by Krista West
In the Greek tradition the exorason is worn for services by chanters and sextons (liturgical assistants) with the narrowest-width sleeves and with no inner cassock underneath.14 In both Greek and Russian tradition the outer cassock is worn by bishops, presbyters, and deacons over the inner cassock both liturgically and as the top layer of street wear (in current Greek practice the major orders often wear the same width of sleeve, but historically, there would have been separate widths for each of these ranks with the deacon wearing narrower sleeves and the bishop wearing the widest sleeves; in current and historical Russian tradition, there is no variation in sleeve width based upon rank). In traditional Orthodox lands a bishop, presbyter, or deacon does not appear in public in any official setting without both the inner cassock and the outer cassock, which is akin to the custom of semi-formal attire consisting of tailored shirt and suit jacket. For this reason, the collar of the outer cassock is slightly larger than that of the inner cassock to accommodate this layering.
Due to the front edge panels and the wider sleeves, the exorason requires a fabric with good draping qualities, so the fabrics typically used are polyester, polyester/wool blends, wool (both lighter and heavier weights), and real silk crepe. Occasionally, a polyester-cotton blend will be employed, but its lack of drape renders this a very poor choice for the exorason. The ryasa, with its more structured design, can be made from fabrics such as those listed above as well as fabrics with a crisper finish.15
The most distinctive feature of the exorason is its quality of regality, from the extremely wide sleeves to its elegant drape to its graceful, overlapping fronts. In this it is unique among the articles of Orthodox Christian clerical dress in that its overall design serves as its ornamentation and it does not rely upon any additional augmentation of fabric or stitching, aside from the elaborate stitching at the collar which serves more a utilitarian than decorative purpose as multiple rows of stiches are required to hold the collar interfacing in place.
As we have observed, historical Orthodox Christian practice is for both the inner cassock and outer cassock to be worn by the major orders for street wear, but this practice can become rather burdensome in warm climates since these two garments are comprised of a sum total of twelve yards of fabric and weigh four to eight pounds when combined. The attendant discomfort of wearing two such heavy garments in a Mediterranean climate, combined with the considerations of modern modes of transportation (as noted before, getting in and out of automobiles takes some skill when wearing multiple, floor-length garments) has brought about a further development in the exorason. Over time the heavy weight of the exorason was mitigated by first shortening the garment to knee length or to the waist (the use of this garment still continues and is often worn as a type of coat in cooler seasons) and then eventually losing its distinctive, yet cumbersome sleeves. This abbreviated version of the exorason, known as the kontorason (“short rason”) has become quite popular in recent times. Wearing the kontorason the priest or deacon is considered appropriately dressed for daily wear without the heavy bulk of wearing two voluminous garments.
The kontorason in its most common form is virtually identical to a sleeveless vest. It has a front button placket with the buttons either visible or hidden by an extended facing. It can be lined or unlined and features pockets, usually two towards the bottom front of the garment and, occasionally, one or two smaller pockets sewn at chest level. While collared styles may be seen, the most common version is collarless, which makes it easier to fit over the zostikon. Heavy-weight versions also exist, made of wool coating fabric, and these will have some design differences due to the different construction techniques required by the bulk of the substantial fabric. The coat version of the kontorason is usually made with sleeves wide enough to easily accommodate the sleeves of the zostikon (although not so wide as a standard exorason) and with some form of collar. Because it is worn as a substitute for the exorason, the same rules apply to the usage of the kontorason as apply to the exorason, notably that it should be worn only by members of the major clerical orders or by tonsured monastics.16
Since the kontorason is a shorter, less bulky garment, there is a greater range of fabrics that can be employed in its construction than can be used for the exorason, although typically it is made from the same type of fabrics as those used for cassocks. Often the kontorason will be made with an inner cassock as a matching set. Because it is an abbreviated exorason, however, the kontorason will nearly always be black, the invariable color of the exorason. The kontorason vest does not include any decorative stitching though the coat version may have decorative stitching at the collar. The simpler, unlined vest typically has patch pockets whereas the more formal, lined version has welt-finished pockets on each side. The heavy, melton-wool vest has bias-bound edges and patch pockets finished with bias-binding.
Figure 10. Sketch of Greek zostikon and Russian podryasnik.
Figure 11.a Sketch of Greek exorason.
Figure 11.b Sketch of Russian ryasa.
Figure 12. Sketch of Greek kontorason over a zostikon.
Headgear
In traditional Orthodox Christian practice there are two basic types of headgear worn: the casual skufos, and the formal kalymmafchion. Although significant design and color variations of these hats can be seen in various places throughout the Orthodox Christian world, most hats worn by the major orders or monastics fit into these two general categories.
The skufos in its most typical Greek form it is made from a single rectangle of fabric that is folded in thirds to create an approximately four-inch band of fabric surmounted by a circle of pleats (these pleats serve to take up the excess fabric) topped with a fabric-covered button. The band of the skufos can be decorated in any number of styles, from plain rows of topstitching to scallops, lozenges, or other decorative stitching design schemes. The middle fold of the rectangle is lightly interfaced to provide some stability and shape, while still creating a hat that can be folded up and stowed in a pocket. The skufos is typically made from polyester-cotton blends, polyester, wool, or cotton velveteen. Hand-knit versions (often given the diminutive appellation “skoufaki”) are also worn as a very casual headcovering; these have the same general shape, but the top portion is shaped with knitting decreases rather than pleats. The Greek skufos also exists in a more structured version with stiff sides. This version is almost identical in overall design to the soft skufos, but it is made somewhat taller and is heavily interfaced with buckram, which gives it a more formal aspect. It is typically made of felt (either synthetic or wool) or velvet and is entirely lined. It is often decorated with bands of geometric or braid-type stitching designs or elaborate embroidery designs such as grapevines, floral borders, or the egg-and-dart design. The skufos (both soft and hard-sided) is an informal hat and is worn by the major orders when a headcovering is required in a nonliturgical setting.
The second type of traditional Orthodox Christian headcovering is the kalymmafchion. This hat exists in three basic variations. The Greek monastic kalymmafchion is a tall, stiff cylinder with a flat top, which is surmounted by a monastic veil for liturgical use or any wear within the church or in formal settings (though hierodeacons remove the veil when vested for services). Sometimes a hard-sided skoufos may be substituted for the monastic kalymmafchion. The Russian version of this hat, called the “kamilavka” (worn by monks and nuns as well as by secular members of the major orders of the clergy), is slightly flared from bottom to top. Bishops, monks and nuns wear a veil over the hat with the entire ensemble being termed the “klobuk.” The Greek kalymmafchion as worn by secular priests and deacons (as well as often by monastic clergy when serving outside their monastery) is a stiff cylinder with a slightly domed top and a brim that extends beyond the central drum of the hat by about one inch all around. Bishops, archimandrites and hieromonks may wear their monastic veil over the brimmed kalymmafchion (this combination of hat and veil is called the “epanokalymmafchion”).
The kalymmafchion is the
formal headcovering of the Orthodox Christian Church and is used by the major orders in a liturgical fashion. Because the kalymmafchion is used liturgically, customs regarding its use are more complicated than those pertaining to the less formal skoufos. Greek practice permits that during any service the kalymmafchion may be worn outside the iconostasis, but never within the Altar precincts. There is one exception to this general rule, and that is for any cleric who wears a veil with his hat, such as bishops, archimandrites or hieromonks; in the case of these ranks the headcovering may be worn in the Altar except for during the most solemn portions of the Divine Liturgy. It should also be noted that a priest, deacon, or monk removes his kalymmafchion (or epanokalymmafchion) during the reading of the Gospel, when he himself reads priestly prayers, and when venerating the gospel book or holy relics (some also remove it for the veneration of icons).
The Russian usage of headgear differs considerably from the Greek practice due to the custom of specific styles and colors of headgear being utilized as part of a system of awards. A soft skufia is used similarly to the Greek practice as a general, informal headcovering but may also be worn liturgically; the shape of the Russian skufia (a peaked hat constructed of four fabric panels) is distinctly different from the Greek skufos pattern. The Russian skufia and the kamilavka can be either black, purple, or crimson, with the latter colors being awarded as a mark of distinction to secular presbyters and deacons. In Russian practice both the skufia and the kamilavka may be worn within the Altar.
It should be further noted that the skufos and the kalymafchion also exist in various other styles, both black and in differing colors. These variations are worn in accordance with the local traditions of the various regional Orthodox churches.
Figure 13. Skufos and kalymafchion.
Monastic Garments
Orthodox Christian monastic garb varies somewhat from monastery to monastery depending on a wide range of factors, which can include the setting of the monastery (rural settings demand more rugged attire; urban settings less rugged), whether or not the monastery has access to skilled tailors or seamstresses in their midst, and adaptation to a given region. The basic monastic habit worn perpetually by both monks and nuns is some variation of the inner cassock. Some nuns wear cassocks that are more dress-like in style, others will wear a long, full skirt with a type of shortened exorason over this (called a “kontoraki”). While black is always used for garments worn by tonsured monastics in church and usually for daily wear as well, blue or other lighter-colored garments are sometimes worn by novices or by monastics as work attire. Cassocks worn on a daily basis and used for various tasks around the monastery need to be made from tough fabrics, such as denim or polyester-cotton poplin since the strenuous work of gardening, fishing or construction requires durability. Monastics wear a leather belt over their cassock (in place of the usual drawstring belt) in imitation of St John the Baptist.
The full Orthodox Christian monastic habit is comprised of the following garments: inner cassock, belt, mandyas (often replaced by an outer cassock for convenience), kalymmafchion with a veil (nuns in the Greek tradition wear the veil without a hat underneath), the paramandyas, the analavos and the polystavrion. The two types of cassock and the headcoverings have been described already. The paramandyas is a fabric square decorated with an image of the Holy Cross that is worn over the inner cassock and under the outer garment with cords that tie around the body. The analavos (sometimes called the “great schema”) is a mantle that drapes around the neck and over the shoulders, hanging partway down the back and to about the knees in the front. It is elaborately decorated with embroidered emblems of the Holy Cross, the instruments of Christ’s passion and sacred texts. This piece is held in place by the polystavrion, a cord with many small crosses plaited into it that is wrapped about the arms and the body as a sort of yoke. The analavos and polystavrion are worn over the inner cassock by monks and nuns who have been tonsured to the great schema, the final and most solemn level of monastic profession. In the Russian tradition, monks and nuns of the great schema set aside the usual monastic hat and veil replacing them with the koukoulion, a peaked cowl worn upon the head which descends into lappets, adorned with images of the seraphim, that drape over the shoulders.
There is much variation among local churches and different monasteries as to which garments are bestowed at the various levels of monastic profession as well as concerning which garments are worn strictly for divine services and formal occasions as opposed to which are worn as part of the habit for work and informal occasions. Each monastery will have its own typikon which governs such matters according to an established pattern. A thorough discussion of traditional Orthodox Christian monastic garb may be found in N.F. Robinson’s Monasticism in the Orthodox Churches.
Figure 14. Photo of the analavos.
Vestment use of the major and minor orders
Notes
1 Rt. Rev. Bishop Basil (Essey), trans., The Liturgikon (Englewood, NJ: Antakya Press, 1989), 231.
2 This is particularly true in the use of silk brocades. Historically, silk was the fiber of first choice for over one thousand years, whereas in my twenty years working as an ecclesiastical tailor I have made fewer than 15 sets of silk vestments. Happily, silk brocades from India based upon historic designs are now available to the North American market and I look forward to seeing more of these truly remarkable fabrics taking their rightful place in beautifying the Church once again.
3 For infants, modern usage allows for more ornate, embellished baptismal robes in the style of Western christening gowns, although these are typically reserved for female infants and are usually embellished with lace, embroidery, and other finery. In modern usage, male infants are often clothed after their baptism in miniature suit coats and pants. While the female christening gown closely approximates a traditional baptismal robe, the practice of putting a male infant in what is essentially nineteenth-century adult male attire is not reflective of the Orthodox Christian ethos and should be eschewed. Tradition requires a baptismal robe.
4 In modern Greek practice a bishop will sometimes bless child altar servers to vest with the orarion in the manner of a subdeacon, but the use of the orarion for altar boys is a recent innovation (due to the decline, in some places, of the subdiaconal order) and not part of the traditional practice of the Orthodox Church, which typically does not appoint immature children to the serious and permanent responsibility of any order within the Church.
5 For the sake of precision, I prefer to use the term “presbyter” to refer to the second major order of the Church. There is room for confusion with the use of the common English word “priest” (even though “priest” is linguistically derived from “presbyter”). In Greek there are two distinct words that may be translated as “priest”: “πρεσβύτερος” (“presbyteros,” literally “elder”) which in ecclesiastical usage denotes specifically a member of the second major order of the Church, and “ἱερεύς” (“ierefs,” meaning “minister” or “cleric”) which may be used to denote a member of any of the three major orders, especially either a bishop or a presbyter. To be clear, I use “presbyter” when speaking specifically about the second order, reserving “priest” for instances where a statement may be understood to apply to both presbyters and bishops.
6 Zone is pronounced “ZOH-nee”—two syllables with the accent on the first.
7 If a presbyter either enters or exits through the Holy Doors, then custom requires that he be vested with his phelonion. Because of this requirement, the presbyter wears his phelonion at any service that has an entrance, a Gospel reading from the solea, or a great dismissal.
8 St. Germanos, appointed Patriarch of Constantinople in 715, remarks that the “loosely unfolding mantle recalls the winged angels.” St Germanos of Constantinople, On the Divine Liturgy (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press), 69.
9 Russian practice may differ in details.
10 In Greek, the inner cassock may also be refe
rred to as a “rason,” an “esorason,” an “imation” or a “chiton.” In the recent past “anteri” was the most popular colloquial term (pronounced “an-te-REE”), though this word is of Turkish derivation and is consequently beginning to fall out of favor in present Greek usage. “Zostikon” (pronounced “zo-sti-KO,” an abbreviated form of “zostikon rason,” i.e., “girdled rason”) is emerging as the preferred term due to the common use of this word on the Holy Mountain. “Esorason” is perhaps the most technically precise name as it specifies the “inner rason” (i.e., “inner robe”). The outer cassock may also be referred to simply as a “rason” but also as an “epanorason,” a “mandorason,” or a “pallion,” with “exorason” being both commonly used and technically precise as it specifies “outer rason.” (On historical use of Greek terminology for cassocks in the early twentieth century, see N.F. Robinson, Monasticism in the Orthodox Churches (London: Cope and Fenwick, 1916), 37.
