medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On 11/22/11, Paul Chandler
wrote:
> ... the instrument here is a flabellum or riphidion, known from at least the 4th century and originally a fan used to keep insects from the eucharistic elements.
A small point: the Greek term is spelled 'rhipidion' (it's a development from Gk. _rhipis_, _rhipidos_, 'bellows' or 'fan')
> The last relic of the flabellum in the West were the ostrich-feather plumes that used to be carried in papal processions.
The Diocese of Paderborn has a very nice peacock-feather one still used in connection with its cult of St. Liborius. Here it is, in a photograph from this past July, fixed upright behind Liborius' reliquary casket (the _Liborischrein_):
http://tinyurl.com/7ufpwjw
And here it is being carried before the _Liborischrein_ in procession in July 2010:
http://tinyurl.com/7eboxog
Best,
John Dillon
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