#hellenic veiling
Veiling in Hellenic Polytheism-
Regarding gender identity and Revivalism, in founding a new space to worship-
Veiling in ancient Hellas was, traditionally, something which was done by women. There were occasions on which men would veil, during funeral rites or weddings, but largely it was a feminine thing. Women veiled for a two reasons, one mundane and one religious:
- Modesty, which seems to me to have been the biggest reason. A veil afforded you a sense of invisibility, which gave you freedom. You were able to leave the home, as your veil showed your relationship to another man clearly. You veiled when you hit puberty, and it was just another piece of clothing to wear.
- Devotion, veiling was an act of religious piety and placed your station as lower than the Theoi. This was the reason men veiled, when they did.
As time went on, and the era became more Roman, more men began to veil and it became more common for men to veil outside of funeral and wedding rites. It could be daily wear, an act of devotion, an expression of deeply felt emotion, any number of things! One rule to be followed, though, was that men should unveil when meeting others of higher stations, so as not to insinuate that their company was equal to the Theoi or the Gods.
This progression is something I feel is vital. As time moves on, society moves away from women being subservient, from such clear divides between “two” genders. That leads me to the point: veiling, Revivalism, and founding a new Hellenic space in my community.
If we understand that as time moves on, people understand more, we can grasp that traditions get a little looser. What was already not just for women in the Greek era, and was more inclusive come the Romans, should include all genders by the time it is 2020, right? That is my feeling, and why I am comfortable veiling as a trans person in a ritual setting. I am not a woman, so traditionally, my naked hair would not attract miasma on its own, yet in this current era, the pocket of Hellenism Revivalism I want to form must not consider women as inherently immodest. NOTE: in no way do I feel that religions which veil as part of their current traditions do this, and I feel that these religions are already looked down on as it is. I am talking only from the point that ancient Hellenic veiling was place women in a position of being subservient, inherently immodest, and miasmic, and this is not something which I feel is OK to bring into the modern practices. Conscientiously choosing to veil by any gender in ritual settings as an act of devotion is a beautiful thing, and making the decision to bind your hair or veil daily is something personal to each individual.
I veil during rituals to take moments beforehand to place myself lower than the Theoi, and to get myself in the right place mentally to worship. It is an act of joy. However, I am not a woman, and it is important to me to recognize the evolution of all things in religion when we do them, so as not to misrepresent ourselves.
Men can veil. Nonbinary people can veil. Women can veil.
