H/T to Fr Dwight Longenecker for this video of the Botafumeiro shown swinging in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on the feast day.
This must be every thurifer's dream thurible. It weighs about 12½ stone and is nearly 6ft high. It is filled with about 6 stone of incense. there have been several accidents with the botafumeiro over the years. Notably, it flew out of the window during a visit of Princess Catherine of Aragon who was on her way to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales, brother of the future Henry VIII. It should have been obvious that this omen indicated that her intended would die, his brother would marry her, then insist he get an annulment, rebel against the negative decision, repudiate her, marry a younger woman and start the Church of England.
According to a footnote in the wikipedia article, there is a thurible in Lohne, Oldenburg, Germany that is considerably larger.
10 comments:
Splendid, though it is a shame they now do it after Mass as a performance (with suitable(?) song!!!), rather than using it liturgically at the Consecration, as was the origin.
I understand (whence, I forget) that, in recognition of the great devotion and practice of the pilgrimage to Compostela in mediaeval England, St Paul's Cathedral in London also had a 'botafumeiro' up to the Reformation. Thus Chaucer's Pilgrims would have seen it swinging at their Itinerarium Mass before they set of from London on their progress via Canterbury to the coast. London was the largest departure point for the Pilgrimage, followed by reading Abbey, where St James's hand was preserved (now in Marlow Catholic parish church).
Thus, to follow the Wikipedia story, Queen Catherine would have seen the London one after her arrival in England and marriage to Henry VIII, a brief moment of feeling at home, perhaps, before her cruel treatment.
Hey I posted that clip a while back & no-one took any notice of me!
Perhaps you meant that Catherine was on her way to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales? Henry VII was her father-in-law.
I was in Santiago a couple of years ago.
I actually saw it, much to my surprise.
JARay
This. Is. The. Height. Of. Cool! I would crawl over broken glass to see this.
I believe there was a similar one in Old St Pauls in London before the Reformation.
animadversor - I knew I had something wrong there. Many thanks for putting me right.
I saw it for the first time in 1976. On St James' Day. In his Holy Year. The first time that the restored monarchy was able to be represented by the King and Queen. But I don't want to make a big deal out of it ...
I have, Your Reverence, just finished Antonia Fraser's book on Henry's VIII's wives, so all that stuff was rattling around in my head. No thanks needed, though. I was quite happy to put you right. Just pray for me that I not enjoy it too much.
HOLY SMOKE!!!! Wouldn't want to inadvertently get in the way of that when in full swing. I do think however, that it's a great way of discouraging the Novus Ordo Sign of Peace 'pew jumpers'. Trouble is you need an RSJ with chain-block and hoist up in the church roof to hold that BBQ off the ground.
Post a Comment