medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I sent this recenty, apparently while the list was in glitch-mode. Here it is again.
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From: Self <[log in to unmask]>
To: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval
religious culture <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [M-R] the north door
Date sent: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 13:48:07 -0500
> At least in Scandinavian churches, there were up till about 1250 in almost every church a north
> door and a south door, the north door for women, the south door for men. Inside the church, men
> and women were not supposed to be together, but stay in the southern and northern parts
> respectively.
Anders' very interesting reply to the question of how north doors were used points
up a very pertinent aspect of the question: there is no one, European-wide answer.
Considerable regional diversity exists, as far as doors are concerned. Many English
churches, for example, have north porches, without a south door, e.g. Wells and
Salisbury Cathedrals, which I mention because some excellent liturgical work has
been done on how they were used, by Arnold Klukas and Peter Draper respectively.
But the use of medieval church doors, in general, has received surprisingly little
attention. For a useful exception, see Barbara Diemling, "Le portail d'eglise au
Moyen Age et sa signification juridique historique," in Rolf Toman, L'art roman
(Konemann, 1997), which also exists in German and English editions, I believe.
One work which may, possibly, be of help in answering your question (but which I've
never got around to reading, despite the fact that it is, I believe, available over the
internet on the Gallica site), is l'abbe J.-B. Thiers, _Dissertation sur les Porches des
eglises dans laquelle on fait voir les diuers usages ausquels ils sont destinez; que
ce sont des Lieux Saints et dignes de la veneration des Fideles; Et qu'il n'est pas
permis d'y vendre aucunes marchandise, non pas mesme celles qui peuvent servir
a la piete (Orleans, 1679).
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
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