medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Refined historians like ourselves are, of course, are not iinterested in
such crude mnemonics for the Sign of the Cross as are circulated among lowly
(Anglophone) engineers: "Spectacles, testicles, wallet, keys".
The sign of the Cross as an apotropaic gesture seems to have been well-known
in the 6th century (Caesarius of Arles, Martin of Braga).
Bernadette Filotas
From: "Stephen Morris" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:11 PM
Subject: Re: [M-R] Sign of the cross
> 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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