medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Could it symbolize the fact that this particular
dough is intended for the host? Or would such
bread be baked under specially controlled circumstances?
Meg
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From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
culture [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Christopher Crockett
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 11:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [M-R] Ahead in the Dough
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
culture
a question came up on my little Chartres discussion list which might be
of
interest to some here --and my list might could use a bit of Adult
Guidence,
should anyone here wish to venture an opinion on a curious question.
as most will know, some/most of the early 13th c. "lancet" windows in
the side
aisles of the nave of the spiffy new cathedral of Chartres have, in
their
lowest register, scenes which illustrate the work of the donors of the
various
windows, who were members of the various trades and crafts in the city.
the "Apostles" window was given by the bakers, and we see three scenes
in the
lowest register of it.
in the right corner, three bakers do the final kneading of small lumps
of
dough on a table; while two others shape the (round) loaves and put them
in
the oven(?):
http://snapageno.free.fr/Churches/Chartres/TradesCrafts/TradesCrafts034_
std.jpg
in the largest scene, in the center of the window, a young fellow is
completing the sale of a loaf to a customer
http://snapageno.free.fr/Churches/Chartres/TradesCrafts/TradesCrafts033_
std.jpg
the panel in the lower left of the window depicts the (chronologically)
beginning of the trade's work,
http://snapageno.free.fr/Churches/Chartres/TradesCrafts/TradesCrafts032_
std.jpg
at first glance, we see a baker kneading a very large lump of dough
which is
in a large, wooden trough (it can't be a "cabinet" because there were no
"cabinets" in the m.a.).
his young assistant stands with a vase of (warm) water taken from a
cauldron
which sits over a fire.
pieces of cloth hang on a rod above, presumably to be used to cover the
dough
after it is kneaded and is left alone a while in order to do its first
"rising."
so far, so good, pretty straightforward stuff.
however, a closer look at this last scene --aided by a more detailed
photograph-- shows us that something else is going on here, as well
http://snapageno.free.fr/Churches/Chartres/TradesCrafts/ch0204e29.jpg
(WARNING: LARGE FILE --2,482Kb)
here we can clearly see that there is the face of a bearded man (with
closed
eyes) on the surface of the lump of dough.
now speculation about this head on my list ranges from its belonging to
a
legless midget who is being buried in a typical 13th c. sarcophagus with
legs
by some hapless bakers turned undertakers in order to take advantage of
the
decline in their old profession and the boom in the new one...
or
to a legless midget who succumbed to the Great Pox Epidemic of 1226 and
is
being buried in a typical 13th c. sarcophagus with legs by some (of the
few)
survivors, who happen to be bakers turned undertakers in order to take
advantage of the decline in their old profession and the boom in the new
one...
a third possiblity exists, i suppose:
perhaps it is a question of a miracle in which the Head of Christ
appears on
the dough which is being kneaded for the Host.
however, it appears that no scholar who has worked on this window has
been
able to uncover a text which records such a miracle.
does anyone on the list know of such an one?
(or have another alternative interpretation?)
c
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