Beginning to Cover in Public

"With God's help"
By Ben Shalev, in haaretz.com

In an interview with Israeli singer-songwriter, Etti Ankri, read of personal conviction in wearing modest clothing and a headcovering.

A few years ago, Ankri began covering her hair, a choice that surely did not help her career. But here, too, she had no choice. "I yearned to put on a head covering," she says.

Can you explain this?

"No stage in the process of becoming religious comes because 'someone told me to do it.' It happened by itself. At first I would go out as usual, wearing a miniskirt and ... then I felt my legs were exposed so I put on pants under the skirt. And then I started feeling that my arms were exposed, so I started wearing a blouse over tank tops, and then I started feeling that my head was exposed. I really felt this. At first I only wore a head covering when I was preparing food for Shabbat. I told myself it's more aesthetic. Then I started wearing it on Shabbat. Then during the week as well, but only inside the house, and if someone came in, I would immediately take it off. It's funny. After all, covering up is for modesty, and when someone comes in you take it off?

"Afterward I allowed myself to go out like that into the courtyard, and then to the supermarket. It was very hard, and in this way I did it in stages. A friend who doesn't wear a head covering told me before I started wearing one, 'When I light candles I wear a head covering and when I take it off, I feel like something is leaving me.' And that is exactly the feeling. But it's impossible to explain it. It's an internal desire."

The last stage was to go on stage wearing a head covering. "I was embarrassed. I admit it," Ankri confesses. "I felt as if my head was on fire."

The difficulty in going up on stage wearing a head covering did not stem only from embarrassment, says Ankri, "but also from the thought that if I am wearing a head covering then maybe I should stop performing altogether, and that would be a really strong disengagement."

A Book For Women By Women

For all those folks who are wondering if there are writings by women on the subject of Christian women headcovering (and there are many informal writings out there), here is a newly published book for you!

Our dear friend-online, author of the blog "Testimony of Grace", and also known as Michele Barnes McClendon, presents for you: "Life as a Prayer: Recapturing the Wind of Head Covering" (at CreateSpace). The short information blurb reads:

"Modern day women of God share their life-changing experiences with head covering in an age where Christian head covering is often thought to be an outdated and unnecessary spiritual practice. The author and eight other women candidly chronicle their head covering journeys."

I know that this has been a long labor of love for Michele, and others who have worked with her on this project. Good for you, Michele!

And for all whose hearts are open to try to understand, and to live in truth and in love in all things -- please, be encouraged!

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Ladies who helped Michele with the creation of this book in any way, or who have worked themselves on books or other studies on Christian women using headcovering, PLEASE let me know here - leave a link to your own work or website here, so that we can all be linked together to help those who are searching to understand. Thank you all, my many readers, for your contributions here and to the world wide web in general, for helping to spread the word about the wonder of this small piece of cloth that we wear. Always, be encouraged: we are not alone.

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image above is copied from the createspace.com web page for this book

Medieval Headcovering

History lesson for today :

"Head Coverings of Medieval English Noblewomen", by Seduced By History

Including:

... "Women almost always wore headdresses because it was considered unseemly for them to show their hair. In William the Conqueror’s time, women simply wore a piece of plain cloth (often linen) draped over their heads, held by a narrow band. Some women wore their hair in two long braids around the turn of the 12th century, some with no veils. By Stephen’s reign, headbands were coming into vogue. These were worn with a veil."

Christian Headcovering Symbolism

The Christian woman who wears a physical headcovering does so because in doing so she is symbolizing spiritual truths. I think that since all that we do on this physical earth is a kind of "symbol" of the more True Spiritual things, then truly headcovering is much more than a "mere" symbol.

"Biblical Headcovering: Its Just a Symbol, Right?" by "Simply Darelina" at wordpress, is a continuation of her previous studies on the subject of headcovering.

Cultural Headcovering?

"Biblical Headcovering: Only Cultural?"
Written by "Simply Darelina" at wordpress, September 20, 2009

Concluding with this warning...

"Attempting to write off this passage of scripture as only cultural, only given to the Corinthian church is a dangerous practice to get into. If we are to dismiss this passage, then, what other scriptures can we begin to write off for this very same reason."

A short read, and thought provoking.

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Also see:
"Basics… Modesty as Veiling"
fidesquarensintellectum, dated September 15th, 2009

With a blog titled "Modestus", she includes this definition for modesty and purity:

"Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves towward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity."

The stronger leaning of the Catholic tradition of headcovering to include the idea of "veiling what should remain hidden" carries a broader understanding of veiling than that which is often discussed (usually limited to the specific scripture of 1 Corinthians 11 and the specific church at Corinth). This also has a universal application, and not merely a cultural one.

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And once again has been posted the discussion of the contrast and comparison of reasons for headcovering between women in Islam and those in Judaism and Christianity. This work has been linked and quoted before, but is good to be mentioned and considered again when thinking on the cultural aspects of headcovering and veiling.

"Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth and The Reality", quoting from Sherif Abdel Azim, Ph.D., Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

You Don't Say: Take off your hat, sir

You Don't Say: Take off your hat, sir

Quite an enjoyable little read. Thank you, Sir. :)

Christian Headcovering Should-Read

A must read for the modern researcher, student, or mildly interested in what others have to share about the headcovering:

"Head Covering-Not So Simple An Answer"
Posted by "The Simple Layman"

Lots of thoughts and several links provided for your personal use.

For a smile, perhaps...

"Help Us, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Discount Expires Today"

Monday, September 21, 2009

Anthony Sacramone writes:

"Speaking of Star Wars, Joe, Tesco’s, a retail chain in Britain roughly comparable to a mini Wal-Mart here in the States, wants people who enter their premises to reveal their identity, presumably so a store manager can ID anyone running out the door with that box of Weetabix under his arm. Well, this presents a problem if you’re a member of one particularly troublesome religion, which forbids some of its adherents from walking outside without a head covering.

"I’m talking, of course, about Jedis."

And there's more at the title linked above.

Globe and Mail's 'Behind the Veil'

For some insight into the full body and face covering society of one area in Afghanistan, follow the sights and sounds of the in-depth reporting at the Globe and Mail - "behind the veil"

Helping Cancer Patients

I came across "Chantelle's blog" post on "Doing some volunteering", and wonder if some of my readers could help. Here is the first portion of her post:

I volunteered a while back to help Hopespring, the cancer support center that hosts my meditation classes, by making head coverings for people who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment. I'd thought when I volunteered that they had a pattern or example of what they wanted, but they all they said was for me to check the internet.

They did describe something that covers the head with tails long enough to start at the nape of the neck, cross there, and then go up over the head to tie there or on the side. The person also showed me a turban thing, which they could use, but they really want these ones that tie.

So I looked on the internet. Do you know how many different head covering patterns there are out there? A kabillion. And I don't know which ones are best; do they want one that has a tail separate from the tie thingies? How long should all of those be? There are lots and lots of options.

Please post your responses to her at her blog, of course, and if you have the time, please share here as well, for others who may be searching for similar information. Thank you!

What to wear... and why...

~ (referencing a post by "knittingprose") Anglican Plain posts, in "Headcoverings," a recommendation to find "Garlands of Grace". If you haven't seen their head coverings before, please visit.

~ Cheryl of "Swineinsanity" also posts a "Headcoverings" article, giving her favourite headcovering (the Princess Scarf -Amira Hijab: see here an example), along with her own understanding of head coverings, with a link to the Kingshouse.com article on headcovering.

~ Catholic Hijabi posts "Fab Friday: Medieval Maiden" - with a new old style of head covering, including a link to a video, and her 'polyvore' design to match. Cute!

~ I also found a discussion at the Well Trained Minds forum for classical teaching, on what do you wear and how, without getting into a debate on why.

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Also, please read "A Set Apart Life: My Changing Thoughts on Headcoverings" and "More on Headcoverings" in "A Tent for the Sun", for a couple of young women's studies of headcovering, including links.

Head Covering Experiment

Please read "The Great Head-Covering Experiment"
Monday, September 14, 2009

"The_Anchoress" writes:

...

Covering my head subtly changed things for me. I was only aware of the scarf when I lowered my head to pray, or to read the missalette, but it was not a distracting awareness; instead, I simply felt like my vision and thus my attention was brought into more intense focus. More importantly, that sense of being nudged and nagged was silenced, replaced by something that was just very quiet and settled and peaceful. ...

I love it when we can openly share. Please be encouraged to keep an open heart and mind, to feel and understand along with others.

Hijab (The Headscarf) - Yes; The Burqa - No

I find it odd myself, since I've been reading articles, rants, websites, and etc. on Muslim headcovering for so long ... that so many people still do not understand what it is for, the difference in individual and even cultural reasoning, or the difference between protection of a valuable person and degredation based on some sort of deranged ownership idea (still, an individual differentiation, even within cultures and family units!). Here, another - and a feminist - writer attempts to explain.


Hijab (The Headscarf)”Yes; The Burqa”No

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"Titus 2 Tuesday - The Biblical Headcovering Continued"

Kindred Spirits Sisters: Titus 2 Tuesday - The Biblical Headcovering Continued

If you have read part one, try part two. PDF link attached on this blog page.

Please also read the personal thoughts here, from "roadtoholiness" on blogspot:

Prayer Covering: Choosing to do what's right and going against the grain

"Kindred Spirits Sisters"

I like the title, Kindred Spirit Sister! Friends, please read:

Kindred Spirits Sisters: Titus 2 Tuesday - Should Women Wear Headcoverings?