The veil is multi-valued. A veil is either a translucent lightweight fabric, or a grid of different colors covering the head, not necessarily female.
Lightweight fabric
It was traditionally made of cotton or more expensive - of silk. Nowadays, synthetic yarns (polyester) are used mixed with natural ones. A veil is a plain weave fabric , that is, the simplest when the weft and warp threads are stitched in a checkerboard pattern. Usually it is used in the manufacture of:
- women's blouses and tunics;
- women's dresses, especially festive;
- romantic dresses for the bride;
- curtains, false ceilings, window curtains.
In garments, the veil forms the finest flowing waves. All draperies are very sophisticated.
Initially, it was one-color, now it has not only a wide range of colors, but also printed drawings. They are characterized by a floral print.
Accessory for the bride
Veil is a train and veil for the bride. Snow-white, trimmed with lace, pearls or feathers, is one of the oldest attributes of a girl walking down the aisle. If you look into antiquity, you can find out that in ancient Greece the veil was yellow and was an attribute of the goddess Hera, and in Rome it was red. Then she protected the bride from evil spirits. The veil is always a symbol. For the bride, she means integrity and humility to her husband. Covering the girl from head to toe, she guarded and protected her. A long veil, turning into a flowing train, gives the image of the bride more romanticism and makes it completely sophisticated and finished. A veil, which becomes a train, is especially suitable for official celebrations. The bride turns into a princess.
This very luxurious addition just asks for long gloves. It is believed that the longer the veil, the happier the life of the newlyweds. The
longest veil has a loop of 3.5 m. During the wedding ceremony, the groom lifts the veil and kisses the bride. The most popular colors for this accessory are white or
ivory. Usually, the simpler the style of the dress, the more complicated and intricate the veil and train can be. The veil is fixed in the hairstyle with a diadem, wreath or hairpins. It was customary to store it and then cover it with the cradle of a newborn baby.
Veil in poetry, painting and sculpture
There is an alluring rock in the veil, a secret that you cannot look into without seeing the “enchanted shore and the enchanted distance” (A. Blok). Anna Akhmatova, clutching her hands under a dark veil, turned pale, giving her lover a drink of “tart sorrow”. The veil was mesmerizing and mesmerizing. And in painting, female images become seductively mysterious. Beckoning female smiles. An aura of mystery under the veil hides marble faces. On them, it would seem, immovable, facial expressions are alive. It is beauty frozen for centuries.
How great is the skill of the sculptor, who put on a beautiful face, full of eternal sadness, a veil. The photo shows their eternal grief.
Symbolism of the Veil
A dark veil precedes subsequent enlightenment. Symbolizing the darkness, it opens the way for light, cosmic or spiritual. This is the secret of secrets hidden to the uninitiated. The questioner may discover a truth that is dangerous to himself. Therefore, the truth is always closed, protects the questioner, who does not have sufficient knowledge. The nun’s veil symbolizes renunciation of a past life, and on the bride’s face, she separates her past from the future. In both cases, the veil means submission.
The thinnest veil in antiquity was the stronghold of the great Carthage. For Buddhists, this is a great illusion, a haze in which spirits and demons surround a person. All this is a deception and a trap that must be overcome by the power of meditation in order to get out of this world into nothing, into nirvana. The Egyptians represented Isis always in cover, which no one could lift. He personified all the eternal secrets of creation and the universe. Christians perceive the veil as a rejection of earthly life, chastity and modesty. Christ forever divided the pagans and the Jews when he tore the veil in the temple in half.
The veil has four symbolic colors. Fine linen (white), which represents the earth, purple is the sea, red is perceived as fire and blue as an air element. This is the diversity of the concept of “veil”. Its meaning is interesting for its symbolism in different cultures.
Hat with a veil
In the Middle Ages, women and girls began to hide their faces under a veil on a hat. It was a refined tradition. In the fashion of the 19th century, for women and girls there was a cylinder with a veil, designed for riding. Men tried to look under the veil of a stranger, thereby recognizing her mystery. But the woman and with all her behavior should have been a secret.
Such an image was ideal when a translucent mesh fell on the face. Until now, to give a mysterious appearance, a girl can put on a hat with a veil slightly sideways and on her forehead. But for everyday wear, this headpiece is not too suitable. He is too pompous, too striking. But wedding hats with a veil may well replace the traditional veil.
Now it is generally clear what a veil is.