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Re: Actually...
Posted By: David Wellington (dialup-209.245.15.199.Denver1.Level3.net)
Date: 3/14/2000 at 12:24 p.m.
In Response To: Actually... (Stinger)
This isn't some bizarre Bungie metaphor. "Wearing the mantle of..." was a common usage back in the day and shows up all over Medievil poetry. It dates back to a time when there was no central heating and people had to really, really bundle up during the winter. A "mantle" wasn't just a cape like Superman's, but a full body wrap that would cover every inch of you and keep you alive during the winter. It was also usually fur-lined so it would obscure your body shape as well. So if you put on somebody else's mantle, you would look just like that person. Also, the best mantles were worn by powerful people--kings and lords, especially--so "the mantle of power" became a very common metaphor, the way crowns and thrones are often used to refer to one's position rather than the physical objects. In fact, I'd have to check to be sure, but I'm pretty sure that that big ermine-lined robe Queen Elizabeth wears on official functions is part of the crown jewels and is named, specifically, the Mantle, so it would be a symbol of office as much as her crown, ball, or scepter.
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