Diadem (personal wear)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by Eastern monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. The word derives from the Greek διάδημα, diádēma, from διαδέω, diadéō, to bind round, or fasten.
The term originally referred to the embroidered white silk ribbon, ending in a knot and two fringed strips often placed on the shoulders, that surrounded the head of the king to denote his authority. Such ribbons were also used to crown victorious athletes in important sports games in antiquity. It was later applied to a crown, generally in a circular or "filet" shape. For example, the crown worn by the kings of Anglo-Saxon England was a diadem, as was that of a baron later (in some countries surmounted by three globes). The ancient Celts were believed to have used a thin semioval gold plate called a mind (Old Irish) as a diadem.[1]
A diadem is also a jeweled ornament in the shape of a half crown, worn by women and placed over the forehead (in this sense, also called tiara). In some societies, it may be a wreath worn around the head. The ancient Persians wore a high and erect royal tiara encircled with a diadem.
By extension, "diadem" can be used generally for an emblem of regal power or dignity. The head regalia worn by the later Roman Emperors is described as a diadem in the original sources and it was this object that the barbarian king Odoacer sent to Zeno (the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire) following the dissolution of the Western Roman Empire in 476AD.
[edit] References
- ^ William Dwight Whitney, The Century dictionary; an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language. New York: The Century co. (1889), page 3772. Google Book Search.
[edit] External links
- Crown - LoveToKnow 1911. 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica - Free Online.
- Diadem. Livius. Articles on Ancient History.
- diadem@Everything2.com. Everything@Everything2.com.
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