ANST - Rosaries
Gina Barrett
gina at et-tu.com
Wed Mar 29 03:41:15 PST 2000
The Rosary as it is said today (in the same manner throughout the Catholic
Church) was only beginning to be finalised in the late years of the
fifteenth century, even then, it took some time to become commonplace. A
full break-down of the traditions according to the catholic Church can be
found at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm
In England, certainly during the 15th century, the Rosary was
known as a Paternoster. It was used as an aid to remembering which prayers
to say - the Ava Maria (Hail Mary) and the Paternoster (Our Father). Each
bead represents one full version of the prayer - a large bead for the
Paternoster, small bead for the Ave.
These strings of beads could be either a string (often finished
either end with a tassel) or a loop (finished with only one tassel).
Paternosters consist of sections of beads, with 1 large bead between 6-12
smaller beads. The beads are held in the hand, as the fingers move to a
bead, the appropriate payer is said.
There was no 'short' version as such, although, because there
wasn't a consistent requirement for the saying of the prayers as there is
today (fifteen decades of hail Marys with an Our father between each ten),
people did actually say less as there was such a variety in the number of
beads. Of course, the very pious would just start over again!
Everyone who could afford to would carry a paternoster. The
medieval people on the whole had a very different outlook to religion, and
the carrying of prayer beads was commonplace. Paternosters were made of
whatever could be afforded - all small beads would be of the same material
and all large beads often a contrasting material (but all large beads
matching each other). Many works of art depict paternosters made of
materials such as amber, garnet, silver, pearls, etc.
Paternosters were certainly carried to church, and it is thought
that they were carried at all times, certainly by the pious. (As well as
taking into consideration the costs of some of them, it can be supposed
that they wouldn't be left at home often) A man would often loop a
Paternoster over his belt, and as art shows more women using the loop of
beads, it could be assumed that this was to enable them to carry it say,
around their wrist.
I hope this has been of some help.
G. Barrett
Soper Lane
15th Century Silkwomen
www.et-tu.com/soper-lane/
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