Hatch, Match and Dispatch
Rites of passage, dressed in White
Guest edited by Sarah Jane Downing
Throughout the long centuries of uncertain health and superstition, when catching a cold could be a matter of life and death, rites of passage were extremely important. Each ceremony proclaimed not only one’s success at survival but also one’s status to the world. In the Christian history of Britain from the mediaeval era to World War II, these rites cemented one’s place within the community, showing that if it had been sanctioned by the Church, it was sanctioned by God. For most of these significant, life-affirming occasions, the colour white was worn for its symbolism of purity and new beginnings and for its sense of being separate and not like any other colour.
Image: Medieval wedding ceremony.
Image above: Christening ensemble, French, 1770-80, cotton. Gift of Karl Lagerfeld, 2015.
Birth: Without a complete understanding of the process, pregnancy often brought fear as well as joy. Infant mortality was a constant grim reality, as was death in childbirth, so to allay fears and suspicions, there were a number of rituals surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, and christening, each performed in white.
Once the baby was safely delivered, the new mother would entertain while she was lying in bed, propped up in bed, dressed in her finest, and with the baby presented on an ornate bearing cloth. The baby would be swaddled in white linen to protect and promote straight, healthy limbs. The rigid little package would then be wrapped in fine velvet or even the mother’s smock, which superstition held would make the baby beautiful in adulthood.
At the birth of King Edward II’s second son in 1316, the Queen ordered five pieces of white velvet to make a gown for her Churching – the first communion after giving birth when the new mother would give thanks for a safe delivery and be cleansed spiritually. It was customary for the priest to wear a white stole and the new mother to wear a white veil. In the 17th century, she was also required to bring a fine white linen handkerchief as a gift to the priest.
Guest edited by Sarah Jane Downing
Throughout the long centuries of uncertain health and superstition, when catching a cold could be a matter of life and death, rites of passage were extremely important. Each ceremony proclaimed not only one’s success at survival but also one’s status to the world. In the Christian history of Britain from the mediaeval era to World War II, these rites cemented one’s place within the community, showing that if it had been sanctioned by the Church, it was sanctioned by God. For most of these significant, life-affirming occasions, the colour white was worn for its symbolism of purity and new beginnings and for its sense of being separate and not like any other colour.
Image above: Christening ensemble, French, 1770-80, cotton. Gift of Karl Lagerfeld, 2015.
Birth: Without a complete understanding of the process, pregnancy often brought fear as well as joy. Infant mortality was a constant grim reality, as was death in childbirth, so to allay fears and suspicions, there were a number of rituals surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, and christening, each performed in white.
Once the baby was safely delivered, the new mother would entertain while she was lying in bed, propped up in bed, dressed in her finest, and with the baby presented on an ornate bearing cloth. The baby would be swaddled in white linen to protect and promote straight, healthy limbs. The rigid little package would then be wrapped in fine velvet or even the mother’s smock, which superstition held would make the baby beautiful in adulthood.
At the birth of King Edward II’s second son in 1316, the Queen ordered five pieces of white velvet to make a gown for her Churching – the first communion after giving birth when the new mother would give thanks for a safe delivery and be cleansed spiritually. It was customary for the priest to wear a white stole and the new mother to wear a white veil. In the 17th century, she was also required to bring a fine white linen handkerchief as a gift to the priest.
Image: Early photo of Queen Victoria's wedding veil, ca. 1855. Albumen print; 14 x 10.5 cm. Image courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust.
It was important that the christening take place as soon as possible to ensure that the child was known to God and would be protected in case of serious illness or untimely death. In Britain, it was not until the end of the 17th century, when swaddling babies began to fall out of fashion, that white christening robes began to be worn under the mantle. White symbolised purity and innocence, but also, like baptismal robes, it symbolised a new life in Christ.
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