medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The zona (belt, girdle) was given symbolic significance related to chastity in monasticism from the earliest times; (cf. Cassian, Inst.mon. 1.1.1-2; SChr 109:36). It was usually leather but sometimes metal was used as a penitential practice, as Tom Izbicki has already suggested. The article "Ceintures et chaines de pénitence" in Dictionnaire de spiritualité 2:375-77 will probably be useful.
A related theme is the symbolic-penitential use of the mail or metal lorica or breastplate, on which there is the article "Cuirasse" in DSp 2:2630-32.
I wonder if "ad mamillas" in this text should be understood as "at/around the breasts" (
i.e., a kind of breastplate or lorica), or "coming up to the breasts" (i.e., a very high belt)? In the absence of other evidence, I suspect the second is closer to the meaning of zona, and would link the practice symbolically with chastity or virginity. If it were the second, one might perhaps expect some allusion to Ephesians 6:14 (lorica iustitiae) and 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (lorica fidei et caritatis), a different symbolic cluster. -- Paul Chandler
On 31/10/2007, Tom Izbicki <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I suspect this is more a penitential practice, like a hair shirt.
Tom Izbicki
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