The Cross in Ritual, Architecture and Art
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Dear Reader, This book was referenced in one of the 185 issues of 'The Builder' Magazine which was published between January 1915 and May 1930. To celebrate the centennial of this publication, the Pictoumasons website presents a complete set of indexed issues of the magazine. As far as the editor was able to, books which were suggested to the reader have been searched for on the internet and included in 'The Builder' library.' This is a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by one of several organizations as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online. Wherever possible, the source and original scanner identification has been retained. Only blank pages have been removed and this header- page added. The original book has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books belong to the public and 'pictoumasons' makes no claim of ownership to any of the books in this library; we are merely their custodians. Often, marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in these files – a reminder of this book's long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. Since you are reading this book now, you can probably also keep a copy of it on your computer, so we ask you to Keep it legal. Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book to be in the public domain for users in Canada, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/crossinritualarcOOtyacuoft .?1W I QUEEN EI.EANOK MKMOKIALt WALTHAM CROSS. {Be/ore restoration in iSSj-QZ.) : Zbe Cross . in IRitual, . Ercbitectuie, . anb Hit . BY THK REV. GEO. S. TYACK, B.A., Author of ^'•Historic Dress of the C/ei-gy,'^ " /^ Book alwut Bells, ^'' Lore and Lef;end of the English Church,^'' etc. Second Edition. Revised and Greatly Enlarged. LONDON WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., 5, FARRINGDON AVENUE. >0C1 3 (953 Qpreface. T N issuing a new and enlarged edition of this work, the Author wishes to thanlc most sincerely his many unknown, but invariably friendly, correspondents, who have so kindly suggested improvements, and furnished him with fresh facts. It is practically impossible for a book dealing with so wide a subject to be exhaustive, nor can one hope entirely to avoid errors ; yet, remembering the kindly reception given to his former effort both by the public and the press, the Author can confidently affirm that the present edition has been made more worthy of it. GEO. S. TYACK. PE^fKRIDGE, Stafford, 1st January, igoo. (preface to f^e ^ixBt (Bbition. T N this work my aim has been to deal in a popular way with the manifold uses of the Cross as the symbol of the Christian Faith. The attempt necessitates certain limitations ; to give prominence to controversial points, to go to foreign lands for illustrations and examples when so many apt ones are to be found at home, or to load the pages with references —any of these things would have been opposed to the object which 1 have set before myself. If my outline be sufficiently broad and clear, and the details, so far as they go, accurate—and to attain this no pains have been spared— I shall be content. Before closing this brief preface, it is to me both a pleasure and a duty to express my grateful thanks to my friend and publisher, Mr. William Andrews, for the use of his collection of works, notes, and pictures relating to the Cross, and from his own productions I have gleaned some out-of-the-way information. GEO. S. TYACK. Crowle, Doncaster, August, i8g6. —— Contenf0. FAPTER PAGE Introductory—The pre-Christian Cross—Wheel-crosses Primitive cross-forms—The "Graffito blasfemo"—^Common use of the sign—The vision of Constantine—Finding of the ' " ' True Cross —The Crusades—Legend of the wood of the Cross—Relics of the True Cross—Heraldic Crosses—The Cross in the arms, badges, and coinage of modern states " " Cross and pile I The Development of the Crucifix—Early symbols of Christ; the Vine, the Good Shepherd, etc. —The Agnus Dei —Legend of S. Chad—Early crucifixes—Miraculous crucifix at Winchester—The Iconoclastic Controversy—Conciliar authority for the crucifix—Eastern attitude towards Images —Symbolic crucifixes—Crucifixion scenes—Italian sacred art i8 The Cross in Ceremonial—Prophetic types of the Cross Sign of the Cross primitive—Supposed virtue in the sign Method of making it—The sign as a signature to documents — The "Cross row" — Wearing Crosses — The sign in public and other offices ; Eucharist, ordination, baptism, confirmation, etc. —The Ash Wednesday rite—Use of the material Cross-7-Processional Crosses—Ancient examples The Archbishop's Cross— I'he Pectdraf Cross—Consecration Crosses—Veiling the Cross in Passion tide—The " Cross of Absolution"—"Creeping to the Cross"—Burial of the Cross on Good Friday—Epiphany in the Greek Church—S. Peter's, Rome, on Good Friday—Holy Days commemorative of the Cross—Churches dedicated in the name of the Cross—The Legend of Holy Rood Abbey 34 The Cross as an Q^lmament of the Church and its Precincts—Cruciform churcKeSj—Altar Crosses—Genevan aversion to tliem^^TTie rood and rood-loft—Famous English roods—Destruction and recent restorations of roods—The Wenhaston rood—Destruction of French roods at the Revolution—The "Christ of Burgos"—Laying down the crosses during an Interdict—Vestments, palls, etc., marked with the Cross—The Fylfot on bells—Spire-crosses—Gable- — X CONTENTS. CHAHTKK PAGE crosses — Churchyard-crosses — Their destruction, remains, and restoration —^Story of York Minster ... ... ... 66 5. Grave-Crosses—Antiquity of crosses on graves—Ancient examples in the Isle of Man ; in lona ; in Scotland ; in Ireland ; in Wales ; in Cornwall ; in other districts of England—Bakewell, Eyam, and other Derbyshire examples — Incised slabs—Modern grave-cros.ses ... ... ... 97 6. Public Crosses—Numbers of crosses in Old England Edinburgh Market Cross—Other Scottish town-crosses P^nglish market and high -crosses destroyed at Bristol, Coventry, Holbeach, Ipswich, and elsewhere—Towns with many crosses—Crosses still standing at Chichester, Win- chester, and other places—Uses of high-crosses—Traces of their existence in place-names — Village-cro.sses — Curious custom at Knightlow—Preaching-crosses—S. Paul's Cross Other English examples ... ... ... ... ... 108 7. Memorial Crosses—Memorials of Battle.s—The Chester rood—Foreign memorial crosses—Memorials of the Found- ation of the Faith—Alpine crosses—Spanish and Italian wayside memorials—Eleanor crosses—Various memorials of remarkable persons—lona crosses—Scottish examples —Modern memorial crosses ... ... ... ... ... 142 8. Wayside and Boundary Crosses—Dartmoor cros.ses and moorland tracks—Dartmoor boundaries—Cornish wayside cros.ses—Yorkshire examples—Continental instances—-Uses of wayside - crosses — Cross-road - crosses — Well -crosses Sanctuaries and Landmarks—Oratory and bridge-crosses— Weeping-crosses—Di.scoveries of ancient crosses— "Cross" Trees 162 9. Conclusion—Legends of the Cro.ss—Influence of .sacred art—Popularity of Symbolism—Totems—Kobong—Heraldic symbols—Pagan .symbols—Symbol of the Cross : What it implies ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 180 ; THE CROSS IN RITUAL, ARCHITECTURE, AND ART. CHAPTER I. 3ntrobuctotg. IT is strange, yet unquestionably a fact, that in ages long before the birth of Christ, and since then in lands untouched by the teaching of the Church, the Cross has been used as a sacred symbol. The Aryan tribes, ancestors of most of the European nations, so regarded a cross of curious form, whose four equal arms were all turned midway at a right angle. The excavations of Dr. Schliemann on the site of ancient Troy have brought to light discs of baked clay stamped with a cross. It is well known that the crux ansata^ or Tau Cross (T) with the addition of a ring, as if for suspension, at the top, is found in Egyptian inscriptions. The Greek Bacchus, the Tyrian Tammuz, the Chaldean Bel, and the Norse Odin, were all symbolised to their votaries by a cruciform device. The Spanish conquerors of Mexico found the cross already an object of reverence among the Aztecs, carved on temple walls, on amulets, and on pottery 1 ; 2 THE CROSS. SO, too, in North America, specimens of shell-work, engraved with crosses of various forms, have been unearthed from mounds raised by the native Indian tribes. It is now agreed among almost all antiquaries that the " type of the sacred symbol commonly called a " wheel cross has been derived, with little or no alteration, from the sun- emblem of our pagan ancestors. As such the figure was familiar to the Britons, and to their neighbours, the Gauls and it has been suggested (as by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould) that in adopting the X P as his standard the Emperor Constantine was actuated by policy, the same figure speaking to his pagan troops of the ever-revolving wheel of the sun, and to the Christians of the initials in Greek of the Saviour's name.