Aretha's Hat: The True Story

The surprise appearance of an almost blindingly beautiful piece of headwear at the inauguration (specifically, on Aretha Franklin) has triggered a rash of speculation about the origins of this legendary artifact. With many thanks to BuzzFeed's users for their help, here are a few things that you may not have known about Aretha Franklin's wonderful hat:

[Note: Everything on this page was created by BuzzFeed users using the image provided here]

Depending on whose hands the hat falls into, it can be used for good ...

For evil ...

And for straight up chillin'.

Barack Obama is by no means the first world leader who owes his wisdom and strength to the hat's mysterious powers:

But the hat can also be a hindrance to leaders who anger it.

In the absence of an engine, the hat is a surprisingly effective navigation device ...

And there's no better way to surprise the rebel forces than by trapping them in a hat ambush:

But while all these things are deeply inspiring, the only person who can really use the hat to its fullest potential is Aretha herself. Thank you, Aretha, for making that hat shine.