The history of headwear in human culture is as remarkable for its diversity of display and function as is the history of clothing. Though it is of course difficult to discern when the use of hats or headcoverings originated because of a scattered archaelogical record, we may assume that humans have been devising ways to protect and adorn the head as long as they have been covering the body for the same purposes.

One style of headwear that has had a particularly illustrious history is the Phrygian cap. It is a red cap with a conical, bulbous, form that has its origins in the culture of the Aryan tribes that descended into Persia towards 2000 B.C.E. It was named for a former region of ancient Anatolia and an early representation of its connection to the Persian culture can be seen in a relief depicting the Aryan god Mithra donning the Phrygian hat in an encounter with King Antiochus, dating from the first century B.C.E.

The god Mithra, derived from the Indo-European ‘mihr’ meaning friendship or contract, was the representative god of just contracts and solemn oaths. The significance of the god wearing the Phrygian cap would be met by an increasing symbolism invested in the cap at later points in history. For the ancient Greeks the Phrygian cap was associated with foreignness and non-Greek influence, while the ancient Romans gave the Phrygian cap further meaning by making it the headwear designated for freed slaves. It became a distinguishing mark of liberty for subsequent periods in history as well, during the American Revolution and more notably during the French Revolution.

During the French Revolution, the Phrygian cap was appropriated as a symbol of the movement for social and political revolt against the monarchy. The ‘bonnet rouge’ became a wide-spread symbol of Revolution, adorning sculptures and public spaces in France at the end of the 18th century and becoming part of the costume of those who identified with the movement. The Phrygian cap remains a symbol of the ideals of the Revolution and is worn by France’s emblem, the figure of Marianne.

The American Revolution also appropriated the Phrygian cap as a symbol of liberty although perhaps it does not remain as significant to our visual historical memory as it does to the French culture. Still, the Phrygian cap can be seen in the state seals of New York, West Virginia, and New Jersey, as well as in the official seal of the United States Senate and in the U.S. Army’s official War Office Seal.

Tags: 1st Century B.C., American Revolution, Anatolia, ancient greece, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans, Aryan God, bonnet rouge, cap history, clothing history, Fashion History, French Marianne, French Revolution, God Mithra, hat history, Headwear, King Antiochus, Mihr, Mithra, Persia, Persian culture, phrygian cap, Revolution Symbol, U.S. Army, U.S. Senate, War Office Seal