TIL dunce caps were originally a sign of high intelligence and wisdom. Philosopher and theologian John Duns Scotus was a proponent of pointy hats as a way to funnel knowledge to the mind and his followers, called Dunsmen, wore them. By the 1500s the Dunsmen fell out of favor as “behind the times”.
atlasobscura.comSubmitted by Aequitas05 t3_yhe7qd in todayilearned
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments