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Legal Definitions - tonsure
Definition of tonsure
Tonsure
Historically, tonsure refers to the practice of shaving a portion or all of a person's head. This act often carried significant symbolic meaning, particularly within religious orders or certain professional groups, signifying dedication, humility, or a specific status.
Consider a young man in medieval Europe who chooses to enter a monastery and become a monk. As a crucial part of his initiation ceremony and taking his vows, his head would be partially shaved in a specific pattern. This act of tonsure served as a visible and public declaration of his renunciation of worldly life and his complete dedication to spiritual service within the monastic community.
In certain historical Christian traditions, prior to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, men preparing for the priesthood would undergo a ceremony where they received a minor order that included a tonsure. This typically involved a small circular shaving on the crown of the head, which formally marked their entry into the clerical state and symbolized their commitment to serve the Church.
Simple Definition
Tonsure is a historical practice involving the shaving of a person's head, traditionally associated with clerics. In a legal context, it is notable because serjeants-at-law were believed to wear their distinctive coifs to conceal heads that had been tonsured.