Why Monks Had That Haircut

Because so much religious artwork survives from the Middle Ages, we are familiar with the strange way monks wore their hair. That haircut, or tonsure, was a sign of piety and membership in a particular order. The exact cut varied, and although the differing styles themselves did not cause a rift in the church, they were a symbol of differences brewing below the surface. Vox brings us the story of an obscure detail you didn't know was so interesting.