A
flabellum (plural
flabella), in Catholic liturgical use, is a
fanA hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
made of metal, leather, silk, parchment or feathers, intended to keep away insects from the consecrated Body and Blood of Christ and from the priest, as well as to show honour. The ceremonial use of such fans dates back to
ancient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. The civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, and...
, and an example was found in the tomb of
TutankhamunTutankhamun , Egyptian was an Egyptian Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...
. A flabellum is also a fan-shaped structure on the fifth legs of
horseshoe crabThe horseshoe crab or Atlantic horseshoe crab is a marine chelicerate arthropod. Despite its name, it is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. Horseshoe crabs are most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America...
s (Xiphosura).
History
Flabella were in use in both pagan rituals and in the Christian Church from very early days. The
Apostolic ConstitutionsThe Apostolic Constitutions is a late 4th century collection, in 8 books, of independent, though closely related, treatises on Early Christian discipline, worship, and doctrine, intended to serve as a manual of guidance for the clergy, and to some extent for the laity...
, a work of the fourth century, state (VIII, 12): "Let two of the
deaconDeacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s, on each side of the
altarAn altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religious purposes, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place. Altars are usually found at a shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, hold a fan, made up of thin membranes, or of the feathers of the peacock, or of fine cloth, and let them silently drive away the small animals that fly about, that they may not come near to the
cupsA chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for quaffing during a ceremony.-Christian:...
".
Western Christianity
Flabella were originally used liturgically in the West as well as the East, but their use in the
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
was discontinued in the Latin Church about the fourteenth century.
Apart from the foregoing liturgical uses, a flabellum, in the shape of a fan, later of an
umbrellaAn umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against precipitation or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun, and umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
or
canopyA baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure may be called a ciborium when it is sufficiently...
, was used as a mark of honour for
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s and
princePrince, from French "Prince" , is a general term for a monarch, for a member of a monarchs' or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in some members of Europe's highest nobility...
s. Prior to Vatican II, two fans of this kind were used at the
VaticanThe Apostolic Palace, also called the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace or the Palace of the Vatican, is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. It adjoins St...
whenever the
popeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
was carried in state on the
sedia gestatoriaThe sedia gestatoria is a portable throne on which Popes were once carried. It consists of a richly-adorned, silk-covered armchair, fastened on a suppedaneum, on each side of which are two gilded rings; through these rings pass the long rods with which twelve footmen , in red uniforms, carry the...
to or from the altar or audience-chamber. Through the influence of Count Ditalmo di Brozza, the fans formerly used at the Vatican were, in 1902, presented to Mrs. Joseph Drexel of Philadelphia, USA, by
Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII , born Count Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 257th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903, succeeding Pope Pius IX. Reigning until the age of 93, he was the oldest pope, and had the third longest pontificate, behind Pius IX and John Paul II...
, and in return she gave a new pair to the Vatican. The old ones are exhibited in the museum of the
University of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and is one of several institutions that claims to have been the first university in America...
. The spread is formed of great ostrich plumes tipped with peacock feathers; on the palm (base of the fan) are the papal arms, worked in heavy gold on a crimson field, the
tiaraThe Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy...
being studded with rubies and emeralds. The new pair of flabella is on display in the Vatican museum.
Eastern Christianity
In the
Eastern OrthodoxThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
and Greek-Catholic Churches the sacred fan (
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
: άγιον ριπίδιον,
hagion ripidion, plural: άγια ριπίδια,
hagia ripidia; sometimes εξαπτέρυγον,
hexapterygon, plural: εξαπτέρυγα
hexapteryga—literally, "six-winged"), is still used to the present day. It is generally made of metal, round, having the
iconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism...
ographic likeness of a
seraphA seraph is one of a class of celestial beings mentioned once in the Hebrew Bible , in Isaiah. Later Jewish imagery perceived them as having human form, and in that way they passed into the ranks of Christian angels...
with six wings surrounding a face, and is set on the end of a pole. Fans of carved, gilded, or painted wood are also found. They are usually made in pairs.
The deacon, according to the
Service BooksThe Euchologion is one of the chief liturgical books of the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches, containing the portions of the services which are said by the bishop, priest, or deacon...
, stands by the Holy Table (altar) to fan the
Sacred GiftsThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
by waving it gently over them from the time of the Offertory to the Communion—in the Liturgy of St. Basil he does this only during the Consecration. This originally served the purpose of keeping flying insects away from the Sacred Gifts. Nowadays, the Gifts are usually covered, shortly following their sanctification, whenever the priest or deacon does not have his hand immediately near them so, while this action of fanning is called for in the service books to this day, the deacon normally only does so on the day of his ordination. At his
ordinationIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
, a deacon, receives the fan from the bishop with his vestments and service book and is presented to the people for them to exclaim “Worthy!” holding the fan, and then stands behind the Holy Table (altar) to fan the
Sacred GiftsThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
according to the otherwise archaic practise.
Among the Eastern Orthodox, the fans will be carried during the Great Entrance and at all
processionA procession is, in general, an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner....
s; among the
RussiansThe Russian Orthodox Church ; or The Moscow Patriarchate , also known...
they are often also used to honour a particularly sacred
iconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism...
or
relicA relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Shamanism, and many other religions....
. When not in use, the fans are usually kept in stands behind the
Holy TableAn altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religious purposes, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place. Altars are usually found at a shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
in the
GreekThe Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of the Orthodox Church, sharing a common cultural tradition and whose liturgy is traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament....
tradition and, in the Slavic traditions, may either be kept there or out of sight elsewhere in the
altarSanctuary has multiple meanings. A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar. An animal sanctuary is a place where animals live and are protected...
. The latter is especially true in northern Russia, where, instead of the
processional CrossA processional cross is a crucifix or cross which is carried in Christian processions.-Eastern Orthodoxy:In the Eastern Orthodox churches, there are different traditions surrounding the use of the processional Cross...
and fans, icons of
ChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed". It is a translation of the Hebrew . The term "Christ" was a title rather than a proper name. In the four gospels in the New Testament, the word "Christ" is nearly always preceded by the definite article...
and the Theotokos are usually placed behind the Holy Table.
Fans used by the Maronites, Oriental Orthodox and
AssyriansThe Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac people are an ethnic group whose origins lie in the Fertile Crescent, their homeland today being divided between Northern Iraq, Syria, Western...
are distinctive, having little hoops of metal or bells all around the circumference of the disks. At particularly solemn points of the liturgy, these are shaken gently to produce a tinkling and jingling sound, akin to the sound of multiple Sanctus bells.
Historical examples
Among the ornaments found belonging to the church of St. Riquier, in
PonthieuPonthieu is a former province of northern France. Its chief town is Abbeville.-History:Ponthieu was part of the Duchy of Normandy from 911 and played a small but important role in the politics that led up to the Norman invasion of England in 1066....
(813), there is a silver flabellum (Migne, P. L., CLXXIV, 1257), and for the chapel of Cisoin, near
LisleLisle is a type of cotton fabric that has been processed to give it a smooth finish. The process burns off lint and threads as well as fiber ends, leaving a smooth edge...
, another flabellum of silver is noted in the will of Everard (died 937), the founder of that abbey. When, in 1777, Martène wrote his "Voyage Littéraire", the Abbey of Tournus, on the
SaôneThe Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
river in France, possessed an old flabellum, which had an ivory handle two feet long, and was beautifully carved; the two sides of the ivory circular disc were engraved with fourteen figures of saints. Pieces of this fan, dating from the eighth century, are in the Musée Cluny at Paris, and in the Collection Carrand.
Very ornate and impractical flabella were made in gold and jewels in the
RomanesqueRomanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
period; the example in the Metropolitan Museum is especially intricate.
Examples of the Eastern Christian style is also found in the Slavic
ripidion of the thirteenth century, preserved at Moscow, and in the one shown in the Megaspileon monastery in Greece. On this latter disc are carved the
TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
and Child and it is encircled by eight medallions containing the images of cherubim and of the
Four EvangelistsIn Christian tradition the Four Evangelists refers to the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark*Gospel according to Luke...
.
The inventory, taken in 1222, of the treasury of
SalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement to the north of the city at Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use. Similarly, a native of Salisbury may be known as a "Sarumite", but...
, enumerates a silver fan and two of parchment.
The richest and most beautiful specimen is the flabellum of the thirteenth century in the Abbey of Kremsmünster in Upper Austria. It has the shape of a Greek cross and is ornamented with
fretworkFretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used are wood and metal. Fretwork is used to adorn furniture and...
and the representation of the Resurrection of Christ.
St. Paul's Cathedral, London, had a fan made of peacock feathers, and York Cathedral's inventory mentions a silver handle of a fan, which was gilded and had upon it the enamelled picture of the bishop. Haymo (Hamo Hethe),
Bishop of RochesterThe Bishop of Rochester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent. The see is in the city of Rochester where the seat is located at The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which...
(died 1352), gave to his church a fan of silver with an ivory handle.
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