Cilice
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term cilice was originally a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt). In more modern religious circles, the word has come to simply mean an object that can be worn to induce some degree of discomfort or pain.
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[edit] Etymology
The word is pronounced SILL-iss" (IPA /'sɪlɪs/), and derives from the Latin cilicium, a covering made of goat's hair from Cilicia, a Roman province in south-east Asia Minor.
The Latin word for hairshirt is cilicium, and the reputed first Scriptural use of the term in the Latin scriptures is in the Vulgate of Psalm 35:13, "Ego autem, cum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio." ( "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth." in the King James Bible — this is from The Catholic Encyclopedia referenced below). This is translated as hair-cloth in the Douay Bible, and as sackcloth in the Anglican Authorized Version and the Book of Common Prayer. Sackcloth is often mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of mourning and penance, and probably was a form of hairshirt. Sackcloth may also mean burlap.
[edit] Usage
Such garments or adornments have been worn at various times in the history of the Christian faith, for the purposes of the mortification of the flesh. Apart from the itchiness of the shirt's coarse texture, when worn continuously it formed a breeding-ground for lice, which would have the effect of increasing the discomfort. Saints and monks are often reported to have worn one, and rich men sometimes wore one under their fine clothes as penance for adorning themselves, something some people believe to be forbidden in the Bible, though less drastic forms of penance are normal throughout the Christian church. For instance, in the Holbein portrait of Thomas More, a small portion of a hair shirt appears to be visible near the wrists and at the neck under the fine robes of office.
St. John the Baptist wore a garment of camels' hair that was likely a hairshirt, Thomas Becket was wearing one when he was murdered, St. Patrick reputedly wore one, Charlemagne was buried in a hairshirt, and Henry IV famously wore one in the Walk to Canossa during the Investiture Controversy. Prince Henry the Navigator was found to be wearing a hairshirt at the time of his death in 1460.
In more recent times the word has come to refer to a spiked metal belt or chain worn strapped tight around the upper thigh.[1] Many religious orders within the Roman Catholic Church have used the cilice as a form of "corporal mortification," but in recent years it has become known as a practice of numeraries (celibate lay people) of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Roman Catholic Church. It is worn for two hours a day, and while it causes discomfort, it does not break the skin.[2]
[edit] Construction
Hairshirts are made of rough cloth, generally woven from goats' hair, and are worn close to the skin to practice mortification and penance or to show contrition for sins. The cloth's coarse texture directly on the skin is extremely itchy, and it can also be a breeding ground for lice, furthering the discomfort. They have also been worn to show distance from temptations of the flesh and ostentatious luxury. It is known that they have been worn by ascetics, monks, and lay persons.
[edit] Popular culture
- The Da Vinci Code (2003) — The use of a cilice on the upper thigh is a prominent signature trait of the albino monk named Silas, a homonym of cilice. Silas is a fictional member of Opus Dei, and one of the lead antagonists in Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code. Both Brown's book and the Ron Howard movie exaggerate it, however, depicting the cilice as something that is wrapped so tightly that it digs into the flesh, causing bleeding and severe pain.
- In recent times, people are sometimes said to be "wearing a hairshirt" when they make life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.
