At 15:21 19/11/98 +0100, Otfried wrote:
>Dear Claire,
>1) The four dimensions of the Cross were associated not only with the four
>evangelists (and with the tetramorph), but also with many other biblical
>and cosmic quaternaries, such as the four rivers of paradise, cardinal
>virtues, seasons of the year, elements (fire and water, air and earth),
>partes terrae (i.e. East-West, North-South, sorry, I don't know the English
>term for "Himmelsrichtungen"), etc.
In Spanish the term is Puntos Cardinales (maybe Cardinal Points?).
On this question I found really helpful Barbara Maurmann's book _Die
Himmelsrichtungen im Weltbild des Mittelalters_, Munich, 1976.
>2) I have done some (not very extensive) research on patristic and (early)
>medieval interpretations and representations of the four evangelists, and
>have never found them represented as, or associated with, four crosses, at
>least not in explicit or otherwise unmistakeable form.
Have you published something of this research? It is a topic I am
very interested in, so I'd love to read new material.
Best wishes
Carlos
PD. I read the story you wrote for your son. It is really beatiful!
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