Religious Terms--Free Rice IV

Only the first of these three was in the freerice.com word list, but because of my desire to "be complete," I also wanted to bring in the others. Behind rogation lies rogare, Latin for "to ask." The word has both a classical and religious meaning. First, the classical. It was the act, either by the consul or tribune in the Roman Republic, of submitting a proposed law to the people for their acceptance. It can also mean the law so submitted. Though the first English use of the "classical" meaning was in the mid-15th century, from 1577 we have this: "The Emperors claime this tyrannical power by pretence of that Rogation or Plebiscitum which Ciaus Caesar or Octavius obtained." From Plebiscitum we get our word plebiscite. So, rogation stresses the "asking" part of it, while plebiscitum the "consent" part. Here is a page about the Licinian Rogations, begun in 375 BCE when the two tribunes of the People, Licinius Stolo and L Sextius submitted rogationes about debt, the distribution of new land (ager publicus) obtained in recent Italian wars and that one of the consuls might come from the plebeian ranks. By 367 these reforms were enacted.

The term was taken over in the Christian Church to mean, generally, litanies or processions in honor of the saints. The first observance of "Rogation Days" was probably in the late 5th cent. Gaul, at a time of general distress arising from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and other troubles. By the 9th century this practice had been taken over by the church in Rome, and Rogation Days were the Mon-Wed of the week before Ascension day. Rogation Days were taken over by the Anglican Church, which combined it with the custom of perambulation.

When you see the word perambulation, you realize that someone does some walking around. Indeed, a perambulation is "the action or ceremony of officially walking around a territory (as a forest, manor, parish, etc.) to determine and record its boundaries, to preserve rights of possession, etc., or to confer a blessing." By an Act of the 32nd regnal year of Henry VIII (ch. 8), we have: "Discrete persons..to make parambulacions & to appoint..wher the boundes..shall extend." We have this modern statemetn about the antiquity of the custom: "In England there are traces from as early as 1091-6 and through the twelfth century of perambulations ordered by kings or later grantors of land."

Narthex

I have known what a narthex is for some years (the entry room or vestibule before entering in the nave or the sanctuary of a church), but until today I wasn't aware of the debate regarding the origin of the architectural use of the term. In the Greek language of the Hellensitic period the word narthex could mean two things: the giant fennel, also known by the Latin name Ferula communis; or a casket or small box for the keeping of perfumes. But how do we get from these two pre-Christian definitions of the term to the Christian meaning of it as a vestibule or, in terminology drawn from Greek temples, the pronaos? The OED tells us that the term narthex was used (as early as the 3rd century in Christianity) for the forecourt of the church because this part of the church was often long and narrow, like the fennel stalk. Well, here is a picture of the fennel stalk. Can you imagine, in your wildest day of imagining things, that an entry hall would look like the stem of this plant? I didn't think so either.

Derived from the this usage is the giant fennel as schoolmaster's cane, for discipline. This, actually, is the meaning of the word ferule in Latin and English. So, it might have had reference to the fact that in the narthex was the place where the priest's or bishop's authority and discipline, captured in the schoolmaster's cane, was demonstrated. There may be a little more to be said of this suggested definition. Then, the OED suggests a third meaning of teh term: a "casket for unguents." The OED suggests that this might have arisen because this part of the church was the place were catechumens were anointed with oil. But all of these suggestions (as well as one or two others I have seen) are delightfully speculative. Frankly, we don't know why this was called the narthex. This is unusual, since it is pretty clear why something is the nave or the pulpit or choir or chancel or transepts.

The modern name for the giant fennel is the asafetida or asafoetida, native to Iran, and used as a digestive aid by lessening flatulence. This article goes into the medicinal properites and history of this plant. Though it smells offensive, asafoetida "tastes much like a combination of strong onions with a touch of earthy truffles." Its taste makes it a favorite of many chefs because it can be used in a variety of applications, from soups to stews. In a powder form it can be added while stir-frying vegetables and meats.

But, and this is one of my problems, it can never be used in a spelling bee--because it can reasonably be spelled more than one way, and most dictionaries list at least two spellings of it. I found the same disappointing story for the herb ajwain, which also can be spelled aiwain or ajowan, and is an Indian herb smelling like thyme and used as a digestive aid and an antiemetic.

Conclusion

I feel the need to close this essay by reference to specific and visible items. A bijou is a jewel or a trinket. It is also a 'gem' among works of art. Finally, it can mean "small and elegant, or luxurious" (applied esp. to homes). Bijouterie is a synonymn. "I may retire to a little new farm..This little rural bijou was Mrs. Chevenix's." Or, from 1858: "Owner of...the bijou house in Park Lane." One can use the plural: "The farthing buckles were bijoux." Then, from 1952, "The Empress lived in a bijou residence not far from the kitchen garden."

Then, a bandog, going back to the 15th century, was a dog tied or chained up (a "band" on the "dog") either as a guard dog or because it was ferocious. The figurative use was possible: "As fierce as a Ban-dog that has newly broke his chain." I had never run into the phrase "to speak bandog and Bedlam," but it means to speak "furiously and madly." "Oh master, is it you that speak bandog and Bedlam this morning?"

Finally, rollmops, which is really a singular, is "a rolled fillet of herring, flavored with sliced onions, spices, etc. and pickled in brine." Ernest Hemingway knew the term: "We lunched on rollmops." Here is a picture.

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