Veil
Origin
Middle English from Anglo-Norman French veil(e), from Latin vela, plural of velum which also means "sail".
Definitions
- 1: a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or conceal the face: a white bridal veil.
- 2: a piece of linen or other fabric forming part of a nun's headdress, resting on the head and shoulders.
- 3: a thing that conceals, disguises, or obscures something: shrouded in an eerie veil of mist.
- 4: in botany, a membrane that is attached to the immature fruiting body of some toadstools and ruptures in the course of development, either (universal veil) enclosing the whole fruiting body or (partial veil) joining the edges of the cap to the stalk.
- 5: (in Jewish antiquity) the piece of precious cloth separating the sanctuary from the body of the Temple or the Tabernacle.
Description
A veil is an article of clothing or cloth hanging that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. It is especially associated with women and sacred objects.
One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space. The actual sociocultural, psychological, and sociosexual functions of veils have not been studied extensively but most likely include the maintenance of social distance and the communication of social status and cultural identity. The Quran has no requirement that women cover their faces with a veil, or cover their bodies with the full-body burqa or chador.
Among the Tuareg, Songhai, Moors, Hausa, and Fulani of West Africa, women do not traditionally wear the veil, while men do. The men's facial covering originates from the belief that such action wards off evil spirits, but most probably relates to protection against the harsh desert sands as well; in any event, it is a firmly established tradition. Men begin wearing a veil at age 25 which conceals their entire face excluding their eyes. This veil is never removed, even in front of family members.
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, men wear a sehra on their wedding day. This is a male veil covering the whole face and neck. The sehra is made from either flowers, beads, tinsel, dry leaves, or coconuts. The most common sehra is made from fresh marigolds. The groom wears this throughout the day concealing his face even during the wedding ceremony.
