medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On 03/08/2012 19:54, John Briggs wrote:
> On 03/08/2012 17:46, Anne Willis wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The passing bell, summoning the Psychopomp (wonderful term - the role
>>>> shared by Michael and Charon), was rung from bell chambers newly
>>>> fashionable
>>>> in the period and detectable where surviving by the diagnostic
>>>> openings.
>>>
>>> The openings being positioned so that the exact moment that the body was
>>> lowered into the grave could be observed, and the bell silenced.
>>
>> Mmm... OK if they bury everybody in the same place, but one opening would
>> give a very limited view of the whole graveyard. Maybe as it filled up
>> they kept cutting out more stonework?
>
> I could forgive you failing to grasp my clarification - but there was
> actually nothing wrong with Graham's explanation in the first place.
>
> Once again: the openings in the bell chambers of the particular towers
> in the study [late-11th century towers in Lincolnshire - Archdeaconry of
> Lindsey?] are positioned such that they overlook the greater part of the
> graveyard - whether S, W or N, of some combination of those, as
> appropriate.
Sorry, "ringing chamber" - i.e. one storey below the bell chamber.
John Briggs
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