The Coronation Ceremony :: Essays Papers

The Coronation sacrament The earliest accounts of a coronation ceremony in England date gage to around the 750s A.D. Spanning the last thousand years, the English coronation ceremony has remained al just about unchanged. During the fourteenth century, the top executives of England were crowned in a lavish and entangled ceremony involving special attire, rituals and oaths. These aspects of the ritual displayed, in some ways, the chivalric mindset of the times when the coronation process was first being developed to its fullest heart and soul and formality. Honor, prowess, loyalty, religiosity, and largess, all aspects of chivalry, were all displayed and dispersed throughout the entire event. Before the real(a) observance took place, the prince rode from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey. There he was bathed and dressed in lavish clothing do from rich cloth of gold and silk. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who conducted the ceremony, past instructed the prince to clear h is conscience before the holy anointing. The prince, Abbot of Westminster, and monks then(prenominal) made a procession from Westminster to the Church of Westminster. The will of the tribe was then questioned concerning the kings coronation. After the completion of the task, the anthem Ffrimenteur manus tua was sung. The will of the people was not the only will tested. The prince had to show his submission to God by lying in front of the altar several times during the rite. He then made an oath at the altar then beef up that oath by taking the sacred sacrament at the aforementioned(prenominal) altar. This initiate of the ceremony is when spiritual chivalry became involved. Inspired by hit the sack for God, the king, by lying at the foot of the altar, showed his submission and obedience. The king was then anointed by holy water in five different places on his body. He was stripped of his clothes save his shirt, which was worn open, and his coat. He was similarly barefoot. The kings hands, breast, between his shoulders, at the break of his arm, and on his forehead, the foretoken of the cross was made. The oil was then wiped clean with a linen cloth, and the Kings clothes were replaced. The kings sword also played a part in the ceremony. Symbolizing the warrior, the sword was blessed then girded on in front of the bishops. Later in the ceremony, the king offered his sword to God, and only the most loyal of earls carried the naked sword to the altar.