The Mysterious Origins of the Tantour Headdress 🧵
The Gold/Silver Conical headdress worn by Lebanese Druze Women up the late 19th Century has inspired a lot of speculation. While it has been connected to Persian hats, no close equivalents have been found. In fact -
The Gold/Silver Conical headdress worn by Lebanese Druze Women up the late 19th Century has inspired a lot of speculation. While it has been connected to Persian hats, no close equivalents have been found. In fact -
Greco-Roman reliefs found at Qartaba seem to show a likelier ancestor of a headdress, but still not a direct predecessor.
The longer the Tantur was, the wealthier and higher status the woman, so the trend was for elongation of the headdress versus its practicality.
The longer the Tantur was, the wealthier and higher status the woman, so the trend was for elongation of the headdress versus its practicality.
Maronite Sheikhs had taken the Tantur tradition from Druze as well. The Clergy believed that the Druze found an Idol with the Tantour in Primordial Sarcophagi, thus it was idolatry and banned it. There was also an incident when a Woman accidentally hit a priest with the Tantour
The Crusaders also inspired from the Tantour tradition of the Druze and took it back with them to Europe where it remerged in France as the Hennin of the nobility in the 1400s, but in a less exaggerated fashion.
The Tantour had also made it into many Exegeses of the Bible, because it was worn in the Holy Land. But the depictions were based on vague accounts and therefore turned out as Unicorn headdresses and funnels.
Tantour is likely not an Arabic word, but foreign in its consonant structure. It shows up in the names of villages as meaning Hill or Hilltop. Such as in the Tantur Ecumenical School. However it shows up one other place which could be a key to its true origin.
The place being Absalom's Tomb in Jerusalem. Where the conical dome of the Tomb is called traditionally Tantur Far'awn or Pharaoh's Tantour. Suggesting the association of the Tantour with Ancient Egypt.
The Ancient Egyptian equivalent is the White Wadjet or the Crown of the Upper Egypt. Which echoes its elongation and its top disc, but is rounder. Qualifying as a closer predecessor in shape than any of the aforementioned.
The Druze woman had been donning a Pharaohess headdress.
The Druze woman had been donning a Pharaohess headdress.
Phoenician Headdresses had also inspired from the White Wadjet Crown and were Golden in Figurines. The Male version of them evolved into the Wool Lebbede.
The Tantour could have been a faithful continuation of the female version if it existed. Ultimately tying back to the Wadjet
The Tantour could have been a faithful continuation of the female version if it existed. Ultimately tying back to the Wadjet
Sadly the Tantour went out of fashion among nobility past the 20th century's beginning. Vogue Arabia did provide a modern fashion revival of it.
We hope for its revival in Druze Wedding Ceremonies even in a less exaggerated or lavish form, because of its rich cultural importance.
We hope for its revival in Druze Wedding Ceremonies even in a less exaggerated or lavish form, because of its rich cultural importance.
It is yet another reason for Lebanese and Druze alike to take a glance at their ancientness and depth in history.
Extra: the narrator David Urquhart 1960s claims he had the alleged "Primordial Idol" in his possession and it was of a nude woman with a Tantour.
This is also how he poetically described the Druze Women wearing the Tantour:
This is also how he poetically described the Druze Women wearing the Tantour:
The Article dedicated to the Tantour I sourced from:
Very good further reading
.riowang.blogspot.com/2010/09/tantou…
Very good further reading
.riowang.blogspot.com/2010/09/tantou…
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