Holy water font

Stoup (also Colymbion ) are in the Catholic church vessels for receiving holy water. You find yourself already in Romanesque churches, may consist of different materials and have various shapes. Simple, functional containers are not only highly stylized and figure- rich works of art ( especially of the Baroque).

Almost always the Stoup, about elbow level, firmly attached, often with wall or pillar one. Here and there there are detached Stoup on small columns or with solid base, and in some churches where the baptismal font is located in a suitable place, it is filled with holy water.

Stoup have their place at the church entrance or at the door of a convent cell, etc. They describe the threshold between the everyday world and the sanctuary and offer the consecrated water to wet the fingers for the sign of the cross at -. Than ritual preparation for prayer, purification, of protection and Taufgedächtnisses.

The occasional red- stoup is caused by the Blutregenalge.

Pool with water for symbolic cleansing before entering a shrine or temple ( perirrhantérion περιρραντήριον, ἁγιστήριον hagistérion, λουτήριον loutérion ) already existed in ancient Greek polytheism.