Stephen Morris's Blog, page 25

Aachen and the Figs

The royal chapel of Charlemagne at Aachen is an octagon as many early chapels designed to be used for baptisms were.

October 21, 1944 — During World War II in Europe, American troops captured Aachen in western Germany after a week of hard fighting. It was the first large German city taken by the allies.

Aachen first developed from a Roman settlement and spa. It became the preferred medieval Imperial residence of Charlemagne and served as his capital. It was also the place where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans from AD 936-1531. Charlemagne ordered the construction of the cathedral there in 796 AD and when it was completed in AD 798, it was the largest cathedral north of the Alps. On his death, Charlemagne’s remains were interred in the cathedral and can be seen there to this day. After Frederick Barbarossa canonized Charlemagne in AD 1165, the chapel became a destination for pilgrims. For 600 years Aachen Cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 German kings and 12 queens.

Legends developed that either Charlemagne or Frederic Barbarossa would eventually rise from their tombs just before the End of the World to combat the Antichrist. Both Charlemagne and Frederick were thought to be the personification of the “Good King” who cared for and protected his people, bringing law and order to areas torn apart by chaos and violence. They are very similar to King Arthur in this regard, who was also expected to return to save Britain in its time of greatest need.

Another legend states that when Frederick was in the process of seizing Milan in AD 1158, his wife, the Empress Beatrice, was taken captive by the enraged Milanese and forced to ride through the city on a donkey in a humiliating manner. Frederick took his revenge for this insult by forcing the magistrates of the city to remove a fig from the anus of a donkey using only their teeth. To add to this debasement, they were made to announce, “Ecco la fica!” (meaning, “Behold the fig!”), with the fig still in their mouths. It used to be said that the insulting gesture called fico), of holding one’s fist with the thumb in between the middle and forefinger (which was also a way to curse one’s enemies),came by its origin from this event.

Figs and fig leaves were important in folklore and magic. Adam and Eve used fig leaves to clothe themselves when they realized that they were naked. Fig leaves also protected Romulus and Remus as infants so that they could grow up to found the city of Rome. The Pharaohs took dried figs to their graves in order to sustain their souls on their journey into the afterlife. They thought the goddess Hathor would emerge from a fig tree to welcome them into heaven.

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Battle of Hastings

Scene from the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings and the death of King Harold. Harold was king for less than a year and died when an arrow was shot through his eye.

The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William “the Conqueror,” and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson; when William won the battle, it was the beginning of the Norman conquest of England.

The context of the battle was that the childless King Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, which set up a succession struggle between several claimants to his throne.

King Edward ruled England for 24 years. His nickname reflects the traditional image of him as unworldly and pious. “Confessor” reflects his reputation as a saint who did not suffer martyrdom, as opposed to King Edward the Martyr. Edward built Westminster Abbey in order to have a grand church to bury royal family members. Edward and his wife had no children; it was said that they had no children because Edward kept a vow of celibacy to demonstrate his devotion to Christ. He is

For some time the Abbey had claimed that it possessed a set of coronation regalia that Edward had left for use in all future coronations. Following Edward’s canonization, these were regarded as holy relics, and thereafter they were used at all English coronations from the 13th century until the destruction of the regalia by Oliver Cromwell in 1649.

Harold was crowned king shortly after Edward’s death, but faced invasions by William as well as two other contenders for the throne. King Harold was able to defeat the other two contenders and while Harold and his forces were recovering, William landed his invasion forces in the south of England in late September 1066. Harold was forced to march south swiftly, gathering forces as he went. But he and his army lost, a “very Bad Thing” as the famous 1066 And All That describes it.

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Hot Off the Press!

The book was a #1 New Release in one category and a Top 10 in another on Amazon.

My newest book, The Early Eastern Orthodox Church: A History, AD 60-1553, has just been released by McFarland. It was #1 and #4 in two different categories on Amazon. Order yours now–Kindle version or paperback!

One reader has already written that the book “is a delightful romp through Church history!” Another reader reports: “Super informative and easy to follow. Really interesting stuff. The pages practically turn themselves.”

Medieval Ivory in the Victoria & Albert Museum

There is a stunning collection of medieval ivories in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Medieval ivories were extremely valuable and high status items; the ivory itself generally came from elephants in India or North Africa although walrus tusks could be obtained by trading with the Vikings. I was privileged to see the collection during our recent trip to London. Here are four of the pieces I was privileged to see.

This ivory depicts the women coming to the Tomb of Christ early on the morning of Sunday. They discover that the stone is rolled away from the tomb’s entrance, revealing that the tomb itself is empty. The empty burial cloths of Jesus are shown, as is the angel who tells them, “He is not here–he is risen! Go and tell his disciples!” The sleeping guards are also seen here, oblivious to what is happening. The tomb itself looks like the tomb within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This ivory was probably carved at the Benedictine abbey of St Gallen, an important center of manuscript and ivory production and was probably carved AD 900-950. (photo by S. Morris)

This ivory shows Christ enthroned in glory as Judge of the living and the dead at the Last Day. The dead of all generations are rising from their graves as angels blow trumpets above, calling them to judgement. The damned are shown being consumed by the monster that is Hell (lower right) as Christ welcomes the righteous into the heavenly Jerusalem (lower left). The Hell monster is shown outside the city walls of the heavenly Jerusalem, just as the valley used as a burning trash heap that gave birth to the stories of Hell is outside the walls of the earthly Jerusalem. (photo by S. Morris)

The top scene depicts the arrival of the Magi bringing gifts–gold, frankincense, and myrrh–to the Mother of God and the Christ Child as St. Joseph stands behind them. The bottom scene depicts the Mother of God presenting Jesus in the Temple when he was 40 days old (celebrated on February 2). Simeon the elder, prepared to wrap Jesus with a cloth, promises Mary that “a sword will pierce [her] heart also.”

An angel blesses a person as they sleep, probably giving them a dream-message from God or protecting them from nightmares. The building in the background might be the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem which might indicate that the person is sleeping in the church in hopes of being healed of an illness and the angel is there to heal them.

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Hampton Court

There are ten statues of heraldic animals, called the King’s Beasts, that stand on the bridge over the moat leading to the great gatehouse of Hampton Court. These statues represent the ancestry of King Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. Queen Elizabeth I replaced some of these animals when she was crowned. This is the white falcon of the Plantagenets.

Only a short train ride from London, Hampton Court is one of the royal palaces of the British monarchs, built by Cardinal Wolsey for himself in 1515. But he gave it to King Henry VIII as a bribe in 1529, an attempt to keep his position as Chancellor and counselor of the king despite his failure to obtain the Pope’s permission for Henry to set aside his wife Katherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. It has been used by the British royalty ever since although King George II was the last monarch to actually live there.

This clock was installed in 1540 on the gatehouse to the inner court at Hampton Court Palace. This pre-Copernican and pre-Galilean astronomical clock is still functioning.
The clock is 15 feet in diameter with three separate copper dials revolving at different speeds and displays the following information:
-Hour
-Month
-Day of month
-Position of the sun in the ecliptic
-Twelve signs of the zodiac
-Number of days elapsed since the beginning of the year
-Phases of the moon
-Age of the moon in days
-Hour when the moon crosses the meridian and thus high water at London Bridge.
The information about tides at London Bridge was of great importance to those visiting this Thames-side palace from London, as the preferred method of transport at the time was by barge, and at low water London Bridge created dangerous rapids.

This set of angels, crown, and shield mark the entrance to the royal chapel at Hampton Court. Jane Seymour was Henry VIII’s third wife; she died at Hampton Court after giving birth to Henry’s son Edward. king Henry was devastated at the sudden loss of his ‘perfect’ queen. Her heart is buried beneath the altar of the chapel. A sad white wraith carrying a lighted taper is seen walking hallways of the palace and is thought to be Jane Seymour’s ghost.

Feasts and banquets were held in the Great Hall of Hampton Court. Dishes included game, roasted or served in pies, lamb, venison and swan. More unusual items, such as conga eel and porpoise could also be on the menu. Only the king was given a fork, with which he ate sweet preserves. Forks were used to serve, cook and carve, but eating with them didn’t become popular until the 17th century.

Lion’s Gate at Hampton Court. (photo by S. Morris)

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Temple Church

The Temple Church in London was built by the Knights Templar, the order of crusading monks founded to protect pilgrims on their way to and from Jerusalem in the 12th century. The Church is in two parts: the Round and the Chancel. The Round Church was consecrated in 1185 by the patriarch of Jerusalem. It was designed to recall the holiest place in the Crusaders’ world: the circular Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. (photo by S. Morris)

Temple Church in London is a beautiful, hidden gem in London. Most Americans that know about it only know about it because it was featured in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. But the Temple Church is vital to the history of the British monarchy and–much later–the foundation of the United States as well.

Temple Church was King John’s London headquarters in 1214-5. From here he issued two vital preliminary charters, and here in January 1215 the barons confronted him for the first time with the demand that he subject himself to the rule of a charter, the Magna Carta. The ideas of the Magna Carta are the basis for the US Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

The hero of the Magna Carta was William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke. He mediated between John and the barons, secured the agreement embodied in Magna Carta and was one of the King’s advisors at Runnymede. When John died the Marshal became guardian of the boy-king Henry III and of the kingdom. He re-issued Magna Carta under his own seal in 1216 and 1217, and so ensured its survival. He was buried in the Temple’s Round Church, where his effigy still lies.

Floor tile in Temple Church, London. (photo by S. Morris)

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Swords in Church and the Kiss of Peace

Sword rest in St. Magnus the Martyr Church, London. (photo by S. Morris)

Sword rests, or sword stands as they are sometimes called, were originally installed in the churches of London to hold the Lord Mayor’s sword-of-state when he visited a different church every Sunday–a practice which ceased in 1883.

This practice of setting aside the sword was rooted in a medieval practice of men setting their swords in a prominent place in church so that no fighting would erupt during Mass. The swords were all kept up front so that no one could secretly get theirs to start a fight or secretly steal someone else’s as they slipped out the door. Churches were considered sanctuary spaces where fighting was forbidden. If blood was spilled in a church it had to be torn down and rebuilt. Or it had to be at least re-consecrated with a complicated–and expensive–process of prayer and ritual. Truces between enemies were automatic if they were in a church together.

The Kiss of Peace, exchanged between members of the Church just before receiving Holy Communion, was thought to be the most important act in preparation for Communion. St. Augustine, for example, speaks of it in one of his Easter Sermons:

“Then, after the consecration of the Holy Sacrifice of God, because He wished us also to be His sacrifice, a fact which was made clear when the Holy Sacrifice was first instituted, and because that Sacrifice is a sign of what we are, behold, when the Sacrifice is finished, we say the Lord’s Prayer which you have received and recited. After this, the ‘Peace be with you’ is said, and the Christians embrace one another with the holy kiss. This is a sign of peace; as the lips indicate, let peace be made in your conscience, that is, when your lips draw near to those of your brother, do not let your heart withdraw from his. Hence, these [the Kiss itself as well as Holy Communion] are great and powerful sacraments.”

Hence, the sword rest is an objective witness to the Kiss of Peace and its importance in the life of the community.

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“Domine dirige nos:” The Dragon of London

The dragon guarding the Southwark landing of the London Bridge is the location of an important episode in Kate Griffin’s “Midnight Mayor.”

At the heart of London are two cities: the City of London and the City of Westminster. The City of London is the ancient part of London that was once known as the Roman city of Londinium. It comprises an area of one square mile and is located north of South Bank and London Bridge. Dragons stand guard at the ancient gates into the ancient city of London, at the bridges and main streets that now bring people into and out of old London. As guardians or gatekeepers of the City all the dragons face outwards, so if the dragon is looking at you, you’re outside the City, if he has his back to you, you’re inside the City. The dragons are poised to protect the City from those coming to attack.

The dragons lean on the shield of London, which show a red cross on a white background and a small red sword. red cross on a white background is the flag of St. George, patron saint of England (along with many other nations around the world). Inside the top left-hand quarter of the flag there is an upright red sword. This commemorates St. Paul, the patron saint of the City of London. Since the 7th century there has been a cathedral dedicated to St Paul on Ludgate Hill in the City. The sword commemorates Paul’s beheading by sword in Rome c. 66 AD during the persecution of Christians under Nero. The Latin motto of London, “Domine dirige nos” (“O Lord, direct/guide us”) is also seen below the dragon and shield.

Why dragons? The reason seems lost in the mists of time. Some suspect the London dragon–which is silver or white–is an old Saxon emblem set to attack the ancient Welsh emblem of another (red) dragon. Some think the London dragon is derived from the story of St. George. Others think that the London dragon is just another dragon commonly used in heraldry to display coats-of-arms and shields. But I like how Kate Griffin describes the dragon that simply IS London in her novel Midnight Mayor:

It was…

…dragon didn’t quite cover it.

Dragon implies something made out of scales, with a nod in the direction of reptilian ancestry: dinosaur meets flamethrower with wings….

To say it was made of shadows would be to imply that light or darkness even got a look-in. Sure, it had crawled out if them, in the way that the diplodocus had once crawled out of the ameba of the sea. And if a comet came from the heavens to smash it, it wouldn’t be squished, just spread so wide and thin across the earth that it would look like night had fallen down, dragging all the stars with it–before, with a good thorough shake to push the stardust off its skin, the creature slid back to its brilliant, angry, maddened shape.

Of course, the dragon might itself be said to have attacked the City in the Great Fire. The Great Fire of London was the conflagration that swept through the central parts of the City from Sunday, 2 September to Thursday, 6 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall.

A dragon on the Holborn Viaduct in London. (photo by S. Morris)

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St. Bartholomew and the Massacre

A view of the church of St. Bartholomew the Great which I was able to visit during my visit to London last week.

Statue of Saint Bartholomew, with his own skin, by Marco d’Agrate, 1562 on the wall of the cathedral of Milan.

Along with his fellow apostle Jude “Thaddeus”, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus, both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Tradition has it that Apostle Bartholomew was executed by being flayed alive and beheaded in Armenia.

The account of Bartholomew being skinned alive is the most represented in works of art, and consequently Bartholomew is often shown with a large knife, holding his own skin, or both (as in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment). In Avezzano, in Abruzzo the image of the Saint who is holding his own skin has become the symbol of the city. Archaeological research has shown that the cult of Saint Bartholomew began in Avezzano, because the previous presence of a temple dedicated to Heracles, which is always represented in the act of holding the skin of the Nemean lion. Bartholomew is also the patron saint of tanners.

St. Bartholomew is also associated with the massacre committed on his feast day. The St. Bartholomew Day Massacre began in the night of 23–24 August 1572 (the eve of the feast of Bartholomew the Apostle), two days after the attempted assassination of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the military and political leader of the Huguenots (French Protestants). The king ordered the killing of a group of Huguenot leaders, including Coligny, and the slaughter spread throughout Paris. Lasting several weeks, the massacre expanded outward to other urban centres and the countryside. Modern estimates for the number of dead across France vary widely, from 5,000 to 30,000.

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SS. Florus and Laurus

16th century Russian icon of SS. Florus and Laurus.

Florus and Laurus, twin brothers who were second century martyrs, are considered the patrons of horses among the Rus because a local horse plague was healed by their relics. Russian peasants would tether their horses around the church on their feast day (August 18) and avoid putting the horses to work in order to avoid a recurrence of the plague. According to The Golden Bough, peasants didn’t plough with horses on the brothers’ feast day for fear of causing a cattle plague but would lead their horses round their village church. The horses were often also driven to a local pond and driven into the water after a priest had blessed it; the horses were washed in the pond and then led in procession around the church.

The twin brothers were stonemasons in the district of Illyricum. According to the story, Likaion, the prefect of Illyricum, employed the brothers in the construction of a pagan temple. The brothers gave their salaries to the poor. When the son of a local pagan priest named Mamertin was injured by a chip of stone from the saints’ temple, Florus and Laurus cured the boy after the boy converted to Christianity. Mamertin also decided to convert to Christianity as a result of his son’s recovery.

After the temple was built, Florus and Laurus brought together many local Christians there. The group smashed all of the statues of the pagan gods, a cross was set up in the temple, and the Christians spent the whole night in prayer in the converted temple. As a result of this action, the local authorities had 300 Christians, including Mamertin and Mamertin’s son, burned to death. However, Florus and Laurus were executed by being thrown down an empty well which was then covered over with earth.

Later tales also say that one day Florus and Laurus lost their horses. The two brothers appealed to the Archangel Michael to help them recover the runaway horses. The archangel helped them recover the horses and the two decided to dedicate their lives to horses. In addition, SS. Elashippus, Speushippus & Melashippus are often depicted with SS. Florus and Laurus. These three other men were Cappadocian brothers, two of them twins, who were grooms and horse doctors, who were said to have been trained as horse doctors by SS. Florus & Laurus and the Archangel Michael himself.

This icon was painted approximately AD 1500 – 1600 in Nizhny Novgorod and depicts the 3 horse doctor brothers below SS. Flarus and Laurus.

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