Let Freedom Ring: a History of the Phrygian Cap

[Kraftr]

Let Freedom Ring: a History of the Phrygian Cap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e80z-jyk4D4

[Pax]

Interesting that he mentions that the Thracians and Trojans were depicted wearing the Phrygian cap. I suggested in your hunter-gatherer thread that the Trojans and Thracians might have ultimately come from northern migrating Goths, settlers from Nef-Tunis or Minerva or all of these, along with some unknown but probably Greek and Slavic admixture. The Frya contingent of these Thracians and Trojans might have brought the cap with them. He also mentions that “barbarians” were depicted with the cap. Alewyn J. Raubenheimer explains in Chronicles From Pre-Celtic Europe (2014) that barbarian, i.e. someone outside the Graeco-Roman world, was not necessarily a derogatory term in ancient texts; it just meant foreigner. In fact, those foreigners (often the Fryas) were often powerful and admired. I guess it comes as no surprise that the symbol of the cap was co-opted and subverted in the so-called “Enlightenment”.

The name Phrygian itself is interesting because one could hypothetically trace that name to Frya. However, my etymology may be a little far-fetched.

FRYA
→ *Fryja, similar to the varieties of Freyja/Freja/etc.
→ *Phryja. The Greeks wrote PH instead of F.
→ *Phrygja. The J was likely mispronounced as G or CH, like how Fryas BIJIN became Danish begynde, Dutch beginnen etc., so they added a G.
→ Phrygia. Trivial change from J to I.

[Kraftr]

It could be that a certain kind of headwear was popular with multiple, non friendly tribes. Maybe there are advantages in production or use to certain shapes, or they just became cool, like tophats once were a worldwide symbol of civilisation/distinguished elite (or being part of the commonwealth?). I want to know if the Phrygian cap is a good symbol. I've seen it linked to Mithas(who I regard as a possible subversive cult) I also see similarity with Scythian headwear. But we see similar shapes in Greece etc. , to relatively modern times. And of course the smurfs. The Dacians are particularly proud of their hat (along with the Dacian wolfheadded dragon).

scythian.jpg (99.56 KiB) Viewed 611 times

dacian hat.jpg (15.9 KiB) Viewed 611 times

[Kraftr]

The name Phrygian itself is interesting because one could hypothetically trace that name to Frya. However, my etymology may be a little far-fetched.

I noticed a pattern. Places like Phrygia and Crimea, Dacia probably, used to be outposts of a former Gothic/'Frisian'Germanic realm, and even though they were probably mixed with locals, they culturally leaned in more to their western side as a pride or defence against the forces from east and southeast. These two places were however gradually mostly culturally and with little fighting taken over by immigrating, wealthy and educated people who 'became one' with them. Like the Ptolomy family became known as Macedonian, Greek and then Egyptian. Any wars may have functioned as scapegoats to mask the takeover. The people believe 'We won'. And infighting is of course also benificial to a takeover. (I suspect that nautical mercantile citystates once founded by Frisians, or where for instance Vandals or other germanic/european tribes ended up, got dominated by Phoenicians, who I speculate are a mix of people, including old captains, shipbuilders and crews, but funded, dependant on and influenced by Eastern merchands and religion who may have promoted competition and negative sentiment on Greece). Later something similar happend with Christians setting up shop in Greece then Rome. Some of the 'those Greeks have lost their way' comments by cultures that were merely it's derivative and similar commentary from Romans on Greece or how Filosophy and Christianity developped there are explainable by this pattern.
I may be wrong in seeing a continuity in the corruption*, but I think that the Cybile(Phrygian) and before that Middle Eastern Matrones were corupted with sex and liasons, later in Rome the Vestal Virgins were made to serve as prostitutes to the court.
Interesting is this recent find; did something similar happen in Israelite culture?
The Israelite Priestess in the Nile Island’s Temple - A Groundbreaking Discovery | Dr. Gad Barnea

[*]While recognising patterns like this I keep in mind that of course history is the most nuanced thing, and it's better to approach behaviours as a common human trait, that can be copied by all, like warstrategies, bussinesspractices. So it could just be called 'the way of the world' ; some things are deliberately set in motion by at least one person, or some, all the way to everybody, other events or behaviours result from an unfortunate social mechanism, and are possible even without the need for Machiavellianism on anyones personal level.
Having said that, many empires have used and studied other means and crafts than force.