From the collection of 3,000 photographs of medieval woodcarvings
by J.C.D. Smith, author of:-
"Church Woodcarvings: A Westcountry Study"
"A Guide to Church Woodcarvings"
"Misericords of Wells Cathedral"
et alia
WHAT ARE MISERICORDS ?
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The intricate carvings seen over the choir stalls of most of our cathedrals are known to even the most casual tourist, but the more knowledgeable visitor realises that, impressive and interesting these are, they represent only a fraction of the whole, there being an even greater wealth of carving, frequently out of sight, under the hinged seats of the stalls. It is when these seats are tipped up that they display their beauty and interest. Under each seat there is a small ledge called a misericord or 'mercy seat', supported by a corbel on which the medieval carvers executed their most imaginative designs. The principal use of a cathedral or monastic church was for the celebration of daily mass by the ordained monks or canons of the community and for the singing of the divine offices of the day : Matins followed at regular intervals throughout the day by Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, Vespers, and finally Compline. The rubric demanded a standing posture during the office and this could be extremely tiring and thus it became necessary to modify the rule for the benefit of the elderly and the infirm. Various ancient writings refer to the use of reclinatoria. These were crutches which enabled the user to take some of the weight of his legs. Even today in some Greek Orthodox churches there are arms protruding from the walls for the clergy to lean on. In English cathedrals and churches each stall has prominent arms on which the occupant can rest while still standing, but in addition by using the misericord he can also adopt a less tiring half-sitting, half-standing position. It is such a pity that in many churches the seats, when not in use, are generally left down so that the misericords cannot be seen. |
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