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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture From what I have seen, Meg, such stones vary from smallish to very small, indeed. Four cm long would not be terribly unusual-- the stone just had to be there. The Ottonian Gertrudis Altar is well represented on the museum's web site: <http://clevelandart.org/art/1931.462#>. To get a sense of scale, see <https://projects.mcah.columbia.edu/treasuresofheaven/relics/video/index.php>, fourth down on the left. As you see, its porphyry stone takes up nearly the whole top of the altar, but is still fairly small. The relics were inside the box of the altar (see "alternate views"), so they leave no mark on the stone. See also a portable altar in the Met, <https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/478606> The stone on the Stavelot Altar is, at least judging by those I have seen, more typical. The width of the whole altar is 17 cm. <http://www.kornbluthphoto.com/StavelotAltar.html> Again, the relic cavity is below the stone. Also one in Berlin, <https://www.smb.museum/en/whats-new/detail/beratende-kommission-empfiehlt-keine-rueckgabe-des-welfenschatzes.html> And another, for which the BM gives enough views to allow a good sense of structure: <https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=36026001&objectId=51032&partId=1#more-views> Likewise the Arnulf Ciborium, stone centered in the base; last image with person for scale: <http://www.kornbluthphoto.com/CarolingianMetalwork2.html> I have proposed that a flattish rectangular Carolingian rock crystal engraved with the Baptism may have been an altar stone. <http://www.kornbluthphoto.com/RouenBaptism.html> David, thanks for the Budde reference-- I haven't worked on this topic since the 90s! best, Genevra On 4/9/2019 11:39 AM, Cormack, Margaret Jean wrote: > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > To follow up on my previous question, what is the normal size for the > stone in a portable altar? > > Icelandic excavations have revealed a number of VERY small oblongs of > polished stone, c. 4 cm. long, maybe 1 cm broad and deep, which are > now being proposed as 'altar stones'. This seems unlikely to me (and > there is no evidence of space for relics, but do portable altars have > to have relics (or the consecrated host if there are no relics?) I > have a PDF of Braunīs book on the Christliche Altar, and will read it > through, but am hoping there is something a bit more recent. It should > be added that church inventories often contain references to > altar-stones (altarissteinar) but with no indication of size. > > Genevra, any thoughts on what these might be? > > Meg > > > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> > Virus-free. www.avg.com > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> > > > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > ********************************************************************** > To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR > NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, > address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, > send the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: > [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the > list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For > further information, visit our web site: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion