medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
As an Orthodox, when taught to make the signof the
Cross, I was told to touch
forehead-stomach/genitals-right shoulder-heart/left
shoulder.
This is because "Christ descended from the Father
[forehead] into the womb of the Virgin
[stomach/genitals] and to hell before ascending again
to the right hand of the Father [right shoulder] from
whence he sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts
[heart/laft shoulder]."
I don't know how old this explication is, but I've
always liked it.
Stephen
--- "George R. Hoelzeman" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval
> religion and culture
>
> Here's what I can offer:
>
> I remember reading something from Pope Innocent III
> back when I was in seminary in which the pope
> offered instruction on making the sign of the cross.
>
> Interestingly, if I remember correctly, Innocent's
> instructions were identical to the current
> Eastern/Orthodox practice. One of my professors
> postulated that
> laypeople, not having access to Innocent's
> instructions, followed the gesture made by the
> priest blessing, in which case the gesture was
> mirrored.
> Eventually, this mirrored gesture became the
> standard.
>
> I've no idea where the instruction from Innocent
> might be found, and I have my doubts about the
> anecdote concerning the priest's gesture.
>
> That having been said, the Orthodox/Eastern
> Catholics also hold their hand with thumb, fore and
> index finger joined (Trinity) and ring finger/pinky
> turned
> into the palm (2 natures in one person of Christ).
> I am not sure that ALL Orthodox or Eastern Catholics
> do, but that's where I picked up the gesture.
>
> "Back in the day" there were pious reflections
> written on the manner in which one makes the sign of
> the Cross. I've read both Roman and Eastern
> writings
> in this regard. If I can find some real references,
> I'll post them.
>
> Perhaps someone else will have something more
> scholarly on the subject.
>
> George the Less (curiouser and curiouser)
>
> On Wed, 14 May 2008 13:36:49 -0700, Chris Laning
> wrote:
>
> >medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of
> medieval religion and culture
>
> >An interesting question came up in a discussion I
> had recently, and I thought someone here might be
> able to point me toward some resources.
>
> >The question is, what do we know about exactly
> _how_ someone in, for instance, England of the 1480s
> would have gone about the sequence of
> gestures we call "making the sign of the cross" --
> and how do we know it? And under what circumstances
> would they do it?
>
> >There seems to be plenty of modern anecdotal
> evidence (mostly people saying "it's always been
> done this way") but I haven't the least idea where
> to start
> looking for actual source material. Pointers toward
> where to find this sort of thing would be much
> appreciated.
>
> >I suspect it's one of those things that
> historically, nobody bothered to write down because
> everyone knew it. (I'm sure we all have times when
> we wish we
> could joggle our ancestors' elbows and whisper,
> "Write it down, dammit!" )
>
> >I'm referring here specifically to the sequence of
> gestures used in blessing _oneself_ -- not the
> gesture someone like a priest might use when
> invoking
> blessing upon someone or something else.
>
> >I do know that in modern times it's not necessarily
> the same in all cultures -- I seem to recall that in
> the Eastern Christian traditions the right shoulder
> is
> touched before the left, while in the West it's more
> often the reverse. I've seen people from Hispanic
> cultures kiss their thumbnail at the end of the
> sequence. But that's about all the information I
> presently have.
>
> >Some of the detail questions I'd love to find
> answers to include: which hand makes the gesture,
> and if not the whole hand, which fingers? What parts
> of
> the body are touched and in what sequence? What
> words are said (to oneself or aloud) while the
> gesture is being made? Is there more than one
> version
> common at a particular time and place?
>
> >And on what occasions is the sign made? I know
> (because I see it all the time) that modern Roman
> Catholics routinely make the sign of the cross at
> the
> beginning and end of an interval of prayer. I seem
> to recall that "traditionally" it used to be common
> to make the sign when the dead are mentioned, or as
> a
> quick ritual prayer against harm. But finding these
> things out about a particular time and place in
> history seems to be much more difficult.
>
> >The immediate occasion where this came up -- just
> for context -- was in discussing a passage from _The
> Babees Book_ that describes grace before and
> after meals. The edition we were looking at was at
> Google books, and I notice that at the head of the
> "Latin Graces" section it says this is from the
> Balliol
> MS. 354, leaf 2 -- which I don't know anything
> about, including the date. The sign of the cross is
> not mentioned anywhere in the process -- but it's
> not clear
> whether that's because it wasn't used (for instance,
> if this text dates to after the Reformation, in
> which case what's "Ave Regina Caelorum" doing in
> there at
> Easter?), or because everyone knew when and how to
> do it so no one wrote it down.
>
> >The Google books link (watch the wrap...):
>
><http://books.google.com/books?id=3X0NAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Babees+Book:+Aristotle%
> 27s+A+B+C,+Urbanitatis,
> +Stans+Puer+Ad+Mensam#PPA382,M1>
>
> >(BTW, even the grace before meals in "ordinary
> time" given here seems to be an extraordinary
> mishmash of texts. I was quite startled to see the
> "Kyrie
> Eleison" in the middle of it!)
>
>
>____________________________________________________________
> >0 Chris Laning
> >| <[log in to unmask]>
> >+ Davis, California
> >http://paternoster-row.org -
> http://paternosters.blogspot.com
>
>____________________________________________________________
>
>
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