medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Genevra,
in your answer to Timothy, I am afraid I found a mistake in addition
to a very interesting statement:
1. The Basilica of St. Simeon the Stylite (Qalat Simaan) did not have
multiple naves to my knowledge (and autopsy). Out of the four
buildings joined in the form of a cross the northern and the southern
buildings were hostels for pilgrims (xenodochia), while the western
was the monastery. Only the Eastern arm was a church, which can easily
be identified by the then appropriate synthronos at the Eastern end of
it (it is still clearly identifiable - I can send photographs, if
needed). The pillar of St Symeon (surrounded by a probably iron cage)
was in the center of the octagon in the middle.
Therefore it does not count as a counterexample to the E-W orientation.
2. I find it tremendously interesting that you say Old St. Peter had
its altar in the West. How do we know this was the case? I can't see
it from the sketches of the floorplan I am familiar with. - And I must
say I have seen quite a number of ancient churches from the St Titus
in Gortys to the Holy Cross in Resafa - and invariably they had the
altar towards the East. The orientation seems to have had a
theological reason (or so I learned, but I am no expert in early
Christian church architecture, pls correct me ) : the salvation leads
towards the Light of Life, out of the Darkness of Death. This is why
one enters the church from the West (often decorated with scenes of
the Last Judgement awaiting for the world) and on entering looks
towards the East (Christ, the Light of the World). In all these
churches I saw, btw., there were pronounced openings on the wall above
the altar (apse), presumably serving as physical channel for letting
the light in (pretty dramatic, I suppose, during early morning
liturgies). Or am I completely in the dark?
3. As for the variations in recent centuries (like in the case of the
Roman Catholic chapel close to my parents' house in Budapest, built in
the 70s) the theological reasons of the symbolism having fallen into
oblivion (or being deliberately left aside as superstition or myth),
anything could go (eg. in the case of this chapel the altar is to the
Eastern side of a church oriented otherwise to the North - pretty
strange sight as most pews are at an awkward angle to the altar).
I'd love to learn more about this subject, doctissimi.
Best,
George
--
György Geréby CSc (PhD)
associate professor
head, Mediaeval Studies Department
Central European University
Budapest V
Nador u 9
H-1051 Hungary
Phone/fax: + 36.1.3412634
Mobile: +36.30.9969874
Skype: ggereby4
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