Amantle (fromold Frenchmantel, frommantellum, theLatin term for acloak) is a type of loosegarment usually worn over indoorclothing to serve the same purpose as anovercoat. Technically, the term describes a long, loosecape-like cloak worn from the 12th to the 16th century by both sexes, although by the 19th century, it was used to describe any loose-fitting, shaped outer garment similar to a cape.[1] For example, thedolman, a 19th-century cape-like woman's garment with partial sleeves is often described as a mantle.[2]
In English, the idiom "to take up/pick up/assume the mantle" is from theBible, and means to take a position of authority, leadership or responsibility in a particular area, especially in the sense of carrying on for a previous figure.[3] The most notable appearance in the Bible is in2 Kings 2:13, whereElisha takes upElijah's mantle (Hebrew:אדרת’addereṯ).
A variation on the mantle is themantelet (also spelledmantelot andmantlet), typically describing a short version of the mantle. The term appears as early as 1386, in "The Knight's Tale" byGeoffrey Chaucer. In the 18th century, a mantelet was a woman's short cloak, and in the early 19th century, it was an ornamentalscarf that crossed over the chest and tied behind, usually made offur orlace.[1] By the end of the 19th century, a mantelet was a woman's shoulder cape with elongated ends in front, sometimes held in position by a belt at the waist.[1]
