What is a Phrygian cap? This is the so-called hat of freedom. It looks like a bow-shaped soft cap tapering upwards. On top of the forehead is the top of the model. The edges from below expand, covering the ears of a person.
In ancient times, the Phrygian cap was worn by the subjects of Midas, the famous Phrygian king. Slaves who wore such a headgear received freedom.
Phrygian cap - a symbol of France and not only
The rounded red cap got its name in honor of the region in Asia Minor - Phrygia. The Phrygian cap was worn by the tribes inhabiting Dalmatia, Dacia, and Thrace. They put it on in ancient Rome. A cap was made of wool, fur or felt. In Greece, all free commoners wore a hat.
When Caesar was killed, an image of a cap between two blades appeared on Brutus' coin. The same symbol was repeated after the murder of Giuliano Medici on the Lorenzaccio medal. In Rome, a cap raised to a staff served as a peculiar sign for slaves. Such images are also found in some subjects on the world-famous
column of Trajan. Scythians and Cimmerians also wore similar hats. Scythian gold hryvnia is a direct proof of this.
Some more history
But why, then, is it generally accepted that the Phrygian cap is a symbol of France? The thing is that during the French Revolution they wore a pyla (hat), it was very often identified with this headdress.
By the way, the cap did not have to be red at all. Why he acquired this particular color is not exactly known. Most likely, this coloring is a symbol of revolution. However, the headdress was not recognized as a symbol immediately.
In March 1972, the mayor of Paris read a letter condemning the wearing of a red cap. In June of that year, the ban was again remembered. Although the next day, during the capture of the Tuileries, the king himself put on a red cap, which was served to him at the peak.
The famous picture of Delacroix entitled "Freedom on the barricades" depicts the events of the revolution of 1830. On it, a cap flaunts on the head of Liberty. The national symbol of France is Marianne - the girl in this headdress.
Today
Today the Phrygian cap is a symbolism found in France, on coins of the United States of America (50 cents, a dollar, etc.), on the arms of Colombia, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador, Argentina. And if earlier such a headdress was decorated with images of Aeneas, Paris and other Trojan heroes, then today it’s just a felt hat of bright red color with the end hanging forward.
By the way, before the French Revolution, the cap was found on the heads of sailors and convicts in galleys. After the capture of the Bastille, the headdress gained immense popularity among the whole people. A soft hat, as a rule, was decorated with a national cockade.
In a word, the Phrygian cap for different peoples in many countries personifies revolution and freedom. This symbol has been known all over the world for a long time, and it is quite difficult to surprise anyone with its meaning.
In anatomy
However, this is not all. In medicine, there is also such a thing as a Phrygian cap. The gallbladder in this case (more precisely, its bottom) is partially or completely separated from the body by a kind of septum (fold). Clinically, this anomaly does not manifest itself. Such a problem occurs in ten to twenty percent of people. However, it does not cause any particular inconvenience.
What do people say?
It is worth noting that pili is still not a Phrygian cap. The helmet is nevertheless very similar to this headgear. Therefore, during the French Revolution, people often confused them. The cap is much softer than a saw. It was he who was part of the outfits of Asian heroes who came to the newborn Christ of the Magi or Paris.
When the cap was recognized as a generally accepted symbol of the revolution, people reacted to this completely differently. It would seem that a hat is a symbol of freedom. But at the same time, wearing it was condemned. Some even called the cap a revolutionary parody, that is, a mockery of a more recent shrine. Just as the pseudo-crowns of the head of clowns and parsley adorn. Of course, it would be difficult to come up with a better symbol of freedom than the symbol of recent power, worn by someone else’s instigation on your head.
In conclusion
So, it remains to take stock. A vivid well-known attribute of freedom fighters is the Phrygian cap. The photo of the headgear clearly indicates that this thing is really catchy and noticeable. In the same way, an event such as the “evaporation” of the power of kings-princes-electors could not go unnoticed. At that moment, slogans such as “Man has a right” or “Freedom-fraternity-equality” sounded everywhere.
The red cap is the most common symbol of the struggle of people for their rights. He learned on both sides of the Atlantic. The headpiece proudly crowns Marianne's head, the flag of the State of New York and the emblem of the US Army Department.
In ancient Rome, liberated slaves wore such caps who managed to obtain local citizenship. But still, the main role in the considerable popularity of the cap was played by Mark Junius Brutus, who killed Caesar. Thus, he created the so-called logo of the overthrow of the evil tyrant. The cap was minted on coins produced by the killer. They, in particular, also performed propaganda functions.
The cap, of course, fell in love with the revolutionaries very quickly. This was largely influenced by such a widespread cult of Brutus in those days. Under terror, people often even changed their Christian names to more revolutionary ones (Germinal, Marat, Brutus). At the same time, they began to use the headdress as an unofficial attribute in the Jacobin administrations. In 1831, the cap appeared already on the seal of the Senate. Freedom on a pole held it on her.
Today, the cap is found no less than in ancient times. For example, in Brittany in 2013 there were large demonstrations against the introduction of an environmental tax. Demonstrators walked the streets in bright hats. The movement itself was called “Red Caps”. And such examples are actually not so few.
In a word, the red cap is a symbol of the revolutionaries, known throughout the world. The headpiece has a vivid history and remarkable appearance. The freedom cap has gained immense popularity among people who want to assert their rights over the many years since its inception, which, in fact, is not surprising.