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