Censer
The censer ( lat. Turibulum also Thuribulum ) is a two-part vessel at a chain construction that the smoldering of incense on glowing coal is used. It is used in religious services in the Roman Catholic , Orthodox (Byzantine and Oriental Orthodox), some Anglican , Old Catholic Churches, in the Christian Community and in individual Lutheran churches, especially in the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church .
History and use
The censer has its origins in the cult and ceremonial of the Romans. From there it came to Christianity in late antiquity , when it was elevated to the state religion in the 4th century and the Roman ceremonial was Christianized. Frankincense has been used in Christian liturgy since the 4th century .
In Christian worship services, the Thuriferar usually carries the censer and is accompanied by a navicular with incense boat. A censer consists of two parts, the lower part, which usually has a foot to put it down, and the upper part. Chains are attached to the lower part (chains ending in a handle at the top) and are guided through rings on the lid so that it does not slip down during use. When worn normally, the lower part with the lid on top hangs at about knee height and can be swiveled for air supply. To add more incense, it is lifted and the lid is raised again on a separate chain. The incense is used to adorn the altar , the Eucharistic gifts , the gospel , the altar cross , the Easter candle as well as the celebrants and the faithful during a service. Usually incense is also used at funeral ceremonies ( incense of the coffin and the grave), the solemn prayer of the hours and Eucharistic processions . During these actions, the censer is lifted to at least chest height and the multi-part chain is grasped in the lower half with the other hand.
While in the Orthodox churches mostly smaller censer, often provided with bells, are used, in the Catholic Church it is usually larger censer.
As a rule, the cross section of a censer is round, but there are also hexagonal designs. Incense barrels are usually more or less richly decorated, they consist of cast or chased metal, they are often silver-plated or gold-plated. The design was different depending on the style, but it always had to be taken into account that the upper part was worked open so that the incense burns and the smoke can escape.
Some censer are so large that they have to be permanently installed in the church or on a rack. By carefully pulling a chain you can swing these barrels far into the church. One of the most famous examples of censer of this size is the botafumeiro in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
Trivia
Occasionally, groups try to build particularly large incense barrels and thus achieve records, such as in 2013 in St. Jodokus Wiesental or in 2008 in Bielefeld .
literature
- Ralph Regensburger: incense. Fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. An aid to the background and use of incense in the liturgy. R. Regensburger, Berchtesgaden 2008, ISBN 978-3-00-024715-6 ( incense - scent of the knowledge of Christ ( memento of January 9, 2017 in the Internet Archive ); PDF; 335 KB).
- Michael Pfeifer: The incense. History - meaning - use. 2nd Edition. Pustet, Regensburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-7917-1566-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Incense barrels (censer). Retrieved December 19, 2015 .
- ↑ Largest censer in the world , accessed September 26, 2013
- ↑ Censer. In: www.kja-ministranten.de. Diocese of Würzburg, accessed on May 11, 2020 .