Misericord

Misericordien are small support boards in the church choir. The term comes from the Latin word misericordia to German mercy.

Function

Choir stalls have been provided since the High Middle Ages with folding seats that stood out, if you got up users. As a support for a long standing times Misericordien were attached to the bottom of the seats. Originally they were probably intended only for older, sick or debilitated monks or canons.

History

However, even without folding seats - - were the first choir stalls still made ​​of stone, so you went already in the early Middle Ages to wooden constructions on. Such choir stalls have been preserved in the monastery Alpirsbach and in Ratzeburg. In a monastic rule of the Benedictines in Hirsau from the late 11th century ( Constitutiones Hirsaugienses; Consuetudines also Hirsaugienses ) first Misericordien on folding chairs are mentioned.

Carvings

Below the Misericordien ornaments were usually placed in the form of carvings. Due to the arrangement in the vicinity of the lower abdomen, these ornaments do not show religious themes, but partly representations of negative or even obscene things and behaviors.

Sometimes the grotesque faces or grimaces Schneider also radiate to the side bolsters and armrests of the choir stalls, where normally rather biblical themes or sovereign emblems ( lions) were installed. The really obscene representations can be found only at the Misericordien.

Importance

Much has been written about the importance of curious and sometimes very liberal views in Misericordien: remains to be noted that they - were very popular - both for monks as well as the carvers of the late Middle Ages. The latter were largely free in the making of Misericordien both in the choice of subject and in terms of content and form design and any restrictions.

In contrast to the predominantly religious themes in the usual church features the Misericordien rather the popular pictorial art are attributable. They form a hidden ' alternative world ' as in church buildings - often visible to the console Friesen below cornices and eaves - in a similar way.

Gallery

Boston ( Lincolnshire ), St Botolph's Church - teacher beats a student

Tréguier (Brittany ), Cathedral - three obscenities

Solignac (Limousin ), the former Abbey Church - Making A Schneider