medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On reading "tailleur" the word which jumped to mind (not quite sure why)
is "dresser". Dressing stone is, I believe, the process of shaping and
smoothing it so that the masons can lay it in place.
Being ignorant of the hierarchies of such work, I can only guess that
their skills may be intermediate between those who shift the lumps of
rock about the works, and split them into the pieces needed, and those
who mark out the final shape and see the dressed stones laid according
to the plans.
But my scaffold for raising this structure is flimsy indeed.
Hal Cain
Joint Theological Library
Parkville, Victoria, Australia
[log in to unmask]
Charles Giguere wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Acc. to Blaise, Dict. latin-francais des auteurs chretiens, caesores lapidum
> are "tailleurs de pierre"; his references are 2 Paralipomena 24, 12, and
> Ambrose, Expositio evangilii secundum Lucam 2,89.
>
> Bernadette Filotas
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christopher Crockett" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 1:57 PM
> Subject: [M-R] cesores lapidarum?
>
>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> a Brain Teaser for the Scholards and the otherwise
> non-Latiniacally-challenged
> on this list:
>
> the cartulary of the abbey of St. Mary of Josaphat, in the valley of the
> Eure
> just below Chartres, is very rich in charters from the time of its
> foundation
> by Bishop Godfrey of Leves (1117) through the next two centuries.
>
> among the earliest charters are to be found the rich witness lists to the
> various acts of donation which are common to this period.
>
> and among those witnesses (_testes_) are an extraordinary number of manual
> laborers, including some who were clearly working on the construction of the
> buildings for the new abbey.
>
> i know of no other cartulary from an institution in France which has so many
> danged stoneworkers --nearly 30 of them, sometimes accompanied by their
> *wives* [SIC!!].
>
> they are usually styled "cementarius", but there are a few which are given
> other titles.
>
> "lapidicini ecclesiae" shows up once or twice, and i'm thinking that the
> Novum
> Glossarium M.L.'s "tailleur de pierre" fits for these guys, even though a
> "lapidicinium" is a quarry (simply because "quarrymen" would be less likely
> than "stonecutters" to show up in a monastic chapter to witness a charter).
>
> more stumping yet is the appearance of some guys styled "cesores lapidum".
>
> my first thought was "stone cutter", perhaps even (dream on) "sculptor"; but
> this was based on the False Friend of a supposed connection with "sissors".
>
> the new Latham suggests [at CAESOR] "striker, hewer, cutter [as in tailor]"
> and cites an instance of use from the Venereal Bede, "...latomos dicit
> lapidum
> caesores...".
>
> am i in the presence here, with these "cesores lapidum", of yet more simple
> "stone cutters/hewers", i.e., more or less generic "masons"?
>
> or may i go further with these various professional titles and say that they
> may represent qualitative distinctions within the stone-working crafts?
>
> and, if the latter, in which direction?
>
> are the "cementarii" the low guys on the totum pole or are they at the top,
> above the "quarry/stoneworkers" and "stonecuters"?
>
> any random thoughts --particularly if they happen to be Informed by some
> actual knowledge-- would be welcome.
>
> c
>
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