What is the meaning of the phrase ‘pierce the veil’?
To go beneath the surface to uncover a deeper truth.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘pierce the veil’?
The phrase ‘pierce the veil’ has its historical roots in spirituality and religion, but the date of origin is still unknown. Here, the ‘veil’ is a layer between the earthly plane and the heavens, while the word ‘pierce’ refers to breaking through the veil so that man can see and understand the heavenly realms.
The meaning of the phrase has expanded over time so that it’s no longer solely used in relation to spiritual and religious matters, and it can now also refer to discovery in the wider sense, such as through science, the arts, and innovation.
The phrase is simply a metaphor for the penetrating of a boundary for a deeper understanding of something rather than a superficial one. It refers to the bridging of the gap between ignorance and wisdom. It is through ‘piercing the veil’ that we can satisfy our curiosity and enable us to see things more clearly.
What are some notable uses of the phrase ‘pierce the veil’?
There’s an American rock band called Pierce the Veil, who formed in Sand Diego in 2006, who perform several different genres of music from pop-punk through to metalcore.
In legal terminology, they use the phrase “piercing the corporate veil” to refer to a situation where courts set aside the limited liability status of a company to hold its shareholders or directors personally liable for the company’s debts. This happens when a company is found to be a facade for fraudulent activities or wrong doings.
The phrase ‘pierce the veil’ has also been used time and again in literature. For instance in the book Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson published in 1836, and in William Wordsworth’s Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Early Childhood, published in 1807.
