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
[Footnote 61: 'Let us consider Him,' says Bishop Hall, 'now, after a
weary conflict with the Devil, looking down from the Triumphal
Chariot of the Cross on His Church.']
The images of Saints and Martyrs appear in the lower panelling, as
examples of faith and patience to us. The colours of the rood screen
itself represent their passion and victory: the crimson sets forth the
one, the gold the other. The curious tracery of net-work typifies the
obscure manner in which heavenly things are set forth, while we look
at them from the Church Militant. And for as much as the Blessed
Martyrs passed from this {civ} world to the next through sore
torments, the mouldings of the chancel arch represent the various
kinds of sufferings through which they went. Faith was their support,
and must be ours: and Faith is set forth either in the abstract, by
the limpet moulding on the chancel arch; or on the screen, as in
Bishop's Hull, Somersetshire, by the Creed in raised gilt letters: or
is represented by some notable action of which it was the source: so
in Cleeve, Somersetshire, the destruction of a dragon runs along, not
only the rood screen, but the north parclose also. But in that the
power of evil spirits may be exercised against us till we have left
this world, but not after, horrible forms are sometimes sculptured in
the west side of the chancel arch. The foregoing remarks may perhaps
explain what has been felt by some ecclesiologists as a difficulty:
how it happens, since the chancel is more highly ornamented than the
nave, that it is the western, or nave side, not the eastern or chancel
side, of the chancel arch which invariably receives the greatest share
of ornament. The straitness of the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven
is set forth by the excessive narrowness of Norman chancel arches. And
the final separation of the Church Triumphant from everything that
defileth was almost invariably represented by the Great Doom painted
in fresco over the rood screen: of which there are still several
examples, as the celebrated one in Trinity church, Coventry: and many
more might be found, if the whitewash in that place were scraped off.
And not only is the judgment of the world, but that of individuals
here set forth: on the south side of the chancel wall of Preston
church, Sussex, is a fresco of S. Michael weighing the souls: the
Devil stands by, eager to secure his prize, but by the intervention of
the Blessed Virgin, the scale preponderates in favour of the sinner.
{cv} There might probably be an altar to the Blessed Virgin under this
picture. Also deeds of faith are represented in similar positions:
--so in the same church on the north chancel wall, is the fresco of
the Martyrdom of S. Thomas of Canterbury. We have already noticed the
triplicity, in some instances, of Norman chancel arches. A very
curious triple chancel arch is to be seen at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. We
may also refer to those singular double ones, Wells and Finedon, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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