Konstruktionen av det heliga. Altarna i det medeltida Lunds stift
type: CreativeWork
description: This dissertation deals with the subject of altars in the churches of the medieval diocese of Lund. The main work on altars in the Catholic church is Joseph Braun´s Der christliche Altar in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung (1924). However, despite its extensive content it does not deal with the conditions in Northern Europe. The general aim of this dissertation is to broaden our knowledge about altars in Northern Europe and,specifically, in the diocese of Lund: how were altars physically constructed, how many altars were there in different churches, and what was the significance of where altars were placed and what differentiated side-altars from main-altars in terms of types of masses performed. The line of investigation follows different paths and many details are discussed in depth, all related to the same theme: how the altars, i. e. the “holy”, were constructed. Chapter 1 is an introduction in the subject of altars and deals mainly with the sacred and associated conceptual categories. Chapter 2 is a research survey: important perspectives and lines of investigation on altars are outlined with an emphasis on the Nordic countries. Chapter 3 deals with the physical construction of altars in the diocese of Lund. A number of different details that make up an altar are examined. The results point to notable geographical and chronological differences in the way altars were constructed. Chapter 4 is a survey of the altars in the cathedral of Lund, mainly based on written sources. The earliest altars, dedicated during the 12th century, can be seen against the background of a coherent symbolical and liturgical program. The increased number of side-altars in Lund cathedral from the second half of the 13th century was often founded by individuals as “private” altars, but the placement of these altars and degree of solemnity in the performance of the masses can be related to an idea of the cathedral as a differentiated holy space. The placement and names (dedications) of …
abstract: This dissertation deals with the subject of altars in the churches of the medieval diocese of Lund. The main work on altars in the Catholic church is Joseph Braun´s Der christliche Altar in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung (1924). However, despite its extensive content it does not deal with the conditions in Northern Europe. The general aim of this dissertation is to broaden our knowledge about altars in Northern Europe and,specifically, in the diocese of Lund: how were altars physically constructed, how many altars were there in different churches, and what was the significance of where altars were placed and what differentiated side-altars from main-altars in terms of types of masses performed. The line of investigation follows different paths and many details are discussed in depth, all related to the same theme: how the altars, i. e. the “holy”, were constructed. Chapter 1 is an introduction in the subject of altars and deals mainly with the sacred and associated conceptual categories. Chapter 2 is a research survey: important perspectives and lines of investigation on altars are outlined with an emphasis on the Nordic countries. Chapter 3 deals with the physical construction of altars in the diocese of Lund. A number of different details that make up an altar are examined. The results point to notable geographical and chronological differences in the way altars were constructed. Chapter 4 is a survey of the altars in the cathedral of Lund, mainly based on written sources. The earliest altars, dedicated during the 12th century, can be seen against the background of a coherent symbolical and liturgical program. The increased number of side-altars in Lund cathedral from the second half of the 13th century was often founded by individuals as “private” altars, but the placement of these altars and degree of solemnity in the performance of the masses can be related to an idea of the cathedral as a differentiated holy space. The placement and names (dedications) of …
author: Karlsson, Mattias
language: swe
keywords: History and Archaeology, altars, portable altars, relics, tabula, mensa, stipes, churches, middle-ages, Lund cathedral, diocese of Lund, Denmark, Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm
date published: 2015
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:59:49Z
provider: University of Lund
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Vetenskapssocieteten i Lund