The Symbolism of Churches and Church Ornaments: A Translation of the First Book of the Rationale Divinorum OfficiorumDurand, Guillaume
Religion
The Symbolism of Churches and Church Ornaments: A Translation of the First Book of the Rationale Divinorum Officiorum
Durand, Guillaume
Christian art and symbolism; Church architecture
A window in Merton College chapel has _three_ lights: with a circle in
the head containing _six sex_-foils.
Broughton, Oxon, has in the head of one of its windows a circle,
containing two intersecting equilateral triangles, the _six_ apices,
and _six_ spaces around, being _tre_-foiled.
{xciv}
The east end of Lincoln, though far inferior to the south transept of
Chichester, is nevertheless highly symbolical. The east window of each
of the aisles has _three_ lights, with _three_ foliated circles,
disposed _triangle_-wise in the head. The great east window has eight
lights in two divisions, each whereof has _three_ foliated circles in
the head: and in the apex of the window is a circle containing seven
foliations. The upper window has a circle of eight foliations in the
head: and in the apex of the gable is an equilateral trefoil.
The next element introduced was the consideration of the Six
Attributes of the Deity. One of the simplest examples was to be found
in the west window of the north aisle of S. Nicholas, at Guildford: a
plain circle, containing six _tre_-foils: these are arranged in two
_tri_-angles, each containing _three tre_-foils, and the two sets are
varied.
The clerestory of Lichfield cathedral (circ. 1300), is a series of
spherical _tri_-angles, each containing _three tre_-foils.
A similar clerestory occurs in the north-west transept of Hereford
cathedral, and the same idea is repeated in its triforium: a series of
_three tre_-foiled lights, with _three_ circles in the head.
The east end of Lichfield symbolises most strikingly the same glorious
doctrine. The apse is _tri_-gonal: the windows of each side are the
same: each is of _three_ lights, with six _tre_-foils (emblematical of
the six attributes) disposed above in the form of an equilateral
_tri_-angle.
The east end of Chichester is rather earlier, but introduces yet
another element. Here we have a triplet: and at some height above it,
a wheel-window of seven circles: symbolising therefore eternity and
perfection.
{xcv}
The triforium and clerestory of Carlisle are singular symbols of the
doctrine of the Trinity. The former has in each bay three adjacent
equal lancets. The latter is a series of triplets; the central window
in each being composed of three lights. We may observe, by the way,
that three _adjacent_ equal lancets are hardly ever found, whatever
the reason may be. We know but of three examples: in the churches of
Bosham, Sussex, Godalming, Surrey, and S. Mary-le-Crypt, Gloucester:
and in all these cases they occupy the same position, the south east
end of the chancel, or chancel aisle.
Dorchester church, Oxfordshire, has for one of its windows an
equilateral spherical triangle with three heads, or knops, one at each
angle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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