Lunula (liturgy)
Lunula with the motif of the pelican tearing its chest open to feed its young
The lunula ( lat. "Little moon", "little moon") is a small, sickle-shaped holder used in the Catholic liturgy , with which the holy of holies is used for worship in the monstrance or custodia . Sometimes the holy of holies is exposed only in the lunula.
In Roman antiquity, the word lunula was used to describe a crescent-shaped ornament. Since it is intended as a container for the Holy of Holies, it is often lavishly decorated.
literature
- Herbert Thurston: Lunette . In: Catholic Encyclopedia , Volume 9, Robert Appleton Company, New York 1910.