Chalice
A chalice (from Latin calix 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek κύλιξ (kylix) 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning.
Religious use
Christian
The
Chalices have been used since the
In Western Christianity, chalices will often have a pommel or node where the stem meets the cup to make the elevation easier. In Roman Catholicism, chalices tend to be tulip-shaped, and the cups are quite narrow. Roman Catholic priests will often receive chalices from members of their families when first ordained.
In
In the early and medieval church, when a deacon was ordained, he would be handed a chalice during the service as a sign of his ministry. In the West the deacon carries the chalice to the altar at the offertory; in the East, the priest carries the chalice and the deacon carries the paten (diskos). Only wine, water and a portion of the Host are permitted to be placed in the chalice, and it may not be used for any profane purpose.
The chalice is considered to be one of the most sacred vessels in Christian liturgical worship, and it is often blessed before use. In the Roman Catholic Church and some Anglo-Catholic churches, it was the custom for a chalice to be
The Holy Chalice
In Christian tradition, the Holy Chalice is the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve the wine. New Testament texts make no mention of the cup except within the context of the Last Supper and give no significance whatsoever to the object itself. Herbert Thurston in the Catholic Encyclopedia 1908 concluded that "No reliable tradition has been preserved to us regarding the vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper. In the sixth and seventh centuries pilgrims to Jerusalem were led to believe that the actual chalice was still venerated in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, having within it the sponge which was presented to Our Saviour on Calvary." Several surviving standing cups of precious materials are identified in local traditions as the Chalice.
Holy Grail
An entirely different and pervasive tradition concerns the cup of the Last Supper. In this highly muddled though better-known version, the vessel is known as the Holy Grail. In this legend, Jesus used the cup at the Last Supper to institute the Mass. Other stories claim that Joseph of Arimathea used the cup to collect and store the blood of Christ at the Crucifixion.
Unitarian Universalism
At the opening of Unitarian Universalist worship services, many congregations light a flame inside a chalice.
There is no standardized interpretation of the flaming chalice symbol. In one interpretation, the chalice is a symbol of religious freedom from the impositions of doctrine by a hierarchy and openness to participation by all; the flame is interpreted as a memorial to those throughout history who sacrificed their lives for the cause of religious liberty. In another interpretation, the flaming chalice resembles a cross, symbolic of the Christian roots of Unitarian Universalism.[6]
Wicca
In
Neo-Paganism
Some other forms of
Rastafarian
Poisoned chalice
The term "poisoned chalice" is applied to a thing or situation which appears to be good when it is received or experienced by someone, but then becomes or is found to be bad. The idea was referred to by Benedict of Nursia in one of his exorcisms, found on the Saint Benedict Medal: Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! (Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!).
William Shakespeare uses the expression in Act I Scene VII of Macbeth. It occurs in the opening soliloquy of the scene when Macbeth is considering the ramifications of the murder he is plotting.
But in these cases
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips.
Heraldry
The use of chalices as
Gallery
-
Alabaster chalice found in Tutankhamun's tomb, 14th century BC
-
Ceramic goblet from Navdatoli, Malwa, 1300 BCE; Malwa culture
-
Treasure of Gourdon, 6th century AD
-
Tassilo Chalice, c. 780 (reproduction)
-
Ardagh Chalice, 8th century
-
Chalice with Apostles Venerating the Cross, Byzantine Empire (Walters Art Museum)
-
Cathedral of Reims, 12th century
-
Chalice from Borgå Cathedral (Porvoo Cathedral), c. 1250
-
Baroque chalice with a paten
-
Modern chalice with paten
-
Large modern chalice and paten
-
Wine Goblet, mid-19th century.Qajar dynasty. Brooklyn Museum.
-
Chalice of the Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis, National Gallery of Art
Other usage
Québec
In French-Canadian culture, particularly in and around Quebec, the use of the names of holy objects such as "câlice" (a variation of calice, which is the French word for chalice) can be an alternate form of cursing. Somewhat equivalent to the American word "goddam" or the phrase "God damn it", the use of "câlice" or "tabarnak" (a variation of tabernacle) as an interjection is not uncommon in Quebec. For example: "Câlice! I forgot to lock the front door" or muttering "tabarnak" under one's breath after they get a flat tire. This is presumably a derivation of "taking the Lord's name in vain".[7]
Czech Republic
With reference to the Hussite movement in the Kingdom of Bohemia, besides religious use, the chalice also became one of the unofficial national symbols of the Czechs. It is frequently used in Czech national symbolism and it is part of many historical banners.
See also
Notes
- ^ "Chapter VI: The Requisites for the Celebration of Mass | USCCB". www.usccb.org.
- The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. III, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-06-13
- ^ Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (March 1, 2007), Our Symbol: the Flaming Chalice, retrieved 2007-07-19
- ^ Unitarian Universalist Association,"The History of the Flaming Chalice"
- ^ uuworld.org—liberal religion and life, Wartime origins of the flaming chalice, retrieved 2007-07-19
- ^ Unitarian Universalist Association (2007), The History of the Flaming Chalice
- ^ Gordon, Sean (December 12, 2006). "Quebec swears by its English curses: But church-related expletives spoken in French not accepted on TV". Toronto Star
External links
- The dictionary definition of chalice at Wiktionary
- Media related to Chalices at Wikimedia Commons
- "Chalice" article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
- Stem glass classification
- Material Culture of the Mendicant Orders in Ireland, a selection of photographs of and detailed information about religious artefacts, mainly chalices, belonging to the Irish Franciscans. A UCD Digital Library Collection.