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Tonsure (/ ˈtɒnʃər /) is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word tonsura (meaning "clipping" or "shearing" [1]) and referred to a specific practice in medieval Catholicism, abandoned by papal order in 1972. [citation needed] .
Sep 10, 2015 · Some orders of monks who left a narrow crown of hair around their heads said that this signified the crown of thorns placed on Christ's head during his crucifixion. The distinctive style, which is called the tonsure (from the Latin word tondere —"to shear"), often is associated with Catholic monks.
Sep 5, 2024 · In Hinduism the first tonsure undergone by a young boy (the ceremony of cūḍākaraṇa) is one of the saṃskāras, or personal sacraments, that mark the boy’s transition from an infant to a child. It is usually performed when the boy is about two years old.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
2 days ago · “It seems to have arisen in early monasteries where the tonsure was a sign of flight from the world and worldly status,” Rev. Little, O.P, says. Saint Thomas Aquinas is cited as referring to the tonsure as a call for perfect virtue and royal dignity because it resembles a crown.
The first, the coronal (or Roman or Petrine) tonsure, is the one we see in countless Medieval and Renaissance paintings: a bald pate at the crown surrounded by a fringe of hair, possibly meant to evoke the crown of thorns.
Apr 20, 2020 · When men decided to enter the community, the first haircut they got wasn't the tonsure — it was just an incredibly short haircut done with scissors. The tonsure was reserved for marking the occasion of the novice taking his vows to become an actual monk, and monasteries had barbers who were responsible for maintaining the look.
May 29, 2018 · It was adopted first by the monastic orders and later by the secular clergy for its symbolic value in manifesting the dedication of the cleric to the service of the Church. Until the 9th century there were three types of tonsure.
