medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Laura Jacobus wrote:
>> I'm using a description of sacra rappresentatione in which the holy spirit
in the form of a dove descends 'per clero'. Normally these things wizz down
from high places, so I wonder whether this could in some way have the meaning
of 'from a clerestory'.
From: Cecil T Ault <[log in to unmask]>
> The clerestory (sic) is architectral term. It is the upper row of
windows supported by columns above the nave in a basilican building
and most churches in the West were basilican till the advent of the
gothic style.
strictly speaking, in current Art Hysterical Parlance, the clerestory is the
level or zone of the elevation of (usually) a church wherein the windows are
to be found.
the variations in the layout of the elevations of churches were legion even by
the time of "High Romanesque" (later 11th c.) and only multiplied as the
"Gothic" "style" came into fashion --e.g., two story, three story, four story
(but not five, that i can recall), with arcaded passages both over the side
aisle and/or within the thickness of the wall, either at the "triforium" level
or, in some regional styles particularly, at the clerestory level.
i don't have the OED to hand, but a peek at the etymology and early instances
of use of "Clerestory" would no doubt be somewhat facinating.
do you know the specific church which is being referenced in yours source,
Laura?
if so, and if it still survives (or its elevation can be reconstructed), you
*might* be dealing with a building which had a passage in the wall at the
clerestory level --but, if not, then it is worth noting that a "normal" (what
a construct!) elevation did *not* have a passage at the clerestory level,
making the release of birds or anything else at that altitude a rather dodgey
business.
From: Jim Bugslag <[log in to unmask]>
> I believe that, at Chartres Cathedral, doves were released into the church
(at Pentecost??) through a hole in one of the vault bosses. The Medieval
Latin Word list has "clera" meaning "aperture" which would fit such a usage.
i like this hypothesis more than any other i've seen.
who knows, it might even be true.
for those not familiar with Chartres, the "bosses" are massive "keystones" at
the central junction of the ribs of the vaults of both the nave/choir and the
side aisles.
at Chartres (somewhat uncommonly) they have largeish holes in their centers
--i.e., the keystone is built around a circle-- and, perhaps significantly,
many of them are "decorated" with either foliate ornamentation or, i believe,
little heads peeking out from the foliage.
i have seen, somewhere, suchlike bosses decorated with Trinitarian
iconography, or at least little angels, but can't recall what we have at
Chartres, eggsactly.
as per usual, a pitcher would be worth a thousand words, but i've struck out
trying to find on on the web.
unencumbered by any actual knowledge of the matter, i've always assumed that
these holes were primarily used to lower chandeliers down into the space below
(today we have those dreadful bare lightbulbs which ruin the view of the side
aisle windows), and have never heard of these Pentacostal birds --though the
report of them strikes me as sufficiently bizarre as to be a more than
possible practice.
what's your source, Jim?
c
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