medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
According to Dominique Iogna-Prat, La Maison Dieu. Une histoire
monumentale de l'Eglise au Moyen Age (v.800-v.1200) (Paris, 2006) --
which I believe I learned about from someone on this list -- this is
part of the consecration rite that arose during the Carolingian period,
and was performed by the officiating bishop, who entered the church
alone while the rest of the officiants waited outside with the relics to
be inserted in the altar. After inscribing the alphabets on the floor
of the church, he exorcised, blessed and mixed the salt, water and
cinders used for the aspersion of the church. He also prepared the
mortar with which the relics would be sealed into their confessio in the
altar. Finally, he blessed the whole building, its ornaments, vestments
and liturgical vessels. He then left the church to join the other
officiants outside, and after a litany and the blessing of the principal
entrance, and a relic procession around the church, he preached a sermon
before leading the procession with relics into the church.
Cheers,
Jim
Andrew Larsen wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Might the use of the abcedarium be related to Christ's status as the
> Alpha and the Omega, ie the totality of the alphabet?
>
> Andrew E. Larsen
>
> On Mar 30, 2010, at 7:34 AM, John Briggs <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>> On 30/03/2010 12:04, Cate Gunn wrote:
>>> The consecration ceremonies (in the 10th cent. Pontificale
>>> Lanaletense and the 12th century Pontifical of Magdalen college)
>>> require the 'abcdarium' to be inscribed in the corners of the church
>>> - would this be the whole alphabet? What was the significance of this?
>>
>> The abcedarium (the whole alphabet) is inscribed (in ashes or sand)
>> diagonally across the church from corner to corner, once in the Latin
>> alphabet and the other time in the Greek alphabet. What was the
>> significance of this? Well, the best guess (see John Wordsworth, On
>> the Consectration of Churches, Especially in the Church of England: A
>> Lecture [1899]) is that this is replicating the initiation ceremonies
>> (baptism, confirmation, first communion) i.e. welcoming the church
>> building as a member of the Christian community! The earliest ordos
>> have the catechism with elements (e.g. the Creed) in both Latin and
>> Greek.
>>
>> John Briggs
>>
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