The rood screen (also choir screen or chancel screen) is a common feature in late medieval parish church architecture. Church architecture or ecclesiastical architecture refers to the Architecture of buildings of Christian churches It is typically an ornate screen, constructed of wood, stone or wrought iron. QtubIronPillarJPG|thumb|right| Iron pillar at Delhi India containing 98% wrought iron]] Wrought iron is commercially pure Iron. It divides the chancel (the area with the main altar in a church) from the nave (the main part of the church for the congregation). "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the [1] In English cathedral, monastic and collegiate churches, a rood screen or rood beam was placed one bay west of the pulpitum screen,[2] but this complete arrangement nowhere survives, and accordingly the pulpitum in such churches is sometimes referred to as the 'rood screen'. The pulpitum is a common feature in Medieval Cathedral architecture in Europe
Rood screens can be found in churches in many parts of Europe: the German word for one is Lettner; the French jubé; and the Dutch doksaal. However, in Catholic countries they have generally been removed, following the introduction of the Tridentine Mass at the Counter-reformation; and accordingly they survive in much greater numbers in Anglican and Lutheran churches. The Tridentine Mass (Missa Tridentina is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The iconostasis is a more elaborate development of this partition in Eastern Christian churches. In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases) also called the Templon, is a wall of Icons and religious paintings Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about
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Description and origin of the name
The word rood is derived from the Saxon word rode, meaning "cross". For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The rood screen is so called because it was surmounted by the Rood itself, a large figure of the crucified Christ, Commonly, to either side of the Rood, there stood supporting statues of saints, such as St Mary and St John. ROOD jong in de SP ( Dutch for RED young in the SP) is a Dutch youth wing linked to the Socialist Party. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. [3]
Latterly the Rood tended to rise above a narrow loft (called the "rood loft"), which could be substantial enough to be used as a singing gallery; but whose main purpose was to hold candles to light the rood itself. [4] The panels and uprights of the screen did not support the loft, which instead rested on a substantial transverse beam called the "rood beam" or "candle beam". [5] Access was via a rood stair set into the piers supporting the chancel arch. In parish churches, the space between the rood beam and the chancel arch was commonly filled by a boarded or lath and plaster tympanum, set immediately behind the rood figures and painted with a representation of the doom or last judgement. In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Day of the Lord is the judgment by God of every human who ever lived [6]
During the 40 days of "Lent" the rood was obscured by the "Lenten Veil", a large hanging suspended by stays from hooks set into the chancel arch; in such a way that it could be dropped abruptly to the ground on Palm Sunday, at the reading of Matthew 27:51 when the Veil of the Temple is torn asunder. Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter.
The carving or construction of the rood screen often includes latticework, which mades it possible to see through the screen partially from the nave into the chancel. The term "chancel" itself derives from the Latin word cancelli meaning "lattice". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.
History
For most of the medieval period, there would have been no fixed screen or barrier separating the congregational space from the altar space in parish churches in the Latin West; although a curtain might be drawn across the altar at specific points in the Mass. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those However, following the exposition of the doctrine of transubstantiation at the fourth Lateran Council of 1215, clergy were required to ensure that the reserved sacrament was to be kept protected from irreverant access or abuse; and accordingly some form of permanent screen came to be seen as essential, especially as the parish nave was commonly kept open and used for a wide range of secular purposes. See also Eucharist (Catholic Church On the related belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist in body blood soul and divinity see Real Presence. The Lateran councils were ecclesiastical councils or Synods of the Catholic Church held at Rome in the Lateran Palace next to the Lateran The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the Over the succeeding three centuries, and especially in the latter period when it became normal for the screen to be topped by a rood loft facing the congregation, a number of ritual practices became associated with rood screens, and a variety of symbolic interpretations were developed to explain these. At the Council of Trent, however, the Roman Catholic Church decided to discourage ritual practices that lacked ancient precedent, and to standardise worship according to the Tridentine Mass. The Council of Trent was the 19th Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. The Tridentine Mass (Missa Tridentina is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published The Church of the Gesu was built in Rome in 1584 demonstrating the new principles of Tridentine worship, conspicuously lacking either a central rood or screen; and almost all medieval churches in Catholic countries were subsequently re-ordered following this model. For the school see Gesu School. The Church of the Gesù (dʒeˈzu in Italian, Chiesa del Sacro Nome di Gesù, or
Notable British examples
The earliest known example of a parochial rood screen in Britain, dating back to the 13th century, is to be found at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. Stanton Harcourt is a village in Oxfordshire, England (919 in parish United Kingdom Census 2001) History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the The majority date back to the 15th century, such as those at Trull in Somerset and Attleborough in Norfolk. Trull is an affluent area in Somerset, England, situated in Taunton. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Attleborough is a Market town and Civil parish in Norfolk, England situated between Norwich and Thetford. Norfolk (ˈnɔrfək is a low-lying county in East Anglia, England, United Kingdom. Many East Anglian wooden screens retain their original decoration; the quality of the painting and gilding is, some of it, of a very high order, notably those from the Ranworth school of painters: notable examples can be found in Southwold and Blythburgh as well as at Ranworth itself. East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. Gilding is the art of applying a thin layer of gold simulated gold or other metal to a surface Ranworth is a village in Norfolk England in The Broads, adjacent to Malthouse Broad and Ranworth Broad. Southwold is a Seaside town in the Waveney district of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, at the mouth of the River Blyth Blythburgh is an English Village in area known as the Sandlings, part of the Suffolk heritage coast The magnificent painted screen at Barton Turf is unique in giving an unusually complete view of the heavenly hierarchy, including nine orders of angels. Barton Turf is a Village and Civil parish in the English County of Norfolk. Nikolaus Pevsner also identified the early 16th-century painted screen at Bridford, Devon, as being notable. Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, ( January 30, 1902 &ndash August 18, 1983) was a German-born British scholar of Bridford is a village in south west England, located in the Teign Valley, Devon on the edge of Dartmoor. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name
Symbolic significance
The rood screen was a physical and symbolic barrier, separating the chancel, the domain of the clergy, from the nave where lay people gathered to worship. "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. It was also a means of seeing; often it was solid only to waist height and richly decorated with pictures of saints and angels. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Concealment and revelation were part of the mediaeval Mass. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. When kneeling, the congregation could not see the priest, but might do so through the upper part of the screen, when he elevated the Host on Sundays. Sacramental bread, sometimes called Lamb or Host is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. In some churches, 'squints' (holes in the screen) would ensure that everyone could see the elevation,[7] as seeing the bread made flesh was significant for the congregation. See also Eucharist (Catholic Church On the related belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist in body blood soul and divinity see Real Presence.
Moreover, while Sunday Masses were very important, there were also weekday services which were celebrated at secondary altars in front of the screen (such as the "Jesus altar", erected for the worship of the Holy Name, a popular dedication in mediaeval times) which thus became the backdrop to the celebration of the Mass. [8] The Rood itself provided a focus for worship according to the medieval Use of Sarum, most especially in Holy Week, when worship was highly elaborate. ROOD jong in de SP ( Dutch for RED young in the SP) is a Dutch youth wing linked to the Socialist Party. The Sarum Rite was a variant of the Roman Rite widely used for the ordering of Christian public worship including the Mass or Eucharist Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter. During Lent the Rood was veiled; on Palm Sunday it was revealed before the procession of palms and the congregation knelt before it. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. The whole Passion story would then be read from the Rood loft, at the foot of the crucifix by three priests. This article describes the Christian Passion For other meanings see Passion. A crucifix (from Latin cruci fixus meaning "(one fixed to a cross" is a cross with a representation of Jesus ' body or corpus
Destruction and restoration
At the Reformation, the Reformers sought to destroy abused images i. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time e. statues and paintings which had been the focus of adoration or worship. Thus not a single mediaeval Rood survives in Britain. They were removed as a result of the 1547 Injunctions of Edward VI (some to be restored when Mary came to the throne and removed again under Elizabeth). Edward VI (12 October 1537 &ndash 6 July 1553 became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine Mary I (18 February 1516 &ndash 17 November 1558 was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death Of original rood lofts, also considered suspect due to their association with superstitious veneration, very few are left; two surviving examples in Wales being at the ancient churches in Llanengan and Llanegryn. Llanengan is a small Village 1¼ Miles or 2 Km south west of Abersoch in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. [9] The rood screens themselves were sometimes demolished or cut down in height, but more commonly remained with their painted figures whitewashed and overpainted with religious texts. Tympanums too were whitewashed.
In the century following the English Reformation newly built Anglican churches were invariably fitted with chancel screens, which served the purpose of differentiating a separate space in the chancel for communicants at Holy Communion, as was required in the newly adopted Book of Common Prayer. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. ,. [10] In effect, these chancel screens were rood screens without a surmounting loft or crucifix, and examples survive at St John Leeds and at Foremark. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England Foremark is a small manor or hamlet with a ruling Lord's (in this case Baronet) country house - Foremarke Hall - in the countryside of southern New screens were also erected in many medieval churches where they had been destroyed at the Reformation, as at Cartmel Priory and Abbey Dore. Cartmel Priory, at Cartmel, Cumbria, England, is a Priory founded in 1190 by William Marshal, later 1st Earl of Pembroke Abbey Dore is a Village and Parish in Herefordshire, England, at, famous for its 12th century Cistercian Abbey, expanded From the early 17th Century it became normal for screens or tympanums to carry the Royal Arms of England, good examples of which survive in two of the London churches of Sir Christopher Wren, and also at Derby Cathedral. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Christopher Wren ( 20 October 1632 &ndash 25 February 1723) was a 17th century English Designer, Astronomer The Cathedral of All Saints (known as Derby Cathedral) is a Cathedral church in the City of Derby, England. However, Wren's design for the church of St James, Piccadilly of 1684 dispensed with a full chancel screen, and this auditory church plan was widely adopted as a model for new churches from then on. St James's Church Piccadilly is an Anglican church on Piccadilly in the centre of London, UK [11] In the 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of surviving medieval screens were removed altogether; today, in many British churches, the rood stair (which formerly given access to the rood loft) is often the only remaining trace of the former rood loft and screen.
In the 19th Century, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin campaigned for the re-introduction of rood screens into Catholic church architecture; and his screens survive in Macclesfield and Cheadle, Staffordshire; though others have been removed. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( 1 March 1812 – 14 September 1852) was an English Architect, designer and theorist of design now Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area Cheadle is a small Market town near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, with a population of 12158 according to the 2001 census In Anglican churches, under the influence of the Cambridge Camden Society, many medieval screens were restored; though until the 20th century, generally without roods or with only a plain cross rather than a crucifix. Not to be confused with the Camden Society. The Cambridge Camden Society, known also as the "Ecclesiological Society" was a learned A nearly complete restoration can be seen at Eye, Suffolk, where the rood screen dates from 1480. [12] Its missing rood loft was reconstructed by Sir Ninian Comper in 1925, complete with a Rood and figures of saints and angels, and gives a good impression of how a full rood group might have appeared in a mediaeval English church - except that the former tympanum has not been replaced. Sir John Ninian Comper, ( June 10, 1864 – December 22, 1960) was a Scottish Architect. Indeed because tympanums, repainted with the Royal Arms, were erroneously considered post-medieval, they were almost all removed in the course of 19th century restorations. The 19th century Tractarians, however, tended to prefer churches where the chancel was distinguished the nave only by steps and a low gated screen wall as at All Saints, Margaret Street, so as not to obscure the congregation's view of the altar; and this arrangement was adopted for almost all new Anglican churches of the period. The Oxford Movement or Tractarianism was an affiliation of High Church Anglicans, most of whom were members of the University of Oxford, who sought All Saints Margaret Street is an Anglican church in London built in the High Victorian Gothic style by the architect William Butterfield
References
- ^ Friar, Stephen (1996). A Companion to the English Parish Church. Bramley Books, 386. ISBN 1-85833-738-0.
- ^ Friar, op. cit. , p. 369
- ^ Friar, p. 382
- ^ Friar, p. 384
- ^ Friar, p. 383
- ^ Friar, p. 464
- ^ Duffy, Eamon (1992). The stripping of the altars. Yale, 111. ISBN 0-300-05342-8.
- ^ Duffy, op. cit. , p. 113
- ^ Friar, p. 384
- ^ Addleshaw, G. W. O; Etchells Frederick (1948). The architectural setting of Anglican worship. Faber, 111.
- ^ Addleshaw, op. cit. , p. 55
- ^ Friar, p. 385
External links
- Norfolkchurches.co.uk/screens Painted screens in Norfolk churches.
- Norfolkchurches.co.uk/norfolkroods More about the painted rood screens of East Anglia.
See also
- Iconostasis — a wall of icons and religious paintings serving a rather different role in Eastern Christianity. In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases) also called the Templon, is a wall of Icons and religious paintings An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about
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