Development
The origins of the use of the costume are unclear. Such garments have been traditionally used in festivities such as Holy Week, symbolizing the act of penance. In Spain and its former territories, which included parts of the United States, the pointed hat is called "Capirote".
The film The Birth of a Nation has been suggested as the model that stimulated adoption of elements of certain dress and regalia by the second KKK (founded in 1915). However, the film shows the Klansmen wearing a variety of costumes, and there is far less 'standardization'. For example, rather than the well-known conical hats, the film shows a number of Klansmen in what are effectively 'flat' hoods, with a pole sticking up, as if to resemble medieval armor.
Robes of the 19th-century KKK were of various colors. In the 20th century, the second KKK adopted white as the standard color. Late 20th-century manifestations of the KKK in small groups has meant a wider variation in robes. Some groups use colored robes for higher ranks.
Some klans use all-white robes regardless of rank. For those that use robes of different colors most use:
- Purple – Imperial Wizard
- Green – Grand Dragon
- Reddish-purple – Great Titan
- Black – Knighthawk (security)
- Red – Kleagle
The Knighthawk's black robe is usually shorter so as to allow easier movement.
Read more about this topic: Ku Klux Klan Regalia And Insignia
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—John Emerich Edward Dalberg, 1st Baron Acton (1834–1902)
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—Benito Mussolini (1883–1945)