornamental band (circulus). It would also seem that lappets were not always attached to the back of the mitre. Towards 1100 the mitre began to have a curved shape above and to grow into a round cap. In many cases there soon appeared a depression in the upper part similar to the one which is made when a soft felt hat is pressed down on the head from the forehead to the back of the head. In handsome mitres an ornamental band passed from front to back across the indentation; this made more prominent the puffs in the upper part of the cap to the right and left sides of the head. This calotte-shaped mitre was used until late in the twelfth century; in some places until the last quarter of the century. From about 1125 a mitre of another form and somewhat different appearance is often found. In it the puffs on the sides had developed into horns (cornua) which ended each in a point and were stiffened with parchment or some other interlining. This mitre formed the transition to the third style of mitre which is essentially the one still used today: the third mitre is distinguished from its predecessor, not actually by its shape, but only by its position on the head. While retaining its form, the mitre was henceforth so placed upon the head that the cornua no longer arose above the temples but above the forehead and the back of the head. The lappets had naturally, to be fastened to the under edge below the horn at the back. The first example of such a mitre appeared towards 1150. Elaborate mitres of this kind had not only an ornamental band (circulus) on the lower edge, but a similar ornamental band (titulus) went vertically over the middle of the horns. In the fourteenth century this form of mitre began to be distorted in shape. Up to then the mitre had been somewhat broader than high when folded together, but from this period on it began, slowly indeed, but steadily, to increase in height until, in the seventeenth century, it grew into an actual tower. Another change, which, however, did not appear until the fifteenth century, was that the sides were no longer made vertical, but diagonal. In the sixteenth century it began to be customary to curve, more or less decidedly, the diagonal sides of the horns. The illustration gives a summary of the development of the shape of the mitre. It should, however, be said thet the changes did not take place everywhere at the same time, nor did the mitre everywhere pass through all the shapes of the development. A large number of mitres of the later Middle Ages have been preserved, but they all belong to the third form of mitre. Many have very costly ornamentation. For even in medieval times it, was a favourite custom to ornament especially the mitre with embroidery, rich bands (aurifrisia), pearls, precious stones, small ornamental disks of the precious metals; and even to use painting. Besides several hundred large and small pearls, a mitre of the late Middle Ages in St. Peter’s at Salsburg is also ornamented with about five hundred more or less costly precious stones; it weighs over five and a half pounds. Similar mitres are also mentioned in the inventory of 1295 of Boniface VIII. Eight medieval mitres are preserved in the cathedral of Halberstadt. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the mitre was ornamented with rich, heavy embroidery in gold, which gave it a still more imposing appearance. A mitre of the eighteenth century preserved in the cathedral treasury at Limburg-on-the-Lahn is remarkable for the large number of precious stones that adorn it. The original material of the mitre appears to have been white linen alone, but as early as the thirteenth century (with the exception of course of the simple mitre) it was generally made of silk or ornamented with silk embroidery.
The Liturgical Head-Covering in the Greek Rite
In the Orthodox Greek Rite (the other Greek Rites need not here be considered) a liturgical head-covering was not worn until the sixteenth century. Before this only the Patriarch of Alexandria, who wore one as early as the tenth century, made use of a head-covering, and his was only a simple cap. The Greek pontifical mitre is a high hat which swells out towards the top and is spanned diagonally by two hoops; on the highest point of thc dome-shaped top is a cross either standing upright or placed flat.
———————————–
DE LINAS, Anciens Vétements sacerdotaux, 2e série (Paris, 1862); BOCK, Geschichte der liturg. Gewänder, II (Bonn, 1886); ROHAULT DE FLEURY, La Messe, VIII (Paris, 1889); BRAUN, Die pontifikalen Gewänder des Abendlandes (Freiburg im Br., 1898); IDEM, Die liturgische Gewandung im Occident und Orient (Freiburg im Br., 1907).
JOSEPH BRAUN Transcribed by William Stuart French, Jr. Dedicated to Rt. Rev. Walter A. Coggin, O.S.B., Third Abbot Nullius, Belmont Abbey, Belmont, N.C., U.S.A.; Council Father, Second Vatican Council
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XCopyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Mitre
is the rendering in the Auth. Vers. of the Hebrew word . (mitsne’pheth, something rolled around the head), spoken especially of the turban or head-dress of the high-priest (Exo 28:4; Exo 28:37; Exo 28:39; Exo 29:6; Exo 39:28; Exo 39:31; Lev 8:9; Lev 16:4; for its form, see Josephus, Ant. 3:7, 3; Braun, De Vestitu sacerd. Heb. page 624 sq.; Toppffer, De tiaris summi et ninorum sacerdotum,, Vitemb. 1722; Funcke, De tiara pontif. Ebr. Gies. 1728), once of a royal crown (diadem, Eze 21:26); also (tsaniph’, from the same root), spoken of a tiara or head-band, e.g. of men (Job 29:14, diadem), of women (Isa 3:23, hood), of the highpriest (Zec 3:5), and once of the king (Isa 62:3, diadem, where the text has or ). SEE BONNET; SEE CROWN; SEE PRIEST. MITRE is the name given also to the head-dress worn in solemn Church services by the pope, the bishops, abbots, and certain other prelates of the Church of Rome. The name, as probably the ornament itself, is borrowed from the Orientals, although, in its present form, it is not in use in the Greek , Church, or in any other of the churches of the various E astern rites. The Western mitre is a tall, tongue-shaped cap, terminating in a twofold point, which is supposed to symbolize the cloven tongues, in the form of which the Holy Ghost was imparted to the apostles, and is furnished with two flaps, which fall behind over the shoulders.
Opinion is much divided as to the date at which the mitre first came into use. Eusebius, Gregory of Nazianzum, Epiphanius, and others speak of an ornamented head-dress worn in the church; but there is no very early monument or pictorial representation which exhibits any head-covering at all resembling the modern mitre. A statue of St. Peter, said to have been erected in the seventh century, bears this mark of distinction in the shape of a round, high, and pyramidal mitre, such as those which the popes have since worn, and offers, perhaps, one of the earliest instances of its usage in churches. The most ancient mitres were very low: and simple, being not more than from three to six inches in elevation, and they thus continued till the end of the thirteenth century. Since the 9th century the mitre is found to have been in use quite extensively. From the time of Leo IX until Innocent IV the mitre was worn by cardinals, and instances are recorded in which the popes granted permission to certain bishops to wear the mitre; as, for example, Leo IV to Anschar, bishop of Hamburg, in the ninth century. In the fourteenth century, when the mitre-had come into general use, they gradually increased in height to a foot or more, and became more superbly enriched; their outlines also presented a degree of convexity by which they were distinguished from the older mitres..
The mitre, as an ornament, seems to have descended in the earliest times from bishop to bishop. Among the Cottonian MSS. is an order, dated July 1, 4 Henry VI, for the delivery to archbishop Chichely of the mitre which had been worn by his predecessor. It was in some cases a very costly ornament. Archbishop Pecheham’s new mitre, in 1288, cost 173 4s. 1d. The material used in the manufacture of the mitre is very various, often consisting of the most costly stuffs, studded with gold and precious stones. The color and material differ according to the festival or the service in which the mitre is used, and there is a special prayer in the consecration service of bishops, used in investing the new bishop with his mitre.. The mitre of the pope is of peculiar form, and is generally called by the name of tiara (q.v.). There are four different mitres which are now used by the pope. These are more or less richly adorned, according to the nature of the festivals on which they are to beworn. The two horns of the mitre are generally taken to be an allusion to the cloven tongues of fire which rested on each of the apostles on the day of Pentecost.
At first the mitre was by special favor conferred on certain bishops; gradually it became the common right of every bishop to wear the mitre, and later its use was also permitted by special privilege to certain abbots, to provosts of some distinguished cathedral chapters, and to a few other dignitaries. (Compare Walcott, Archceology, p. 383 sq.; Binterim, Denkwiirdigkeiten der Kirche, 1, part. 2, page 348).
In some of the Lutheran churches (as in Sweden) the mitre is worn; but in the Church of England, since the Reformation, the mitre is no longer a part of the episcopal costume; it is simply placed over the shield of an archbishop or bishop instead of a crest. The mitre of a bishop has its lower rim surrounded with a fillet of gold; but the archbishops of Canterbury and York are in the practice of encircling theirs with a ducal coronet, a usage of late date and doubtful propriety. The bishop of Durham surrounds his mitre with an earl’s coronet, in consequence of being titular count palatine of Durham and earl of Sedburgh. Before the custom was introduced of bishops impaling the insignia of their sees with their family arms, they sometimes differenced their paternal coat by the addition of a mitre.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Mitre
(Heb. mitsnepheth), something rolled round the head; the turban or head-dress of the high priest (Ex. 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6, etc.). In the Authorized Version of Ezek. 21:26, this Hebrew word is rendered “diadem,” but in the Revised Version, “mitre.” It was a twisted band of fine linen, 8 yards in length, coiled into the form of a cap, and worn on official occasions (Lev. 8:9; 16:4; Zech. 3:5). On the front of it was a golden plate with the inscription, “Holiness to the Lord.” The mitsnepheth differed from the mitre or head-dress (migba’ah) of the common priest. (See BONNET)
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Mitre
MITRE.With the exception of Zec 3:6 where it represents the Heb. tsnph or turban (for which see Dress, 5 a), and Eze 21:26 RV [Note: Revised Version.] (see below), mitre in EV [Note: English Version.] is used exclusively of the characteristic headdress of the Jewish high priest. The mitre (Heb. mitsnepheth, from the same root, signifying to wind round, as tsanph) was an elaborate species of turban, composed of a long swathe of fine linen (Exo 28:39), 16 cubits in length, according to the Talmud. Its precise form, however, is uncertain; the descriptions given by Josephus of the high-priestly mitre of his day, besides being obscure in themselves, agree neither with one another nor with the OT text.
On the now common assumption that the Priests Code originated in Babylonia, it is probable that the mitre was intended to have the conical form characteristic of the tiara of the Babylonian kings. For ornament it had a plate of gold, on which were engraved two Hebrew words signifying holiness to J [Note: Jahweh.] (Exo 28:36, Lev 8:9 : cf. Sir 45:12). The plate rested on the front of the mitre, and was kept in position by a blue-purple ribbon (Exo 28:37; Exo 39:31), which probably served as a fillet and was tied behind, perhaps with the ends hanging down, as in the case of the jewelled diadem or fillet worn by the Assyrian kings. Hence the fillet could be described as the holy crown (Lev 8:9), and by ben-Sira as a diadem (EV [Note: English Version.] crown) of gold upon the mitre (Sir 45:12). The royal crown of Judah, according to Ezekiel (Eze 21:26), consisted of the same two parts (see Heb. text in each case): remove the mitre (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ), and take off the diadem (EV [Note: English Version.] crown). This passage is our warrant for saying that the headdress prescribed for the high priest in the Priests Code, consisting of mitre and diadem, is intended to signify that the high priest shall unite in his person the highest office in both Church and State.
The headdress of the high priest is always distinguished from that of his subordinates, for which see Bonnet.
A. R. S. Kennedy.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Mitre
mter In the King James Version this word renders two Hebrew words, both of which, however, come from the same stem, namely, , canaph, to coil or to wrap round. In Ex 28, a mitre (the Revised Version margin turban) is enumerated among Aaron’s articles of dress, which were to be made by tailors of recognized skill. On the forefront of the mitre was a plate of pure gold with the words Holy to Yahweh (i.e. consecrated to Yahweh) inscribed upon it. This gold plate was fastened to the mitre by a blue ribbon. The material of the mitre was fine linen or silk. The word for the headtire (the King James Version bonnet) of the ordinary priest was a different word. Ezekiel uses the word in connection with Zedekiah (Eze 21:26); the prophet associated regal and priestly functions with the throne. It is possible, however, that the two sentences – remove the mitre, and take off the crown – refer to the degradation of the priesthood and of the throne which the downfall of Jerusalem will involve. The Septuagint varies between kdaris and mtra, the former word being used in Sirach 45:12.
T. Lawns
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Mitre
The head-dress of the high priest. It was made of fine linen: to it was fastened by a lace of blue “the plate of the holy crown of pure gold,” on which was engraved “Holiness to the Lord.” This plate came across the forehead. The mitre was emblematical of the upholding of purity, righteousness and holiness by the Lord Jesus as the Minister of the sanctuary, or holy place. Exo 28:4; Exo 28:37; Exo 28:39; Exo 29:6; Exo 39:28; Exo 39:31; Lev 8:9; Lev 16:4.
The word is mitsnepheth , and (translated ‘diadem’) occurs again in a remarkable reference to the “profane wicked prince of Israel,” which, though referring to the then king, Zedekiah, seems to point to the future Antichrist in conjunction with the Roman beast, for he is represented as wearing the mitre and the crown, which shall be removed. God will overturn, overturn, “until he come whose right it is: and I will give it him.” Eze 21:25-27. With this agrees Isa 28:5: “In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a ‘mitre ‘ of beauty, unto the residue of his people.” In Zec 3:1-8, where Joshua the high priest, as a representative of the people, is delivered from the resistance of Satan, and is cleansed, a fair mitre (tsaniph , a kindred word to the above) is set upon his head, and he is clothed with garments. The Lord Jesus as the BRANCH comes forth, and blessing follows.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Mitre
Mitre. The head-dress of the Jewish priest. It was of fine flax or linen, made with many folds, making in length eight yards, and wreathed round the head in the shape of an Eastern turban. It bore upon its front a gold plate, on which was inscribed: “Holiness to the Lord.” Exo 28:4; Exo 28:37; Exo 28:39; Exo 29:6; Exo 39:28; Exo 39:30; Lev 8:9; Lev 16:4.
Fuente: People’s Dictionary of the Bible
Mitre
Mitre. (something rolled around the head). The turban or headdress of the high priest, made of fine linen cloth, eight yards long, folded around the head.
On the front, was a gold plate, on which was inscribed, Holiness to the Lord. Exo 28:4; Exo 28:28:37; Exo 28:28:39; Exo 28:39:28; Exo 28:39:30; Lev 8:9.
Fuente: Smith’s Bible Dictionary
MITRE
crown or head-dress worn by the priests
Exo 28:4; Exo 29:6; Exo 39:28