medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
At first, I thought some one was being humorous, and was kidding.
Apparently I was mistaken when I assumed that everyone understood the
meaning of "chair," in expressions such as "The chair of St. Peter at
Rome," or the "Chair of St. Peter at Antioch."
It does NOT refer to an actual physcial object, to place one's buttocks
upon. It refers to the Office of the apostle/bishop holding oversight of
the place, and it has to do with authority and jurisdiction.
The similar use of "chair" was imported into academia. A professor who
is granted a chair, is NOT presented with an artifact that the
university went to Office Depot and purchased.
A "chaired" professor holds a certain position and dignity.
When St. Peter established his chair at Rome, that simply means that he
based himself at Rome, and had assumed ecclesiastical oversight of the
Church in Rome.
It goes without saying that in expressions such as the See of
Chichester, the See of Alexandria, the Holy See [Rome], or the See of
Peoria the meaning of the word "see" is location of jurisdiction.
Remember also, the word "see" comes from Latin "sede," meaning "seat."
And "sede" most probably comes from "sedere," meaning "to sit."
We see (in English) a similar use of "seat" as place of authority, in
expressions such "Springfield is the County Seat of Sangamon County."
The word is a verb when it means to excercise authority: "The Superior
Court of Appeals is expected _to sit_ on Freendibble v. Smedley,
sometime next month."
The Old English word for "chair," of course, as we all know, is "stol."
Consequently, then, a "thone" is a "heahstol," (high stool--or high
chair). We don't (I hope) confound "throne" with "highchair," where the
"high" refers to the altitude of a special chair for babies. Altitude,
of contrasted with the loftiness of dignity. (For the same reason that
the Old English for the episcopate is "heahfæder."
Often, bishops employ a folding chair, that can be set up, and removed
when the bishop is through with it. Such a seat is know as a
"faldstool,"(folding chair), Lat. "faldistolium."
So, there is that use for a physical seat, in ecclesiastical usage.
In referring to the "Chair of St. Peter at Rome" or the "Chair of
Anglo-Saxon at Oxford," a physical artifact upon which to place one's
buttocks is not what is meant.
Terrill
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