 A hairshirt belonging to a Christian, with rosary hanging off a belt loop used to hold thegirdle that tightens the garment around the waist | |
| Type | Undergarment |
|---|---|
| Material | Coarse cloth or animal hair |
| Place of origin | Cilicia |
| Introduced | Post-Exilic period |
Acilice/ˈsɪlɪs/, also known as asackcloth,[1] was originally agarment orundergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (ahairshirt) worn close to the skin. It is used by members of various Christian traditions (including theCatholic,[2]Lutheran,[3]Anglican,[4]Methodist,[5] andScottish Presbyterian churches)[6] as a self-imposedmeans ofrepentance andmortification of the flesh; as aninstrument of penance, it is often worn during the Christianpenitential season ofLent, especially onAsh Wednesday,Good Friday, and other Fridays of the Lenten season.[7]
Hairshirt cilices were originally made from coarse animal hair, as an imitation of the garment worn byJohn the Baptist that was made of camel hair,[8] orsackcloth which, throughout theBible, was worn by people repenting.[9] Cilices were designed to irritate the skin; other features were added to make cilices more uncomfortable, such as thin wires or twigs. In modern Christian religious circles, cilices are simply any device worn for the same purposes, often taking the form of ahairshirt cilice as well as a (spiked metal)chain cilice.[10]
The wordcilice derives from theLatincilicium, a covering made of goat's hair fromCilicia, a Romanprovince in south-eastAsia Minor.[11] The reputed first Scriptural use of this exact term is in theVulgate (Latin) translation ofPsalm 35:13,"Ego autem, cum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio." ("But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth" in theKing James Bible). The term is translated ashair-cloth in theDouay–Rheims Bible, and assackcloth in theKing James Bible andBook of Common Prayer. Sackcloth can also meanburlap, or is associated as a symbol ofmourning, a form of hairshirt.[12]
There is some evidence, based on analyses of both clothing represented in art and preserved skin imprint patterns atÇatalhöyük in Turkey, that the usage of the cilice predates written history. This finding has been mirrored atGöbekli Tepe, anotherAnatolian site, indicating the widespread manufacturing of cilices. Ian Hodder has argued that "self-injuring clothing was an essential component of the Catalhöyük culturo-ritual entanglement, representing 'cleansing' and 'lightness'."[13]
In Biblical times, it was theJewish custom to wear a hairshirt (sackcloth) when "mourning or in a public show of repentance for sin" (Genesis 37:34,[14] 2 Samuel 3:31,[15] Esther 4:1).[16][17] In theNew Testament,John the Baptist wore "a garment of camel's hair" as a means of repentance (Matthew 3:4).[18][17] As such, adherents of manyChristian denominations have worn sackcloth to repent,mortify the flesh or as apenance, especially for sins relating to lavishly adorning oneself (cf. 1 Peter 3:3,[19] 1 Timothy 2:9).[20]
Cilices have been used for centuries in theCatholic Church as a mild form of bodily penance akin tofasting.Thomas Becket was wearing a hairshirt when he wasmartyred,[21]St. Patrick reputedly wore a cilice,Charlemagne was buried in a hairshirt,[citation needed] andHenry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany, famously wore one in theWalk to Canossa during theInvestiture Controversy.[citation needed] PrinceHenry the Navigator was found to be wearing a hairshirt at the time of his death in 1460.[citation needed]St. Francis of Assisi,St. Ignatius of Loyola,St. Thomas More[22] andSt. Therese of Lisieux are known to have used them.[citation needed] Scottish kingJames IV wore a cilice during Lent to repent of the indirect role he played inhis father's death. In modern times they have been used byMother Teresa,St. Padre Pio, andPope Paul VI.[23] In theDiscalced Carmelite convent of St. Teresa in Livorno, Italy, members ofOpus Dei who are celibate (about 30% of the membership), and theFranciscan Brothers and Sisters of the Immaculate Conception continue anascetic use of the cilice.[24] According toJohn Allen, an American Catholic writer, its practice in the Catholic Church is "more widespread than many observers imagine".[25]
Some high church Anglicans, includingEdward Bouverie Pusey, wore hairshirts as a part of their spirituality.[4]
In the PresbyterianChurch of Scotland, influenced by theevangelical revival, penitents were dressed in sackcloth and called in front of thechancel, where they were ordered to admit their sins.[6]
In some Methodist churches in the United States, onAsh Wednesday, communicants, along with receiving ashes, also receive a piece of sackcloth "as a reminder of our own sinful ways and need for repentance".[26]
InThomas Pynchon’s 1997postmodern historical novelMason & Dixon, upon arriving at aJesuit college inQuebec the character Eliza Fields is dressed in a cilice by nuns as a sadomasochistic punishment after having admitted to feelings of sexual arousal during her prior capture by a group ofNative Americans.[27] The spiked form of cilice, fashioned from arose plant, that Pynchon’s character experiences appears to be based on those used by the 20th centuryOpus Dei. The cilice has been interpreted as a deliberate narrative device to muddy the historical accuracy of the novel and point to the relevance ofhistorical slavery in the contemporary United States.[28]α
InDan Brown's novelThe Da Vinci Code, one of theantagonists, analbinonumerary named Silas associated with the religious organization Opus Dei, wears a cilice in the form of a spiked belt around his thigh. The sensationalized depiction in the novel has been criticized for its inaccuracy in subsequent books and by Opus Dei itself, which issued a press release responding to the movie's depiction of the practice, claiming "In reality, they cause a fairly low level of discomfort comparable to fasting. There is no blood, no injury, nothing to harm a person's health, nothing traumatic. If it caused any harm, the Church would not allow it."[23][29]
The goat hair ofThomas More, presented for safe keeping by Margaret Clement,[30] was long in the custody of the community of Augustinian canonesses who until 1983 lived at the convent atAbbotskerswell Priory, Devon. Some sources, including one from 2004, claimed that the shirt was then at the Martyr's church on the Weld family's estate inChideock, Dorset.[31][32] In 2011 the shirt was put on public display atBuckfast Abbey, near Buckfastleigh in Devon.[22]
Pusey regularly endured a hair shirt as well as self- imposed flagellation and fasting routines.
In fact, it was scandal of disunity within Methodism that led UMC leaders to address the issue of racism as the underlying cause. ... The petition for forgiveness proceeded on two distinct but interrelated levels. Each of the approximately 3,000 persons in the assemble was called to silent personal confession of the sin of racism before God, publicly symbolized by receiving ... sackcloth ... and the imposition of ashes.
The Evangelical revival in Scotland encouraged both much stricter conditions being placed on admission to Holy Communion and the maintenance of traditional discipline within the established church. ... Lesser transgressors could be ordered by the kirk session to stand before the congregation for up to three Sundays, sometimes wearing sackcloth, and publicly acknowledge their sins before 'being subjected to a "rant" from the minister'.
Sackcloth was worn during times of mourning and repentance, usually while sitting atop ashes (Gn 37:34; 1Kg 21:27; Mt 11:21).
