Material Culture of
Religion Glossary: First Section
MATERIAL CULTURE OF
RELIGION: ARCHITECTURAL TERMS, PHYSICAL OBJECTS FOUND IN SANCTUARIES AND OTHER
SACRED SITES
Collected and © by Susan McKee
For use by
students; not for publication or other distribution
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P QR S T U V W XYZ
A
abaya
Muslim (Gulf States, esp. Saudi Arabia): A full-length, black outer garment
worn by women, always with a scarf covering the head (shayla)
and sometimes with a face covering (veil) and gloves.
Abhidharma Pitaka
(Sanskrit)
Buddhist: Scholastic treatises on psychology and philosophy. Part of the Tripitaka.
abutment
Solid masonry placed to counteract the lateral thrust of a vault
or arch.
acanthus
A plant with thick, fleshy, scalloped leaves used on carved ornaments of Corinthian and Composite
capitals, and on other moldings.
acroterium (pl. acroteria)
A block on the lower edge of a pediment to support
statuary or decoration.
adytum
- Ancient Greece: The inner sanctuary
of a temple, where oracles were delivered
- Any private sanctuary.
Adi Granth
(see: Guru Granth Sahib)
ædicule (=ædicula,
=aedicule)
- A shrine framed by two columns supporting an entablature and pediment,
set in a temple and containing a statue.
- The framing of a door, window, or other opening with
two columns, piers or pilasters
supporting a gable, lintel, plaque, or an entablature and pediment.
- A steel and glass canopy at an entry.
Agam
Buddhist: A family, patron or secret deity enshrined in a special building; no
one who is not an initiate can enter this shrine.
Agama
- Buddhist: The collection of sutras
which are used in the Sanskrit-based tradition of Buddhism.
- Jain: The scripture of Jainism, believed by some to be
the actual sermons given by Mahavira to his
disciples.
agni
Hindu: Holy or sanctified fire at the altar in a temple.
Agnus Dei(Latin: "lamb of
god")
Christian: A wax charm or other amulet stamped or imprinted with the emblem of
Jesus.
aisle
Christian: An open space in a church, usually flanking
the nave on each side and divided from it by columns or piers; it runs parallel to the main areas - nave,
choir and transept - and is (typically in cathedrals)
separated from them by an arcade. In Midwestern vernacular usage, an aisle is the linear empty passageway or path between rows of pews or chairs; typically, there are three: one in the center
and two more at the left and right sides of the seating area(s). The word
originally described sections of a church building added
on as wings (from the French aile ) to the sides of
the long, central area, or nave.
ajacaras
Muslim (Spanish/Moorish): Trelliswork brick design often decorating apses.
ajimez
Muslim (Spanish/Moorish): Pairs of small windows divided by a column or pier.
Akhand Ramayana
Hindu: Scripture [incomplete].
akshatha
Hindu: Sacred rice used during worship.
alabaster
A building material; often used for columns.
'alam
Muslim (Shi'ite): A representation of the standard of
Husayn, often topped with a panjatan.
alb
- Christian: A full-length white linen garment worn by
clergy when celebrating communion.
- Christian: A long garment, often elaborately
embroidered, worn by clergy under a chasuble.
/OL>
albarrani
Muslim (Spanish/Moorish): A projected tower joined to the main wall by a
bridge.
Al-Ittihad
Muslim: The name of a magazine published by the Muslim Students' Association of
the United States and Canada during the 1970s and 1980s.
Al-Kitab (Arabic: "The Book")
Muslim: The Qur'an.
almonry
Christian: The room in a monastery in which alms are
distributed.
altar
- A structure on which to
place or sacrifice offerings to a deity.
- The altar signals the
place of arrival and rebirth. It is the focal point of the sanctuary, the seed within the pod of its enclosing
floor, walls and roof, the world navel. Because the altar serves as the
power point for regeneration, it is usually raised or lowered in relation
to its surroundings. When lowered, it represents the open womb from which
creation springs. A raised altar suggests the swelling of seed energies
sprouting into diverse expressions. Often an apse
defines this part of the sanctuary. The
enclosing space takes on the role of the womb; the raised altar is the
germinating inner force. Light is greatest here. Coming from east-facing
windows or groupings of candles, it energizes the renewing ritual.
(adapted from The Temple in the House)
- In classical antiquity,
the altar was usually constructed of stone and situated in the open air
at some distance to the east or at the entrance of the temple.
Sacrifices to the gods and spirits of the earth were performed here.
Since in most cultures substitute offerings have come to take the place
of living beings, the term has come to designate any raised place or
table, whether outside or in a shrine, church or temple, upon which offerings are placed
- Christian: =altar
table, =Lord's Supper Table, =Lord’s Table, =communion table.
- Christian: The surface
on which clergy prepare the Eucharist.
- Christian (Roman
Catholic): The consecrated table, either fixed or portable, upon which
the Mass is celebrated.
- Christian: The altar
often is the focal point of the church. Once solid,
and usually made of stone, the altar is now often made in simple,
table-like shapes in stone, wood or other material. Once always placed
against the back wall of the apse,
altars now often are moved away from the wall so
that the clergy face the congregation when preparing communion.
- Christian: If there is
more than one altar in a church, one is designated
the main altar or the high altar.
- Christian (esp. Roman
Catholic): Altars that are smaller and "off center" in churches are often referred to as side altars.
ambulatory
A semicircular or polygonal aisle enclosing an apse or a straight-ended sanctuary,
which provides passage around the sanctuary;
originally used for processional purposes. In Gothic Christian church
architecture, it usually is a continuation of the side aisles
around a chancel or apse, providing space for processions
around the sanctuary.
amphitheater
An elliptical or circular space surrounded by rising tiers of seats for an
audience.
Analects of Confucius (=Lun Yu)
One of the Four Books, that, along with the Five Classics, comprise the Confucian Canon.
anse de panier
(French: "basket arch")
An arch formed by a segment of a large circle continued
left and right by two segments of much smaller circles.
antechurch (or, forechurch)
Christian: An appendix to the west end of a church,
resembling a porch or a narthex, but several bays deep
and usually consisting of nave and aisles.
antependium
A covering for the front of an altar, usually of metal or
fabric.
anthemion
Ornament based on honeysuckle flower and leaves, common in ancient Greek and
Roman architectural styles.
apocrypha
- Books from the Hebrew Bible included in the (Jewish) Septuagint and (Roman Catholic) Vulgate
but excluded from the Protestant canon of the Old
Testament.
- Christian: Early
Christian writings not included in the generally accepted version of the New Testament.
- Christian (Protestant):
The Protestant apocrypha generally consists of: 1-2 Esdras,
Tobit, Judith, additions of Esther, Wisdom of
Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (or the Wisom of Jesus Son of Sirach),
Baruch, Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the
Three Holy Children, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon,
the Prayer of Manasses, 1-2 Maccabees.
apex stone (=saddle stone)
The top stone in a gable end.
apodyterium
- Dressing room of a
(public or quasi-public) bath.
- Jewish: The dressing
room adjacent to a miqvah.
apron
A raised panel below a window-sill, sometimes shaped and decorated.
apse
- A curved recess, often
semi-circular, projecting from a building.
- Christian: A vaulted semicircular or polygonal termination, usually
to a chancel or chapel. In traditional church
construction, an apse is the vaulted end portion of
a nave, transept or aisle,
usually the circular or angular typically east end of a church.
- The eastern end of a
basilica, usually semicircular in shape and arranged to accommodate the
seats of clergy behind the altar.
apsidal
An adjectival form of apse, usually referring to the
semicircular end of a church, especially the east end of
a Gothic cathedral.
arcade
arch
Structure, usually curved, spanning an opening and supporting the weight of
upper parts of buildings, such as domes. An arch is designed so that it can be
supported only from the sides. The style of the arch often provides a clue to
the overall style of the church. In general, rounded
arches indicate Romanesque and pointed arches indicate Gothic.
- basket arch
(=three-centered arch): An arch formed by a segment of a large circle
continued left and right by two segments of much smaller circles.
- chancel arch: The arch
at the west end of a chancel.
- discharging arch
(=relieving arch):An arch of rough construction placed in a wall, above
any opening, to relieve it of much of the superincumbent weight.
- drop arch: A pointed
arch with a span greater than its radius.
- elliptical arch: An
arch that is a half ellipse from a center on the springing line.
- four-centered arch: A
late European medieval-style arch composed of a pointed arch of four
arcs, the two outer and lower ones springing from centers on the
springing line, the two inner and upper arcs from centers below the
springing line.
- Gothic arch: xxxx
- horseshoe arch
(=Moorish arch): Muslim: An arch that can be either a pointed or a round
horseshoe.
- ogee arch: A pointed
arch with four arcs, the centers of two inside the arch, of the other two
outside; this produces a compound curve of two parts, one convex and the
other concave.
- shouldered arch: An
arch with a lintel connected with the jambs of a
doorway by corbels, which start with a concave
quadrant and continue vertically to meet the lintel.
- stilted arch: An arch
with its springing line raised by vertical piers above the impost level.
- strainer arch: An arch
inserted across a nave or an aisle
to prevent the walls from leaning.
- three-centered arch:
see also anse de panier.
- Tudor arch: A late
European medieval pointed arch whose shanks start with a curve near to a
quarter circle and continue to the apex in a straight line.
- In Classical
architecture: The beam or lowest division of the entablature,
resting directly upon the capitals of the supporting columns.
- The molded frame of a
window or a door.
- A collective term for
the elements composing the molding around a door or window.
arena
- The central open space
of an amphitheater.
- Any building for public
contests or displays in the open air or in a large interior space.
ark (=echal)
- Common usage: A sacred
box or container.
- Jewish: Refers to the
ancient container for the tablets outlining the covenant with God.
- Christian: Usually
refers to Noah's Ark, as in the Biblical story.
arrows
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): In sacred depiction, arrows piercing the body
of a man in agony indicate that St.
Sebastian is portrayed.
artesonado
Muslim (Spanish/Moorish): Elaborate wooden coffered ceiling.
ashlar
Carefully cut stone.
atrium
atrushan (Parthian)
Zoroastrian: Fire altar in a temple.
aumbry (=ambry)
Christian: A cupboard or recess in a church chancel used to keep sacred vessels
and books.
Avesta
Zoroastrian: The scriptures of Zoroastrianism.
axe (tool)
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): In sacred depiction, an axe indicates the man
depicted is St. Joseph.
axis
Christian: Traditional churches are aligned on a
west-to-east axis, with the main entrance at the west end and the chancel at the east end: a path of salvation leading to the
altar, the symbol of communion with Christ, a journey from
the base desires of humans to submission to the Godhead. The worshipper follows
the path along the axis to the redemptive sacred place, where humans and God
were joined by the celebration of the Eucharist, a threshold between earth and
heaven. The axis, with its distinct beginning and end, demonstrates
Christianity's linear timeline.
azulejo
Muslim (Spanish/Moorish): Glazed tiles frequently forming star patterns.
B
bagin (Parthian)
Zoroastrian: Image shrine in a temple.
bahal
Buddhist: A two-story monastery enclosing a courtyard.
bahil
Buddhist: A monastery, smaller and simpler than a bahal.
balcony
A platform projecting from a wall, enclosed by a railing or balustrade, supported on brackets or columns or
cantilevered out.
baluster
A short post or pillar in a series supporting a rail or coping and thus forming
a balustrade.
balustrade
A series of short posts or pillars supporting a rail or coping.
baptismal font
Christian: An often ornate, usually raised water basin alongside which a
"sprinkling" baptism takes
place.
baptismal pool
Christian: A large water holder, usually recessed in the ground or floor, where
immersion baptism takes place.
baptistery (=baptistry)
Christian: A separate building or the portion of a church
used for baptism and containing a baptismal font or (less often) baptismal pool.
bargeboards
Projecting boards placed against the incline of the gable
of a building and hiding the ends of the horizontal roof timbers; sometimes
decorated (common in Gothic revival buildings).
Baroque
Late Renaissance (17th and 18th century) European architectural style, typified
by bold, highly elaborate decoration.
bartizan
A small turret projecting from the angle on the top of a tower or parapet.
basilica
basilichetta
A small basilica.
basma (Russian)
Christian (Eastern Orthodox): An ornamented and often bejeweled metal cover for
the frame of an icon.
bay window
An angular or curved projection of a building front filled by fenestration. If curved, also called a bow window; if
on an upper floor only, called an
belfry
NOTE: Derived from the Old French berfrei (=
tower), the word has no connection with "bell".
- Common usage: The upper
room or story in a tower in which bells are hung, and thus often the
bell-tower itself, whether it is attached to or stands separate from the
main building.
- Christian: The timber
frame inside a church steeple to which bells are
fastened.
bellcote (=bell gable)
A framework on a roof to hang bells from.
belvedere
[incomplete]
bema (=bimah, =bima; Greek)
- Common usage: A
(generic term for) speaker's platform: usually wooden and somewhat
rectangular, sometimes with a curved front and back, often with open
sides approached by steps.
- Christian (Western):
Raised stage for the clergy in the apse of Early
Christian Churches.
- Christian (eastern): A
space raised above the nave level of a church, which is shut off by the iconostasis and
contains the altar.
- Jewish: A platform in
the synagogue on which stands the desk from
which the Pentateuch and Torah
is read.
Bible (=Holy Bible, =The Scriptures)
- Popular usage: Refers
to any honored set of writings.
- Jewish: refers to Hebrew Bible.
- Christian: usually
refers to Old Testament plus New
Testament.
- Christian (Roman
Catholic): The Old Testament consists of Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue,
Judges, Ruth, 1-4 Kings, 1-2 Paralipompenon,
1-2 Esdras, Tobias, Judith, Esthe,
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticle of Canticles, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Isaias, Jeremias, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezechiel,
Daniel, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharias, Malachias,
1-2 Machabees. The New
Testament consists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the
Apostles, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Phlemon,
Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, Apocalypse.
- Christian (Protestant):
The Old Testament consists of Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2
Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. The New
Testament consists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the
Apostles, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews,
James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, Revelation.
- Christian (Protestant):
The apocrypha consists of: 1-2 Esdras,
Tobit, Judith, additions of Esther, Wisdom of
Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (or the Wisom of Jesus Son of Sirach),
Baruch, Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the
Three Holy Children, Susanna, Bel and the
Dragon, the Prayer of Manasses, 1-2 Maccabees.
- Jewish: The Torah consists of: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy. Prophets consists of: Joshua,
Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel,
Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi. Hagiographa
consists of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1-2 Chronicles.
Bible,
Books of the
See Bible.
bird of blessing
Christian: A dove, or other bird, suspended above the altar symbolizing the
Holy Spirit.
bodhi tree
Buddhist: The specific tree under which Sakyamuni sat
when he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha.
book
Christian: A person portrayed in a sacred depiction holding a book is
considered to be an important member of the church
hierarchy.
Book of Common Prayer
British. Liturgy of Protestant Church of England, writing of which was overseen by Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), Archbishop of Canterbury.
Book of Law
New Age: Written by Aleister
Crowley, a key text in Ordo Templi Orientis.
boss
An ornamental knob or projection covering the intersection of ribs in a vault
or ceiling; often carved with foliage.
bot
Buddhist (Theravada): A hall found in buildings dedicated to the purpose of
teaching, preaching and meditation.
bow-string truss
A composite structural device whereby the load-bearing capacity of the main
beam is improved by a lower-tension chord and intermediate vertical or diagonal
compression struts in the form of a horizontal bow.
bracket
A small supporting piece of stone or other material, often formed of scrolls or
volutes, to carry a projecting weight.
building
A building is any enclosure of sufficient space for a person to move about it.
building, model of
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): A person portrayed in a sacred depiction
holding a model of a building was the founder or builder of that building.
burka
Muslim (Gulf States): A woman's face mask, made of leather or stiff fabric,
that covers the entire face except for the eyes.
butsu-dan (Japanese)
Buddhist: A household altar.
buttress
A mass of masonry or brickwork projecting from or built against a wall to give
additional strength, often helping to support a vault or roof; a characteristic
of the Gothic architectural style.
C
camarín
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): A small chapel behind and above the high altar in Spanish-style churches.
came
A metal strip used to join pieces of glass such as for light fixtures or
windows.
campanile (Italian)
(see also belfry)
- A bell-tower, usually
freestanding.
- Christian: A common
feature of religious compounds.
cancello
(see also choir screen)
Christian: A latticed screen or grille separating the choir
from the main body of a church.
candy cane
Christian: A Christmas symbol derived from the crozier carried by St. Nicholas,
who was a bishop.
canon
A standard or generally accepted or authorized collection of scripture.
canopy
A projection or hood over a door, window, tomb, altar,
pulpit, niche, etc.
capital
The head or crowning feature of a column; the decorative top portion of a
column. The form, usually of stone, that supplies the visual transition between
the top of a column and whatever the column supports. decorated section of an
Order on top of the shaft and directly below and supporting the architrave.
carrel
cartouche
An ornamental panel in the form of a scroll or sheet of paper with curling
edges, usually bearing an inscription and sometimes ornately framed.
casement
The hinged part of a window, attached to the upright side of the window frame;
also, the wide concave molding in door and window jambs and between compound
columns or piers in Late Gothic-style
architecture.
casement window
A metal or timber window with the sash hung vertically and opening outwards or
inwards.
catenary roof cable
A cable that hangs freely between two points of support.
cathedra
Christian: The bishop's chair or throne in his cathedral,
originally placed behind the high altar in the center of
the curved wall of the apse.
cathedral
- Christian: The bishop's
church.
- Christian: A church of any size that contains the cathedra.
- Popular usage: Any
large, ornate church-like structure, such as the
Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis (which is used by a Masonic order
rather than a bishop).
- Popular usage: Any
large building or space with transcendent use (ie.
cathedral of basketball).
cella (=naos)
Principal room of a temple.
cenotaph
A funerary monument to a person or persons buried elsewhere.
censer
Christian: An elaborately decorated hand-held container for burning incense
which priests swing from golden chains in sanctuaries to purify or sanctify the
air.
centering
Temporary framework, usually made of timber, used for support during the
construction of arches, vaults and domes.
chador
Muslim (Shi'ite, esp. in Iran and Lebanon): A square
of fabric large enough to cover a woman from the top of the head to the ankles;
usually held or pinned closed under the chin.
chair-rail (=dado-rail)
A molding around a room to prevent chairs, when pushed back against the walls,
from damaging its surface. Generally placed at the height of the top of the
back of the chair.
chaitya
Buddhist: A small stupa,
sometimes containing a relic, but usually holding mantras
or holy scriptures.
chakra
Hindu: A round weapon, one of the four (sacred) objects held by Vishnu.
chalice
- Christian: A
sacramental vessel.
- Christian: A goblet
used for the wine in the liturgy of communion.
chamaras
Hindu: Hand-operated fans often used in temples.
chancel (From Latin: cancellus)
- Christian: That part of
the east end of a church in which the main altar is placed.
- Christian: The area of
a church containing the main altar,
an area which is reserved for clergy and choir.
- Christian (Roman
Catholic): The screen that separated th eastern
part from the main body of the church. The term more usually describes
the space enclosed and is applied to the whole continuation of the nave east of the crossing.
chapa (Nepalese)
Hindu: A small house annexed to a temple, in which feasts
are held and rituals performed.
chapel
- Christian: A place set
aside for prayer
- Christian: A building
used for worship.
- Common usage: A building
that looks like a Christian chapel but is used for secular public
functions.
- Chantry chapel
(Christian, especially Roman Catholic): A chapel attached to, or inside,
a church, established and reserved by endowment for
the celebration of Masses for the soul of the benefactor or of such
others as he/she may order.
chapter
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): The administrative assembly responsible for cathedral affairs.
chapterhouse
charoseth
Jewish: Served at the Passover
Seder, this dish (usually grated apples and ground walnuts flavored with wine
and cinammon) symbolizes the mortar used by Israelite
slaves in Egypt.
chasuble
Christian: Thigh-length garment with wide sleeves, usually embroidered, worn by
clergy over the longer alb.
chevet
Christian: The French term for the east end of a church,
consisting of apse and ambulatory
with or without radiating chapels.
chigi (Japanese)
Forked finials on the roof ridge of a building frame; used primarily on
buildings of cultural significance or noble patronage.
chimera
- Popular usage: An
animal that is part human and part beast.
- Popular usage: An
animal with the head of a lion, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. Many
winged chimeras reside on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
chokhang
Hindu/Buddhist: Offering hall.
choir
- Common usage: Singing
group.
- Christian: A singing
group attached to a religious institution or organization.
- Christian: The part of
a church where divine service is sung.
- Christian: In cathedrals, the section of the church
east of the transept that is sometimes raised above the level of the nave is called the choir because
traditionally this is where the choir stands to sing during the service.
- Christian: The area of
a church reserved for the singing group.
- Christian: The eastern
area of a church or cathedral,
normally occupied by the choir and the clergy; =chancel.
choir screen
Christian: Screen separating the choir area from the
congregational area of a church, usually decoratively
carved or ornamented.
Chong Kui
Taoist: A deity often represented by a statue on an altars,
whose sword and fierce expression protect the altar and
scare away demons. (See also Chong Kui.)
chorten
Buddhist: A small shrine in high mountain regions (esp. Himalayas);
multi-tiered stone monument that often contains sacred relics.
chowk (Nepalese)
Hindu: A palace or public courtyard (usually including one or more temples).
chrism
Christian (Roman Catholic/Eastern Orthodox): Consecrated oil made of a mixture
of olive and balsam, used as an accessory in rites of baptism, confirmation and ordination.
chrismatory
Christian: A holder for chrism.
Ch'un Ch'iu
(=Spring and Autumn Annals)
Confucian: One of the Five Classics which are part of the Confucian
Canon, it includes extracts from the history of the Chinese state of Lu from
722 to 484 BCE, said to have been compiled by Confucius.
Chung Yung (=Doctrine of the Mean)
Confucian: One of the Four Books which are part of the
Confucian Canon.
church
- Christian: A building
used for worship.
- Popular usage: Any
structure used for any religious or spiritual purpose.
- tent-and-tower church:
Christian (Russian Orthodox): A description of a Russian style, deriving
from its tiered composition, said to be derivative of timber-framed
churches of northern Russia.
church, model of
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): A person portrayed in a sacred depiction
holding a model of a church was the founder of that church.
churchhouse (=church; American
Appalachian dialect)
ciborium
A canopy raised over a high altar. It is normally a dome
supported on columns.
cladding
An external covering or skin applied to a structure for aesthetic or protective
purposes.
clapboard
A thin wooden board, thicker along one long edge than along the other, used in
roofing or in covering the outer walls of a building; the thick edge of each
board overlaps the thin edge of the board below it, thus to repel water.
Classical
Style of architecture (order) used in ancient Greece and Rome, and imitated in
later periods.
clerestory (=clearstory)
- Christian: The topmost
part of the church building, the upper story of a church wall, pierced by windows illuminating the
central portion of the interior space.
- Popular usage: A row of
windows above the ceiling level of the first floor in any building. A
clerestory is below the main eaves, but above any projecting secondary
roofs.
- Christian: Roofed or
vaulted passage way surrounding an open quadrangle which connects
domestic areas within a monastic building.
- Christian: The enclosed
living/working arrangements of a monastery or
nunnery that excludes the outside world.
Rags, pieces of cloth, clothing remnants (usually tied or) draped over the branches of particular bushes or trees in places where sprites are thought to live. For good luck or for remembrance (of person who wore the clothing).
Codex of Calixtus (=Liber
Sancti Jacobi)
Christian (Roman Catholic: Spanish): A five-volume collection, written in the
12th Century, of the legends, stories and miracles connected with St. James.
coffering
Decoration of a ceiling, a vault or an arch
soffit, consisting of sunken square or polygonal ornamental panels.
colonnade
- A row or range of
columns carrying an entablature or arches.
- A long row of columns
in a line.
columbarium
Interment place for cremated remains either within a church
or on its grounds.
column
A vertical post-like support. Usually consists of three parts: a base, a shaft
(usually circular or polygonal), and a capital at the top. A column in Classical style usually is described using the Greek
order to which it conforms. They are (in ascending complexity) Doric
(fluted column with no separate base, plain capital), Ionic (fluted column,
separate base, twin-scrolled capital) and Corinthian
(fluted column, separate base, capital with carved acanthus leaves). Other
common styles are Tuscan (plain column, separate base, plain capital) and Composite (resemble Corinthian, but with spiral motifs at
each of the corners of the capital).
communion rail
Christian: The low fence or railing in a church before
which congregants kneel to receive communion
from clergy or assistants.
compound column
Supporting column comprising multiple attached or detailed shafts. Reduces the
visual mass of the support and maintains a large load-bearing cross-sectional
area.
Composite
A Greek architectural style that resembles Corinthian,
but with spiral motifs at each of the corners of the columns.
conch
A semicircular niche surmounted by a half-dome.
confessional
Christian (Roman Catholic): A separate place in a church,
often in the form of a wooden cubicle or other booth, where the faithful enter
individually to meet the priest seated behind a partition. To him they confess
their sins and from him they receive remission and forgiveness in the name of
God.
Confucian Canon
Confucian: The Confucian scriptures, which include the Four Books and Five
Classics.
console
Decorative masonry support for a balcony.
coping
A capping or covering to a wall, either flat or sloping, to throw off water.
corbel
Stone blocks, projecting from a wall, used to support a horizontal part of a
building, such as a roof or floor beams. Often elaborately carved or molded.
Corinthian
One of the Classical orders of architecture, typified
by the acanthus-leaf decoration on the capital and fluted columns.
cornice
- Uppermost projecting
part of an entablature surmounting the frieze
and often decorated with moldings and dentils on its lower face.
- Any continuous
projecting decorative molding surmounting an architectural feature.
coro
Christian: A walled choir usually found in the center of a
church.
cowl
- Christian: A monk's
hood.
- A metal covering,
shaped somewhat like a monk's hood, fixed over a chimney or other vent
and revolving with the wind to improve ventilation.
credence
Christian: A small table or shelf near the altar, on which
the sacraments are placed.
crepis
Jewish: The stepped outer edges of a temple platform.
crocket
Motif or leaf design carved into the projecting ribs that decorate parapets and
towers of Gothic buildings and their derivatives.
cross
[incomplete]
- A structure consisting
of an upright with a transverse beam used esp. by the ancient Romans for
execution.
- (often capitalized) The
Cross on which Jesus was crucified.
- A Christian symbol
consisting of an upright bar traversed by a horizontal one.
- There are many standard
forms: Greek, Latin, Calvary, patriarchial,
Lorraine, papal, Celtic, Maltese, Saint Andrew's, tau, pommée, botonée, fleury, avelian, moline, formée, fourchée, crosslet, quadrate and potent.
- saltire (x-shaped) cross
- Basque cross: Christian
(Roman Catholic). Pagan representation of the sun using concentric
circles and sunbursts, adapted to Roman Catholic usage, esp. by the
Jesuits. Traditional Basque houses have doorways facing the east,
typically with a Basque cross carved over the door.
- Crucifix: Christian. A
cross in wood, metal, or other substance bearing a representation of the
crucified Christ.
- Greek cross: Christian.
A cross with four equal arms.
- lantern cross:
Christian. A churchyard cross with lantern-shaped
top; usually with sculptured representations on the sides of the top.
crossing
Christian: The area of intersection between the nave,
transepts and chancel, usually topped by a dome or tower; symbolically, the
point of decision on the journey to Christ.
crown
The highest part of an arch, where the keystone
is located.
crown and sphere
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): A man portrayed in a sacred depiction holding
a crown and sphere was a king.
Crown of St. Stephen I
Christian (Hungarian): The importance of this symbol of royal power in Hungary
derives from the belief that it was worn by St. Stephen, the founder of the
Hungarian State. It remains the most important symbol of royal power in Hungary
and has been for centuries the object of religious veneration.
crozier (=crosier)
Christian: The staff of a bishop or abbot carried as a symbol of
pastoral authority. It is shaped like a shepherd's crook in reference to Christ
as the Good Shepherd.
crucifix
Christian: A cross in wood, metal, or other substance
bearing a representation of the crucified Christ.
crypt
cupola
A small dome, usually springing from a circular or octagonal base, crowning a
roof or turret.
curtain wall
A lightweight outside wall held off the main structural frame and serving no
load-bearing purpose.
D
dado
- Decorative band.
- The finishing of the
lower part of an interior wall from the floor to waist height.
dakhma
Zoroastrian: A round structure, open to the sky, in which the dead are placed
for disposal by birds.
daubing
A clay/mud mixture used to fill (daub) the spaces between logs used in
construction; lime is sometimes added for whitening.
dar-ul-ifta (=dar-al-ifta) (Arabic)
Muslim: The office of religious verdicts.
darchen
Hindu/Buddhist: Flagpole for prayer flags.
defenestration
See fenestration
dentil
A small, square block projecting from a cornice of a Classical
entablature, providing a rhythmical façade.
diaconikon (=diaconicon,
Greek: "sacristy")
Christian (Greek Orthodox): That part of a church which
lies to the right of the sanctuary, but behind the
iconostasis, and in which the deacons are responsible for the sacramental
vessels and liturgical books required for services.
diptych
Two panels joined together by hinges.
Doctrine of the Mean (or, Chung Yung)
Confucian: One of the Four Books which are part of the Confucian Canon.
dome
- A vault of even
curvature erected on a circular base.
- A convex solid roof,
usually circular or polygon in its plan, with a base that may be
circular, square or polygonal.
- Common types
(categorized by the shapes of both the base and the section through the
center of the dome) are: saucer, polyhedral and onion. Many domes are
topped with a lantern to provide light inside.
door facing (=door frame)
Doric
One of the Classical orders of architecture, typified
by plain capitals and fluted columns without bases.
dove (bird)
Christian: In sacred depiction, denotes the Holy Spirit.
drakphuk
Hindu/Buddhist: An enclosed overhang forming a retreat area for meditation.
dragon (mythic animal)
Christian: In sacred depiction, a dragon indicates that the man portrayed is St. George; he is usually shown on horseback,
piercing a dragon with his lance.
drapo
Vodou: Lavishly decorated ritual flags made of satin,
velvet, or rayon, and adorned with sequins, beads, or appliqué. These flags are
presented at the beginning of Vodou ceremonies to
salute the spirits and to marshal the energies of their devotees.
drum
- Vertical wall
supporting a dome or cupola; it may be circular, square or polygonal in
plan. The drum gives the dome extra height and allows space for the
inclusion of windows to light the interior.
- The cylindrival
blocks of stone that make up a column.
dukhang
Hindu/Buddhist: Assembly hall.
dwarmul (Nepalese)
Hindu: The main gate of a building, esp. a temple.
dyochhen
Buddhist: a house enshrining protective Tantric deities used for common
worship.
E
eaves
Lower edge or underpart of a sloping roof, projecting
over and beyond face of the supporting walls.
effigy
[incomplete]
egg
[incomplete]
Common usage: Symbol of new life.
Jewish: Roasted egg, served at a Passover
Seder, symbolizes renewal, rebirth and life's eternal circle.
Eight Immortals
Taoist: Figures often found on altars symbolizing that men
and women, young and old, rich and poor, healthy and disabled, can all achieve
the Tao.
elements
- The components of a
building, such as windows, walls, doors, corridors, stairs and chimneys.
- Christian: the
components of communion.
elevation
The external faces of a building; also a drawing made in projection on a
vertical plane to show any one face of a building.
E-Meter (=Electropsychometer, =meter)
Scientologist: An instrument which helps the auditor and preclear
locate areas of spiritual distress or travail.
enclosure
A space surrounded by something else, such as a fence or a wall.
enfilade
The arrangement of rooms leading from one to another.
engaged column
Column with a shaft attached to or incorporated into the thickness of a wall or
pier.
Enochian manuscripts
New Age: Written by John Dee, key texts in
Ordo Templi Orientis.
entablature
Used in Greek architectural styles, it comprises the architrave, frieze
and cornice (from lowest to highest, one above the other), supported by
a colonnade. More specifically, the entablature is a horizontal lintel above columns and
below the roof, the gable of which might be closed by a
triangular pediment.
equilateral arch (=pointed arch)
An arch produced by two curves, each with a radius equal to
the span and meeting in a point at the top.
entrance (as architectural concept)
Entrances are not just gates or doors, but can also include the passage by
which a place may be entered as well as the area beyond the threshold.
Entrances link together different spaces.
escutcheon
[incomplete]
exedra
etrog
Jewish: A small, round, yellow fruit that looks like a lemon that’s used in the
celebration of Sukkot.
Eucharist
[incomplete]
- The objects used in
communion
- Christian ritual:
=Communion, =Mass
exoskeletal frame
A frame positioned outside the building envelope.
F
façade
The public, exterior, front or front elevation of a building. Derived from the
same root as "face": the doors and windows of many buildings are
arranged in patterns that recall the eyes, nose, and mouth of the human face.
facing
The finishing applied to the outer surface of a building.
fascia (plural: fasciae)
A plain horizontal band, usually in the architrave,
which may consist of two or three fasciae oversailing
each other and sometimes separated by narrow moldings.
fenestration
The style or manner in which windows are distributed on a building. [defenestration,
a euphemism for throwing someone out a window with intent to humiliate while
causing grievous bodily harm, often has religious motivation in historical
narrative or fiction]
feretory
Christian: A shrine for relics designed to be carried in processions that is
kept behind the high altar.
festoon (=swag)
A carved ornament in the form of a garland of fruits and flowers, tied with
ribbons and suspended at both ends in a loop; commonly used on a frieze or
panel.
fetish
- Any object used to
control nature (or the spirit world or an aspect of the divine) in a
magical fashion.
- An object venerated as
the dwelling place of a spirit (or an aspect of the divine).
- Examples include
charms, talismans or amulets. Fetishes are common in sanctuaries.
fez
- Common usage: Ritual
headgear in Masonic rites.
- Muslim (historic
Turkish): Crimson brim-less headcovering worn
in the later Ottoman Emire and in some
successor-states, outlawed in Turkey in the early 20th century by Kemal Ataturk.
finial
A formal ornament at the top of a canopy, gable, pinnacle,
etc.; often a detached foliated fleur-de-lis form.
fire
[incomplete}
(See also agni.)
fitra (Arabic)
Muslim: The tax paid on 'Id Day.
Five Classics
[incomplete]
Five "K's"
Sikh: The five objects carried by members of the Khalsa: kaccha, kanga,
kara, kesh and kirpan.
flèche (=spirelet)
A slender spire, usually of wood, rising from the ridge of
a roof.
fleur-de-lis (French: "lily-flower")
- The royal arms of
France.
- Christian: Common
decorative theme in churches.
flight
A series of stairs unbroken by a landing.
fluting
Concave vertical grooves carved into the shaft of a column, characteristic of Classical oOrders. Produces an
emphasis on vertical form and volume by creating distinctive shadow lines.
flying buttress
An arch or half-arch transmitting the thrust of a vault or
roof from the upper part of a wall to an outer support or buttress;
characteristic of Gothic churches and cathedrals.
foil
quatrefoil: A
four-lobed stylized leaf or flower motif.
- trefoil: A three-lobed
stylized leaf or flower motif.
font
Christian: An open-topped stone receptacle for holy water,
used in baptismal rites.
foundation (or, foundations)
The underground section of a building, which supports the weight above ground.
Four Books
[incomplete]
fret
A geometric ornament of horizontal and vertical straight lines repeated to form
a band; often used as a decorative band of surface ornamentation or molding.
frieze
- Middle section of the entablature of a Classical
order, above the architrave and below the cornice.
- Band of relief, molded
or painted decoration, usually high on a wall.
- The decoration of the
middle division of the entablature.
G
gable
The triangular upper part of a wall between the sides of a pitched roof.
gajur
Buddhist: An often-ornate, bell-shaped finial crowning a bahal.
gallery
Christian: An upper story over an aisle, opening onto the nave.
gallery arcade
The range of columns along the open side of a gallery.
Gan Ying Pian
(Chinese)
Taoist: One of the Taoist scriptures.
gargoyle (Latin gurgulio:
"throat", Old French gargouille:
"throat", "gurgling sound"
[incomplete]
A grotesque or humorous carving of a figure, human or animal; sticking out from
a building, it often disguises a waterspout, especially on a Gothic-style
Christian church.
A gargoyle is a grotesquely carved human or animal figure found on an
architectural structure, originally designed (believe it or not) to serve as a
spout to throw rainwater clear of a building. Gutters ran along the spine of
the gargoyles, and the water ran out through the mouth of the gargoyles and
fell to the streets below. Gargoyles later became strictly ornamental and
assumed many forms. gurgulio, and the Old French gargouille, not only meaning "throat" but also
describing the "gurgling" sound made by water as it ran through the
figure. Superstition held that gargoyles frightened away evil spirits while
serving their practical function. After the lead drainpipe was introduced in
the sixteenth century, gargoyles primarly served a
decorative function. In addition to the practical use of removing water away
from the building, gargoyles were also used to incorporate pagan imagery into church teaching. During the middle ages, the church was heavily involved in converting people from pagan
religions to Catholicism. Seeing some recognizable images from their customs
and traditions helped in the transition of these illiterate people to
Catholicism.
gate (as architectural concept)
A gate frames its invitation by using precise components: an approach, twin
pillars, crossbeam, door, latch, key, king and threshold. The twin pillars
guard the opening to new awareness. The crossbeam spans the gulf between the
pillars, uniting the space between them. The cross created by the meeting of
beam and pillar is said to symbolize the passage into the transcendent, the
mysterious boundary between inner and outer worlds. Hindering the passage
through the gate are the door and latch, representing the veil and challenge
posed by rigid patterns of thinking. The door blocks and opens, intimidates and
welcomes. Its lock is the first barrier to overcome. The key symbolizes new
insights and techniques for unlocking the mind's abilities. When the catalyst
for transformation has done its work, the threshold of the gate is crossed,
marking the transfer of a spiritual center of gravity from the known to the
unknown. The threshold is perpendicular to the path that crosses it, creating a
sort of compass that points to the four corners of the world. (adapted from The
Temple in the House)
Gemara (Aramaic)
Jewish: A commentary on the Mishnah
forming the second half of the Talmud.
gemellion
Christian (Roman Catholic): One of a pair of basins used for the ritual washing
of the priest's hands before the Mass.
genizah (Hebrew: "storing")
Jewish: A place, often beneath the bema of a synagogue, for storing books or ritual objects that have
become unusable; often used as the synagogue's treasury.
gerberette
Rocker beam, cast by spinning molten stainless steel into mechanical joints for
steel-frame buildings.
ghada
Hindu/Buddhist: A type of club, one of the weapons of Vishnu and a
Tantric symbol.
ghanta
Hindu/Buddhist: A symbolic Tantric bell, the female counterpart of the dorje or vajra
(ritual scepter or thunderbolt that is symbol of the Absolute).
ghat
Hindu: A riverside platform or set of stairs for ritual bathing and cremation.
ghusl khanah
Muslim (Shi'ite): The area in an imambargah where corpses are prepared for burial.
gompa
Buddhist (Tibetan): A monastery.
gong
Buddhist: Gongs are used in temples and homes to announce
the time of a meeting, to mark different phases of a service, and as a symbol
aiding in meditation.
gopura
Hindu: An elaborate high gateway of a temple that is
typical of South Indian architectural style.
Gothic
- The architectural style
that developed in northern France and spread throughout Europe between
about 1150 and 1400 CE includes pointed arches, large windows, stone
tracery, stone vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses. Often used for churches, cathedrals and
other public buildings. Succeeded Romanesque style.
- In Midwestern vernacular
use, Gothic applies to buildings with pointed arches and vaults, windows
with pointed arch tops, large amounts of glass in the walls and an
overall feeling of great height.
granthakut
Hindu/Buddhist: A tall, pointed brick and plaster shrine supported by a
one-story stone base.
Green Book
Muslim (Libya): The philosophy of Colonel Qaddafi.
groin
The sharp edge formed by the intersection of vaulting surfaces.
Guan Yin
Taoist: One of the statues found on Taoist altars representing
Guan Yin, the mother goddess of China, symbolizing the healing power of love
and compassion. (See also Guan Yin in second section of glossary).
guilloche
A 19th century architectural design formed of two or more interlaced bands with
openings containing round devices.
gurdwara (=gurudwara;
Punjabi: "door of the guru")
(see also church)
Sikh: A place of worship where the Guru Granth
Sahib scripture is installed. In addition to the area for worship in which
regular rituals, festivals and life cycle rites are performed, there is a langar ( a communal kitchen in which food is
prepared and shared).
Guru Granth Sahib (=Adi Granth) (Punjabi)
Sikh: The principal scripture; contains devotional compositions written by the
Sikh gurus and recorded during their lifetimes. It also contains hymns by Hindu
and Muslims. Written in Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi and Punjabi, the compositions
are set in rhymed couplets. It is printed in Gurmukhi
script, an alphabet adapted by the second guru, Guru Angad,
for the Punjabi language. It has standardized pagination, all copies having
1,430 pages. When closed it is wrapped in an elegant cloth (rumal).
It is opened only under a canopy and is then protected with a flywhisk.
gutka (Punjabi)
Sikh: A book comprised of passages from scripture.
H
Hagiographa
Jewish: The part of the Hebrew Bible consisting of the
books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1-2 Chronicles.
hagioscope (=squint)
Christian: An obliquely cut opening in a wall or through a pier
to allow a view of the main altar of a church
from places whence it could not otherwise be seen.
haiden (Japanese)
Shinto: Hall of worship standing in front of a shrine. Usually the largest
building at a shrine, before which or in which prayers and ceremonies are held.
halim
Muslim (Shi'ite): Special kind of food served during
Muharram.
hall church
Christian: A longitudinal plan for a church, in which the
nave and aisles are of approximately
equal height.
halo
- Christian: A halo
(golden disc or portion thereof) behind the head of a person in a sacred
depiction denotes a saint.
- Common usage: A halo
(golden disc or portion therof) behind the head
of a person in a sacred depiction denotes a holy person.
hametz (Hebrew: “leavened food”)
Jewish: Breads made with yeast (leavening). During Passover, consuming leavened food is
forbidden. Hametz applies to more foods than just
bread that rises because of yeast. It also applies to various kinds of grain
that expand when they are in contact with water, creating a kind of process of
rising: oats, barley, wheat, spelt and rye. There is disagreement between the Ashkenazi and Sephardim traditions in regard to
legumes and rice. Sephardim
permit them on Passover while Ashkenazi forbid them.
hammam (Arabic)
Muslim: Public bath, an important social institution in Muslim society.
hammer and anvil
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): In sacred depiction, a goldsmith's hammer and
anvil indicates the man portrayed is St. Éloi.
hanukkiyyah (Hebrew)
Jewish: Name for the candelabra or menorah used to
celebrate Hanukkah.
harmika
Buddhist: The eyes on a stupa,
which are placed to face the four cardinal directions.
haroset
Jewish: A mixture (usually) of chopped walnuts, apples, cinnamon and kosher
wine served at a Passover seder as a reminder of the mortar used by the Israelite
slaves in Egypt.
Hebrew Bible
- Jewish: The Torah or Pentateuch and
sections generally grouped as Prophets and Hagiographa. (see also Septuagint)
- Christian: The Old Testament.
hei tiki
Sacred stone statue or amulet.
helix
A spiral design motif.
herbs
[incomplete]
Jewish: Bitter herbs (typically horseradish) served at a Passover
Seder symbolizes the bitter suffering of the Jewish slaves in Egypt.
hexastyle
A Classical portico with six
supporting columns.
hijab
Muslim: Headcovering (typically a scarf) used by
Muslim women as a sign of modesty.
hip
The external angle formed by the meeting of two sloping roof surfaces.
Holy Bible
(see Bible)
Holy Water
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): Water that has been blessed, placed in a small
basin near a church entrance so that worshipers may dip
their fingers into this water as they enter the sanctuary,
often marking themselves with the sign of the cross in remembrance of their baptism.
honden (Japanese)
Shinto: Inner sanctuary of a shrine, standing behind
the haiden. Behind the haiden and not entered by the public is the smaller and
higher honden, in which the kami is presumed
to reside.
hondo
Buddhist (Zen): A formal hall for rituals and ceremonies with an altar against
a wall.
honsha (Japanese)
Shinto: A building at a shrine dedicated to the principal kami of the
shrine.
hossu (Japanese)
Buddhist (Zen): A whisk used to flick mosquitoes away, carried ceremonially by
Zen masters.
Host
Christian: The bread (or wafers) consecrated as the body of Christ during communion. As such, whether it is
consumed by those present or kept as a "reserved sacrament," it is
regarded in Roman Catholic and some other Christian denominations as an object
of veneration.
Hua To
Taoist: One of the statues found on altars representing Hua To, the
patron of healing and Chinese medicine.
huppah (Hebrew)
Jewish: A wedding canopy, traditionally suspended from four poles, each of
which is held by someone supporting it. It is also a symbolic term for marriage
itself.
husayniyya (=husseiniya,
=ziyarat khanah)
- Muslim (Shi'ite): A center for study and prayer.
- Muslim (Shi'ite): An area of an imambargah where devotional objects are kept.
hypostyle
A hall in which the roof is supported by a multitude of columns spaced at
regular, close intervals.
I
I Ching (=Yi
Jing) (Chinese: "book of changes")
Confucian: One of the Five Classics, it is a
collection of texts on divination based on a set of 64 hexagrams made by
various combinations of broken and unbroken lines reflecting the relationship
between the two basic forces in nature and human society (yin, yang). Each
hexagram is determined by casting 49 yarrow stalks, and each has a short,
cryptic interpretation. These have subsequently been expanded in the
appendices, which are attributed to Confucius, but which date from the Former
Han dynasty.
icon
Christian (Eastern Orthodox): A sacred image (usually of Jesus, Mary or one of
the Saints) painted on wood, which, because it is regarded as partaking of the
reality which it represents, is considered worthy of veneration in itself.
Icons are mounted on the iconostasis of an Orthodox church,
on a separate stand in the nave of the church
where believers on entry can kiss it in veneration, or in the icon corner of an
Orthodox home.
iconostasis (Greek)
Christian (Eastern Orthodox): The dividing wall between nave
and sanctuary in Orthodox churches,
usually with a central and two side entrances and panels for icons. The
main icons depict Christ as Savior, Mary as Mother of God, the Last
Supper, the four Evangelists, archangels and saints.
iglesia (Spanish: "church")
imambarghah
Muslim (Shi'ite): Building used for the performance
of religious activities.
impost
indent
A shape chiselled out in a stone slab (usually) to
hold an effigy, often of brass.
interlace
Decoration which crosses under and over corresponding architectural elements.
intrados (=soffit)
The inner curve or underside of an arch.
Ionic
One of the Classical orders of architecture, typified
by capitals decorated with a spiral motif.
iwan (Arabic)
A vaulted hall or room usually enclosed on three sides with the fourth opening
into a courtyard.
J
jadun
A large vessel holding drinking water at public places, including sanctuary complexes, in India.
jalabiyya
- Muslim (esp. Gulf
States): A button-through, neck-to-ankle coat worn by women.
- Muslim (esp. Gulf
States): A loose-fitting robe worn by men.
jamb
The straight sides of a doorway, archway or window; the sides of an opening
upon which the lintel rests.
jami' (Arabic)
Muslim: The major mosque in a city, the one used for Friday midday prayers.
jazira (=Al Jazira,
=jazeerah; Arabic: "island",
"peninsula")
- Common usage: The name
of an Arabic-language television service.
- Common usage: The
Arabian Peninsula.
- Common usage: The land
in northern Iraq and Syria between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
- Common usage: A
province in modern Syria.
jerkinhead
A type of roofline popular in
medieval architecture where the end of a roof is formed into a shape
intermediate between a gable and a hip. The gable rises about halfway to the ridge, resulting in a
truncated shape, the roof being inclined backward from this level. (for more, click here)
jhya
In Indian subcontinent architecture: carved window.
jinja (Japanese)
Shinto: A shrine. Taisha jingu-ji are used to describe
especially important shrines. The typical shrine consists of several buildings.
The largest is usually the haiden.
Behind it, and not entered by the public, is the smaller and higher honden, in which the kami resides.
joist
The beam supporting a floor; horizontal timbers in a building, laid parallel to
each other with their upper edges rebated to receive the boards of a floor. The
underside either forms the ceiling of the room below or has ceiling lathe
nailed to it.
jubé (French)
Christian: The French name for rood screen.
jingu-ji (=jungu, =gingan-ji, =jingo-ji, =jinko-ji, =jingu-in; Japanese,
"divine palace")
Shinto/Buddhist: An especially important shrine (see also jinja).
K
Ka'ba (=kabbah,
Arabic)
[incomplete]
Muslim: Legend says the Ka'ba was built by Abraham.
Muslim: Name of the sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca containing a sacred
black meteorite. Muslims pray toward the Ka'ba, which
serves as a unifying force.
kaccha (Punjabi)
Sikh: Short pants, one of the five "k's"
which are required of the Khalsa.
kaffiyah
Muslim (Arab, esp. Palestinian): A checked headdress (either black/white or
red/white) commonly worn by men nd considered a
nationalist symbol by Palestinians.
kagura-den (Japanese)
Shinto: A building for the performance of kagura.
kalam (Arabic: "debate")
Muslim: Discussion of scholastic theology.
kami (Japanese)
Shinto: Deity, spirit of nature.
kamidana (=kami-dana;
Japanese:"god-shelf")
Shinto: Household altar. The kamidana
usually houses an o-fuda,
brought from a major shrine in the region, and prayers and food are offered
each morning and evening.
kanga (Punjabi)
Sikh: A comb; one of the five "k's"
which are required of the Khalsa.
kanjur
Buddhist (Tibetan): The canonical collection of the teachings of Buddha, numbering 108 volumes and arranged and edited by the
historian Buton (1290-1364).
kara (Punjabi)
Sikh: A steel bracelet; one of the five "k's" which are required of the Khalsa.
karah prasad
(Punjabi)
Sikh: The sacramental food distributed in gurdwaras and at the conclusion of important rituals.
The food (prasad) which should be prepared in
a large iron pan (karah), comprises equal
parts of coarsely refined wheat flour (semolina), sugar and ghee. When
distributed, it must be offered to all, regardless of caste, creed or status.
Karbala
Muslim (Shi'ite): sacred site [incomplete]
karpas
Jewish: Vegetables (usually celery tops, parsley or onion) dipped in salt water
during a Passover Seder symbolize
the tears of slavery.
kata
Buddhist (Tibetan): A ceremonial scarf presented to important people.
katsuogi (Japanese)
Ridge billets which restrain the ridge boards of a roof and help anchor the
traditional roof thatch of miscanthus grass.
kesh (Punjabi)
Sikh: Uncut hair, including body hair; one of the five "k's" which are required of the Khalsa.
keys
Christian: In sacred depictions, keys indicate that the man portrayed is St. Peter.
keystone<A?
- Architecture:
The central locking stone at the apex (top) of an arch
or rib; sometimes carved.
- Archaic: An engraved
stone containing mystical secrets; =clef de voûte.
khat (Nepalese)
Hindu: An enclosed wooden shrine, similar in appearance to the portable shrines
carried during processions.
khata Hindu/Buddhist: Offering scarf.
king post
Vertical roof beam joining the tie beam to the ridge above.
kiosk
- A light, open pavilion
usually supported by pillars.
- A tall, round structure
in an urban area used for the posting of bills and other advertising
material.
kirpan (Punjabi)
Sikh: A dagger, one of the five "k's"
which are required of the Khalsa.
kittel (Hebrew)
Jewish: A white gown worn by the rabbi, cantor, and other people who help
conduct the service in the synagogue for Yom Kippur.
Kojiki (Japanese: "Chronicles of Ancient
Events")
Shinto: The first of the two major scriptures (the second is the Nihonskoki).
kora Hindu/Buddhist: Ritual circuit (clockwise
for Buddhists and counter-clockwise for Bonpos
Koran (= Qur'an) (Arabic)
Muslim: Old-style English transliteration of the Arabic word denoting the book
of Muslim holy scriptures; see Qur'an.
kusti
Zorastrian: The sacred belt worn by male believers.
kuttab (pl. katatib;
Arabic)
Muslim: An Islamic primary school where Qur'an recitation
and the Arabic alphabet are taught.
L
lamb
(animal)
[incomplete]
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): In sacred depiction, a lamb indicates the
female depicted is St. Agnes.
Jewish: Roasted lamb shank, served at a Passover
Seder, symbolizes the sacrificial Passover
lamb.
lancet
Narrow, sharp-pointed arch or window common in early
Gothic-style buildings with radii much larger than the span.
langar (Punjabi)
Sikh: A communal kitchen in or adjacent to a gurdwara.
lantern
- Architectural element
atop a cupola, usually with a light inside.
- Turret with windows,
often topping a dome.
- A small circular or
polygonal turret with windows all around, crowning a roof or dome.
- A lamp suspended from a
ceiling or other high place.
- A portable lamp.
Lao Tzu
Taoist: One of the statues found on altars representing Lao Tzu.
Latin cross
lean-to
A structure consisting of three walls and a pitched roof built against the side
of an existing building to create additional room or storage.
lectern
lhakhang
Hindu/Buddhist: Chapel.
Li Ching (=Classic of Rites; Chinese)
Confucian: One of the Five Classics included in the
canon, it is a collection of three books on the Li (rights of
propriety): Chou Li (Rites of Chou), I Li (Ceremonies and Rites),
and Li Chi (Record of Rites).
lights
Openings between the mullions of a window.
lily (flower)
Christian: A saint portrayed in a sacred
depiction holding a lily is considered to be a virgin.
linenfold
[incomplete]
lingam
Hindu: An upright, narrow stone, symbolizing the male sexual aspect; usually
placed with a yoni.
lintel
- Horizontal beam, made
of wood or stone, spanning the top of an opening (usually a window or
doorway).
- An upper horizontal
element spanning a doorway or window, supported at each end by the
upright jambs.
litham (Arabic)
Muslim (African): A mouth veil worn by some Saharan people.
liturgical art
- Christian: Art that
makes visible the unseen presence of God.
- Christian: Art before
which prayers are said.
loggia
lotus
Architectural design motif based on lotus flower (a water lily).
Lotus Sutra
Buddhist (Mayayana): An important sutra, compiled in
phases up to about 100 CE. It teaches that the forms taken by
Buddhist doctrine are provisional only and are provided in accordance with the
abilities of its recipients.
louver (=louvre)
Slat that can be angled to admit air, while preventing rain or direct sunlight
from entering the building.
low side window
Christian: A window usually on the south side of the chancel, lower than
the others, possibly intended for communication between persons outside the chancel
and the priest within; perhaps also for the sanctus
bell to be heard outside the church.
lozenge
A diamond shape.
lucarne
A small opening in a spire.
Lu Dong Bin
Taoist: One of the Eight Immortals found on A
HREF="#altar">altars: the patron of martial artists and a major
spirit worshiped by Long-Men sect Taoists.
lulav
Jewish: Plant used in the celebration of Sukkot.
It is the tall, skinny branch (actually large leaf) of a palm tree. It is
generally green with a point at one end. The circumference is basically
triangular. It has a spine that runs up the back and a yellowish base.
Lun Yu (=Analects)
Confucian: One of the Four Books which are part of the
Confucian Canon.
lunette
A semicircular opening; or, any flat, semicircular surface.
lych gate
Christian (especially English, Anglican or Episcopal): A covered wooden gateway
with open sides at the entrance of a churchyard,
providing a resting place for a coffin (the word lych
is Saxon for corpse). Part of the burial service is sometimes read there.
M
machicoulis
A hole in the ceiling of a large gateway through which objects such as stones
could be dropped as weapons.
madrasa (=medrese; pl. madaris; Arabic)
- Muslim: An institution
of higher learning in traditional Islamic education.
- Muslim: Any secondary
school teaching the Islamic sciences.
- Muslim (Sunni): A
school for teaching shari'a.
magneh
Muslim (esp. Iran): A cowl-like headcovering worn by
women.
Mahabharata
Hindu: The "Great Epic of the Bharatas,"
containing 90,000 stanzas, is a compilation of ancient Indian epic material
made probably between the 2nd Century BCE and the end of the 1st Century CE. It
includes the Bhagavadgita.
mahavihara
Hindu/Buddhist: Large monastery.
makarantan allo
(Hausa)
Muslim(African): Equivalent to kuttab.
makarantan ilmi
(Hausa)
Muslim (African): Equivalent to madrasa.
maktab (Arabic)
Muslim: A school for the teaching of the Qur'an at the
primary level of education, often part of or adjacent to a mosque.
Mala
(see also rosary)
Hindu: A prayer string with 108 beads.
mamposteria
A rough concrete made of rubble.
mandala (Sanskrit)
- In Eastern religious
traditions: A marked-out area or a raised earthen platform, representing
the cosmos in miniature and used as a place of purification, initiation
and meditation.
- Buddhist (Tibetan): A
sacred diagram envisioned as an aid to meditation that is often created
in colored sand for a specific purpose, and then destroyed.
- Buddhist/Hindu: A
complex design intended to focus attention during meditation.
- A schematized
representation of the cosmos, chiefly characterized by a concentric
organization of geometric shapes, each of which contains an image of a
deity or an attribute of a deity.
- A symbol representing
the effort to reunify the self.
mandap
Hindu/Buddhist: A roofless Tantric shrine made of brick or wood.
mandapa
Hindu: A hallway in a temple.
mandir ("abiding place",
"dwelling")
Hindu: The word commonly used to denote a temple.
mani
Buddhist (Tibetan): A prayer inscribed in rock in high mountain areas.
Mannerism
A stylistic trend of 16th-century Italian architecture, that departed from Classical conventions of orders and proportion to produce
an exaggerated effect by subverting and manipulating architectural forms.
maqsurah (=maqsura,
Arabic)
martyrium
Christian:
- A shrine or church erected on the site of a martyrdom.
- A martyr’s tomb.
- A site referring to an
event in Christ's life or Passion.
mashhad (Arabic)
- Muslim: A shrine.
- Muslim: Tomb of a shahid.
masjid (plural: masajid)
(Arabic; often transliterated as mosque)
Muslim: Literally, a place of prostration or prayer, hence the place where
Muslims perform the five daily prayers and the congregational prayer on
Fridays.
masjid al-jami
(Arabic: "congregational mosque")
Muslim: The place where congregational prayer is held on Fridays, in which the
solidarity of believers is expressed in communal prayer; sometimes called a
Friday Mosque.
masonry
Usually, building work in stone; sometimes the term includes work in brick or
concrete.
math
Hindu: A priest’s house.
matla'
Muslim: The horizon, where the sun or moon rises.
matzos
[incomplete]
Jewish: Served during a Passover
Seder, symbolizes the bread of affliction of the Israelite slaves in Egypt.
Usually served in a special three-tiered holder.
mausoleum
A magnificent and stately tomb. The term derives from the tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus (located near the Mediterranean
coast of contemporary Turkey), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Medina (=Madina, Arabic:
"city")
Place name: The western Arabian oasis community (known as Yathrib
in pre-Islamic times) to which Muhammad moved his new
politico-religious community in 622 CE.
Medina al-Rasul (Arabic: "city of the
prophet")
Full name of Medina, a city on the Arabian peninsula.
meditation beads (Vietnamese: trang
hat)
(see also rosary)
Buddhist: A symbol of unity and harmony among all beings. The strand is
composed of beads on a string, each representing an individual. However, each
bead is not isolated and independent, but connected with all the others.
mehean (Armenian; "temple")
Meng Tzu (=Mencius)
Confucian: One of the Four Books that are included in
the Confucian Canon.
menorah (plural: menorot;
Hebrew: "candelabrum")
- Jewish: A candelabrum
with seven branches used in ritual.
- Jewish: The seven-branched
oil lamp used in the Tabernacle and temple.
- Jewish: The Hanukkah
menorah has eight branches plus a special shammes
candle that is used to kindle the others one by one.
metope
The section of a Classical entablature
between triglyphs that is left plain or with carved decoration.
mezquita
Muslim (Spanish/Moorish): A mosque, but especially La Mezquita de Còrdoba, Spain.
mezuzah (Hebrew: "doorpost")
Jewish: Inside is a parchment roll on which the first two paragraphs of the shema are
handwritten. A mezuzah is attached to every doorpost in the traditional Jewish
home, usually inside a decorated case. It is customary for Orthodox Jews to
kiss the mezuzah on entering or leaving a house.
- Jewish: A box hung on
the doorpost of a home, containing scriptural verses
- Jewish: A charm worn
around the neck, containing scriptural verses.
minaret
(=minara, =mi'dhara;
Arabic)
Muslim: The tall, usually slender, tower of a mosque from
which Muslims hear the call to prayer five times a day either from a mu'adhdhin
or (increasingly) a recording of a mu'adhdhin's call played over
a loudspeaker. Traditional Arabian-style minarets have one or more projecting
balconies on which the mu'adhdhin stands to call the people to prayer.
minbar (Arabic)
minster
miqvah (=miqveh, =mikveh) (Hebrew:
"collection of water")
Jewish: A pool or "gathering" of natural or clear water in or near a synagogue used for ritutal
purification, immersion in which renders an individual ritually clean. A miqvah is used by women to prepare to resume sexual
relations with their husbands following the completion of their menstrual
cycles, and by men to prepare for Sabbaths and holy days.
mirador (=belvedere)
misericord (or, miserere)
Christian: A bracket on the underside of the seat of a hinged choir stall
which, when turned up, serves as a support for the occupant while standing
during a long service.
Mishnah
[incomplete]
missal
Christian (Roman Catholic): A liturgical book used since the Middle Ages,
containing the texts and instructions necessary for the celebration of the
Mass.
miter (=mitre)
Christian (esp. Roman
Catholic): A ceremonial hat; usually refers to hat worn by a bishop.
miter and stick
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): A man portrayed in a sacred depiction with a
miter and stick was a bishop.
miya (Japanese)
Shinto: One of several terms for a shrine.
modillion
An ornamental bracket under the corona of a cornice.
mokugyo (Japanese)
Buddhist (East Asian): A wooden fish-shaped drum used in temples.
moldings (=mouldings)
Decorative profile or contours given to a projecting part, such as a ceiling cornice.
mole
A massive wall projecting as a breakwater.
monastery
- Buddhist: Fixed abode
of a community of monks or nuns.
- Christian: Fixed abode
of a community of (normally, at least 12) monks, canons regular or nuns. Normally it
consists of a church, chapter-house, cloisters, refectory, cells or
common dormitory, the superior's apartments, library and work-rooms,
guest quarters, and parlor for visitors. A Roman Catholic monastery is generally an abbey or a priory.
monolith
A single stone, usually in the form of a monument or column.
monstrance
Christian (especially Roman Catholic): A holder for the Host
in which the latter can be seen and venerated.
mortar
Material made usually from cement, sand and lime. It is used as a bond between
bricks and stone.
mosaic
Decorative design made up of small squares of colored glass, stone, marble or
tile. NOTE: if capitalized, can also be an adjective referring to Moses of the
Old Testament.
mosque (from the Arabic: masjid,
"a place of prostration or prayer")
Muslim: The building in which the five daily prayers and the congregational
prayer on Fridays take place; in this latter sense, the edifice is also called
a masjid al-jami,
congregational mosque, in which the solidarity of believers is expressed in
communal prayer.
mullion
- The decorative internal
support within large Gothic windows.
- A narrow upright stone pier used to divide the panels of glass in a window.
- Fixed vertical members
dividing a window.
Mozarab
Christian: A church or other religious edifice built by
Christians living under Muslim rule.
Mudéjar
Muslim/Christian (Spanish/Moorish): The architectural style develped
by Muslims working for Christians.
munja
Hindu: The sacred thread worn by brahman and chhetri males from the time of puberty.
muqarnas (Arabic)
- Muslim: Quintessential
form of Islamic decoration and construction using an elaborately molded corbel to created the characteristic honeycomb or stalactitle form of arch-and-vaulted structures.
- Muslim
(Spanish/Moorish): The hanging masonry effect resulting from the multiple
use of suport elements.
myrtle
Jewish: Plant used in the celebration of Sukkot.
N
naivedya
Hindu: Food offered to a deity.
nani
Buddhist: A type of bahal
containing a large courtyard surrounded by residences, also including a shrine.
naos (= cella)
nath (“place”)
nave
Christian: The main or central area of a church where the
congregation usually stands (or sits). Generally, the longitudinal western arm
of a Christian church, but more specifically the middle
section of the western arm, with aisles on either side.
Derived from the Latin navis, meaning ship,
symbolizing a contained vessel ferrying souls from damnation to redemption.
nazr
Muslim (Shi'ite): Religious offering.
necropolis (Greek: "city of the dead")
A cemetery in which provision is made for the continued welfare of the dead
interred therein on the assumption of their continued existence.
Ner Tamid
(Hebrew: "perpetual light")
Jewish: A light (now more often electric than an oil lamp) that burns
perpetually in synagogues as a symbolic reminder of the temple
menorah.
New American Testament
Civil Religion: The American scripture: Declaration of Independence,
Constitution (esp. the Preamble) and the Gettysburg Address.
New Testament
- Christian: The
collection of works in Greek that eventually came to be agreed upon as
normative or "canonical" for the Christian Church in addition
to the Bible inherited from Judaism. It consists of the four Gospels, the
Acts of the Apostles, the epistles (letters) of various disciples and the
Book of Revelation. The New Testament is understood as the scriptural
record of the new covenant, which God has made with his people, now taken
to include the whole of mankind.
- Christian: The second
section of the Bible.
- Christian (Roman
Catholic): The New Testament consists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
of the Apostles, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Phlemon, Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude,
Apocalypse.
- Christian (Roman
Catholic): The texts compiled by Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria in 367
CE and ratified by the Church Council of Hippo in 393 and by the Council
of Carthage in 397.
- Christian (Protestant):
The New Testament consists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the
Apostles, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews,
James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, Revelation.
- A recess in a wall,
often specifically designed to accommodate a statue
- Jewish: This recess is
intended to direct the worshipper's focus toward Jerusalem.
- Muslim: A recess called mihrab indicating the direction (qibla ) of Mecca, towards which the Muslim worshipper must face while performing prayer.
O
o-fuda (Japanese)
Shinto/Buddhist: A wooden or paper amulet on which is written the name of a
deity. The o-fuda is taken home from the shrine or temple, placed on the kamidana) and
worshipped to obtain divine aid.
ogee
A double-curved line made up of a convex and a concave part.
oklad (Russian)
Christian (Eastern): An ornamented and often bejeweled metal cover originally
made to protect especially treasured icons, later made together with the
icon, revealing only the face and hands of the sacred figures. The oklad is an extension of the riaa, which leaves the whole body visible and which
was itself an extension of the basma, an
ornamental metal covering for the frame only.
Old Testament
Christian: The term used to describe the Hebrew Bible from a Christian standpoint.
- Christian
(Roman Catholic): The Old Testament consists of Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue, Judges,
Ruth, 1-4 Kings, 1-2 Paralipompenon, 1-2 Esdras, Tobias, Judith, Esthe,
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticle of Canticles, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Isaias, Jeremias, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezechiel,
Daniel, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharias, Malachias,
1-2 Machabees.
- Christian
(Protestant): The Old Testament consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2
Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea,
Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi
orders
The styles of Classical architecture, defined by the
designs of their columns and entablatures. The three Greek orders are >Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
The Romans added Tuscan and Composite.
Ordinal
British. 1550. Book providing a standard form of the church service.
oriel
A window projecting from the flat face of a wall, on an upper story, and usually
curved.
orientation
P
panjatan
Muslim (Shi'ite): Five-fingered hand representing the
Five Holy Ones of Shi'a
Islam.
parapet
parchment
Common usage: Scraped and dried animal skins used as a writing surface.
parclose
Christian: A screen enclosing a chapel or shrine and separating it from the
main body of the church so as to exclude non-worshippers.
parekklesion (Greek)
Christian (Eastern) A chapel, either free-standing or attached.
parvis (or, parvise)
Christian (Western):
pedestal
In Classical architecture, the base
supporting a column or colonnade; also, more loosely, the base
for a statue or any superstructure.
pediment
In Classical architecture, a triangular
section of wall above the entablature and below the gabled roof, that can be, instead,
semicircular in shape.
pendentive
Carved triangular surface formed to support a circular dome over a square
structure. More specifically, a concave spandrel leading from the angle of two
walls to the base of a circular dome. It is one of the means by which a
circular dome is supported over a square or polygonal compartment.
Pentateuch
Jewish/Christian: The first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy. Also called the "Law".
peripteros (Greek)
A temple with a single range of columns
around it.
peristyle
A continuous range of columns surrounding the main body of a building, or the colonnade around the inside of a court or
room; the term is rarely used for an external colonnade.
pew
piano nobile (Italian)
The main living floor of a house raised above ground level, usually on pilotis.
pier
- The
solid masonry support (pillar or column) that supports an arch or bridge.
- The
structural support in a building, usually of solid masonry, but larger
and less decorative than a column.
- Any
solid mass of masonry between openings.
- A squat
medieval and Romanesque forms of columns, often changing in section from
square to circular or polygonal.
- A
compound pier (or clustered pier) is a pier comprising a number of
shafts, common in Gothic architecture.
pilaster
A shallow pier or rectangular column projecting only
slightly from a wall; an adaptation of any Classical order, rectangular in section
and applied to or emerging from a wall, usually by one sixth of its breadth.
pillar
A free-standing upright member, which, unlike a column, need not be cylindrical
or conform with any of the architectural orders.
pile
A shaft of wood or concrete, which is driven into the ground as part of the
foundations of the building.
piloti
(Italian)
Slender post or stilt raising a building off the ground, thereby leaving the
ground floor open.
pinnacle
A small turret-like termination crowning spires, buttresses, the angles of
parapets, etc., usually of steep pyramidal or conical shape and ornamented.
piscina
Christian: A stone vessel or basin containing water, usually set in or against
a wall to the south of the altar for cleaning communion utensils;
usually provided with a drain.
pith
Hindu/Buddhist: An open shrine dedicated to a Tantric Goddess.
plinth
The projecting base of a wall; or, the lowest part of a column base.
pointed arch (or, equilateral arch)
An arch produced by two curves, each with a
radius equal to the span and meeting in a point at the top.
polyhedral dome
A convex roof on a polygonal base whose sides meet at the top of the dome.
pondok pesantren
(Indonesian)
Muslim (Indonesian): An Islamic boarding school with a traditional curriculum
based on the Qur'an.
porch
The covered entrance to a building; called a portico if columned and pedimented like a temple front.
portal
Prophets
Jewish: Part of the Hebrew Bible consisting of the books of:
Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeemiah,
Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah,
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
Protocols
of the Learned Elders of Zion
[xxxx]
pulpit
- Christian:
Clergy adress the congregation from a raised,
separate partial enclosure of wood or stone in a church. It is often elaborately carved and
sometimes includes an acoustic canopy above called a sounding board or
tester.
- Christian:
The person who is giving the sermon stands in the pulpit, sometimes
elevated above the congregation as much as 15 feet (in Colonial churches) when height was necessary
so clergy could be seen/heard in the back of the church.
QR
qibla (=kibla, =quibla) (Arabic)
quadrangle
Four-sided enclosure or courtyard surrounded by buildings on all sides.
quatrefoil
See foil.
quoins
The dressed stones at the corners of buildings, usually laid so that their
faces are alternately large and small; often the largest stones in a wall.
Qur'an (=Koran; Arabic:
"recitation")
[incomplete]
Muslim: Islamic scripture; the sacred book, the uncreated word of God, hence
pre-existent to the world and to man, whose archetype is laid up in heaven. The
scripture is the corpus of revelations granted by Allah to His Messenger
Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel, but the message is God's alone without
any human interference. (Qur'an is preferred to
the alternate transliteration, Koran.)
rakhi
Hindu: [incomplete].
Ramayana
Hindu: The epic story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya,
and his devout and noble wife, Sita; a Sanskrit
composition in 24,000 stanzas attributed to the ancient Indian sage and poet Valmiki.
rangjung
Hindu/Buddhist: "self manifesting" -- refers to sacred objects (such
as handprints, footprints, statues, stones etc.) that originated miraculously.
Rationalism
Architectural movement in Europe seeking to adopt rationalized and reasoned
solutions to design problems, in opposition to historicist and formulaic design
traditions. Usually realized throug a conscious
expression of structural system and constructional materials. The movement
emerged through the 18th century architecture of the French Enlightenment.
Developed throught the 20th century in the teaching
of the TGerman Bauhaus; it became a central principle
of Modernism.
rebate
A continuous rectangular notch or groove cut on an edge, so that a plank, door,
etc., may be fitted into it.
red
- Christian
(esp. Roman Catholic): A fragment (usually bone, tooth, dried blood) from
the body of a saint.
- Christian:
Any object associated with a saint. ("Relics are not just body
parts. Saints also had possessions. They wore clothes and jewelry. They
touched things. Eventually, the Catholic Church put in place a system for
classifying relics: A first-class relic was a body part of a saint; a
second-class relic was a saint's possession; a third-class relic was an
object that had touched a first-class relic; and a fourth-class relic—the
least valuable but the easiest to produce—was an object that had touched
a second-class relic.")
- Buddhist:
A fragment (usually bone, tooth, dried blood) from the body of the Buddha or another holy person.
reveal
That part of a jamb which lies between the glass or door and the outer wall
surface.
riaa (Russian)
Christian (Eastern Orthodox): An ornamented and often bejeweled metal cover for
an icon, which leaves the whole body visible.
(see also oklad)
rice
See: akshatha
xxxx
rib
rib vault
A groin vault reinforced by ribs, one in which the intersections of the
surfaces are marked by projecting bands of stone that form arches.
rikhi doro
Hindu: A golden thread which Shiva devotees tie around their
wrists to ward off evil and disease.
Romanesque
architecture
The architectural style that developed between the end of the Roman Empire and
around 1000 CE is characterized by round arches,
simple vaults, and, sometimes, Corinthian capitals; churches were often build to the Romans'
basilica design with the addition of facades with rows of arches and frontages with twin towers.
(This style preceded Gothic.) In Midwestern vernacular church
architecture, look for square floor plan, round arch
and vault, and windows with round tops.
rood (Saxon: "cross" or
"crucifix")
Christian: In Saxon churches the cross or crucifix was set up
at the east end of the nave, flanked by figures of the Virgin and
St. John. It was usually wooden and fixed to a special beam in the chancel arch above the rood loft. Sometimes the rood is painted on the wall above
the chancel arch.
rood
loft
Christian: A gallery built above the rood screen, often to carry the rood or other images and candles;
approached by stairs either of wood or built in the wall.
rood screen
Christian: A screen below the rood, set across the east end of the nave and shutting off the chancel.
roosarie
see also shayla
Muslim (Shi'ite, esp. Iran): A woman's headscarf.
rosary
A set of pebbles, a string of knots in a cord or a string of beads used for
counting prayers.
- Christian
(Roman Catholic): A Roman Catholic rosary usually has 55 or, less
commonly, 165 beads, and may be used for counting the number of times the
Ave Maria is to be said while meditating on events in the life of Christ.
- Buddhist:
Buddhist rosaries vary considerably but may also be used for counting
simple devotional phrases; when 108 beads are counted they refer to the
108 human passions referred to in Buddhist teaching.
rose
Design motif based on flower of the same name.
- rose
window: Curved stone mullions reminiscent of petals divide a circular
window permitting elaborate decorative tracery and stained glass work.
This large, round, stained glass window usually is placed in the western
façade of a Gothic style church or cathedral.
rosette: A small rose design
motif.
Tudor rose" Design motif
with stylized rose typical of Tudor period in English history
(1485-1603).
S
sabil
Muslim (Shi'ite): Stands set up for the distribution
of water as a pious action during Muharram.
sacraments
Christian: The consecrated elements of the Eucharist.
(see also Sacraments in part two of this glossary)
sacristy
Christian: A room near the altar in which liturgical vessels and
vestments are kept and prepared. The sacristy may also function as a vestry,
where the vestments are donned, but sometimes there is an additional vestry,
especially for servers and choir members It is an area outside public area of
the chancel, usually with countertops and running water for preparation of
communion items before the service begins; an area where clergy wait or prepare
for the worship service. (=diaconikon in Greek
Orthodox churches)
salt
[incomplete]
Common usage: Evil spirits detest salt.
Common usage (subsidiary): Salt protects against the evil eye.
Jewish: A symbol of the eternal nature of God's covenant with the Jews.
Jewish (ritual): Dipping the Sabbath bread (food) in salt (which preserves it)
symbolizes the keeping of the covenant between God and the Jews.
Jewish: Traditional to bring gift of bread and salt to a new house.
Jewish: Karpas dipped in salt water, a symbol of
tears [incomplete].
Muslim: Salt used to seal a bargain. Christian (Roman Catholic): Sal Sapientia, Salt of Wisdom.
Voodoo: Can bring a zombie back to life with salt.
saltire
Christian: X-shaped cross. St. Andrew was martyred on a saltire.
salwar kameez (=shalwar kameez)
Muslim (esp. south Asia): A calf-length tunic worn over pants by both men and
women.
sanctuary
- sanctuary (as an architectural
concept): The sanctuary balances and integrates the upward energy of a
steeple or sky door (opening in ceiling). The portal signals the
transition from the chaos of the outer world to the peace of the inner
one; it marks the first step in the healing of the psyche. The central aisle passing through the middle of
the sanctuary marks the passage to enlightenment, the process of healing.
To the sides of the central aisle are places to sit in subdued
light. Mind and body can become absorbed in silence and wholeness,
pausing in the stillness before taking the next steps of the journey
toward the altar. The altar
signals the place of arrival and rebirth. (adapted from The Temple in
the Home)
- Any
holy or sacred space.
- Any
specific location where the divine is present.
- Christian:
From Byzantine architecture onwards, the area, usually at the east end of
the church, containing the main altar.
- Christian:
The area around the main altar of a church.
screen
A partition or enclosure of iron, stone, or wood, often carved. (See, for
example, iconostasis, rood screen.)
Scripture (=Scriptures)
[incomplete]
Holy writing; holy book, holy script; sacred written words.
Examples: Bible, Qur'an, xxxx.
scroll
An ornament in the form of a scroll of paper partly rolled, or a molding in
such a form.
sedilla
Christian: A trio of wooden seats in a sanctuary for the priest and his
helpers.
segment
Part of a circle smaller than a semicircle.
segmental
arch
An arch that is a segment of a circle drawn
from a center below the springing line.
semantron
Christian (Greek Orthodox): A long bar of wood struck with a mallet to summon
worshippers to the church.
seo (Spanish: "cathedral")
Septuagint
Jewish/Christian: The Greek translation of the Hebrew
Bible, begun at Alexandria, Egpyt,
in the 3rd Century BCE for the benefit of the Greek-speaking
Jewish community in that area. Since the 1st Century CE,
the Septuagint has been the standard version of the Hebrew Bible for
Greek-speaking Christians.
shaft
- The trunk
of a column between the base and capital.
- The
vertical, often fluted, portion of a column.
- The
body of a column or Order between the base and the capital, often fluted.
- In
medieval architecture, one of the narrow vertical parts which together
form a pier or pillar, or window and door
surrounds.
signaculum (Latin)
sikhara (Hindi?)
sill
The lower horizontal part of a window frame.
sirdar (Nepalese)
Hindu: A votive mixture made of red dust combined with mustard oil.
slype
Christian: A covered way or passage, especially in a cathedral
or monastic church, leading east from the cloisters
between transept and chapterhouse.
sodo
Buddhist (Zen): A formal hall for meditation, meals, and sleeping with an altar
in the center.
soffit
The underside of any architectural element.
solea
Christian: A raised pathway projecting from the bema
to the ambo, especially in Early Christian and Byzantine-style churches.
sormah
Muslim (Shi'ite): A mascara-like eye decoration worn
by men.
sotoba (Japanese)
Buddhist: Long wooded memorial tablets in cemeteries, notched in five sections
at the top and bearing appropriate inscriptions.
spandrel
The triangular space between the side of an arch, the horizontal drawn from the
level of its apex, and the vertical of its springing; also used to describe the
surface between two arches in an arcade, and the surface of a vault between
adjacent ribs.
spire (=attice)
A tall pyramidal, polygonal, or conical structure rising from a tower, turret
or roof (usually, of a church) and terminating in a point. Two
common types are broach (octagonal rising directly from a tower) and needle
(thin spire rising from the center of tower roof).
spoglia
Materials reused from a ruined building.
Spring and Autumn Annals (=Ch'un Ch'iu)
Confucian: One of the Five Elements which are part of the Confucian
Canon, it includes extracts from the history of the Chinese state of Lu from
722 to 484 BCE, said to have been compiled by Confucius.
springing line
The level at which an arch springs from its supports.
squinch
- Christian
(Roman Catholic): A series of 14 carvings or paintings, usually hung on
the walls of the nave of a church, which show the sequence of incidents at
the end of Christ's life, before which prayers are said, especially
during Lent and in particular on Good Friday.
- Christian
(Roman Catholic): A series of 14 free-standing sculptures used as
devotional aids, often in a garden setting.
steeple
Christian: The tower and spire of a church
taken together.
stele
A stone slab, usually inscribed, and used as a gravestone or, with a historical
or religious inscription, placed in a temple.
stoa
A detached colonnade found in Classical
Greek architecture.
stoup
Christian (Roman Catholic): A vessel to contain Holy
Water, placed near the entrance of a church;
usually in the form of a shallow dish set against a wall or pier or in a niche.
string course
A continuous projecting horizontal band set inthe
surface of an exterior wall and usually molded.
structure
In architecture: The “bones” of a building, its skeleton, its framework.
stucco
Plaster work used in imitation of stone, often decorately
incised or elaborately molded.
stupa
(Sanskrit: "cairn", "monument")
Buddhist: A dome-shaped or bell-shaped mound, a stylized tumulus, commemorating
the death of a Buddha or other enlightened person and
usually containing relics. The dome of the stupa symbolizes the universe; the four gates at the four
corners of a surrounding wall symbolize the winds. In a typical Buddhist stupa, five geometric forms are stacked to represent the
universe: the square at the base symbolizes the earth; the circle equals water;
the triangle, fire; the crescent, air, and the diamond
represents the ethereal qualities of space.
stylobate
Continuous base supporting a row or rows of columns.
sukkah (Hebrew: "tabernacle")
Jewish: A temporary structure built especially for the festival of Sukkot. Most
are set up in backyards, on porches or balconies. A sukkah
has no solid roof. Rather it is covered with branches, leaves or other natural
growth. The covering is supposed to be thick enough to provide shade, but light
enough that one can still see the stars at night shining through it.
Sunday clothes (=Sunday best)
Christian (American): Vernacular term, especially in Appalachia, for a man's
best suit of clothes or a woman's best dress, worn only to Sunday morning church services, weddings, funerals or
other special events.
sutra (Sanskrit:
"thread"; =Pali: sutta)
Sutra Pitaka
(Sanskrit)
Buddhist: The discourses of the Buddha. Part of the Tripitaka.
Swamini Vato
Hindu (Gujarati): "The Guru’s Word"; excerpts from the spiritual
talks of Akshar Brahman Gunatitanand Swami. See also: Swamini Vato.
sword and lance
Christian (esp. Roman Catholic): A man portrayed in a sacred depiction holding
a sword and lance was a soldier.
synagogue
(see also church)
T
- Christian
(especially Roman Catholic): A special receptacle, often richly decorated
and of special material, for conserving the bread or wafers consecrated
during a Mass. It is often placed on or near the main altar of a church, but large churches may have special chapels for this
"reserved sacrament.
- In
popular usage: An elaborate and/or large building used for religious
purposes.
- An
ornamented recess or receptacle to contain the Holy Sacrament or relics.
- A
free-standing canopy.
- Jewish:
see Feast of Tabernacles.
tabla
Sikh/Hindu: A traditional hand drum, often used in religious ritual on the
Indian subcontinent.
tabut
("coffin")
Muslim (Shi'ite): Replicas of coffins carried in julus.
taisha(Japanese)
Shinto: Grand shrine.
tallit (=tallis;
Hebrew or Yiddish)
Jewish: A ritual prayer shawl worn by men, with braided fringes attached to
each of its four corners.
Talmud (plural: Talmudim;
Hebrew)
Jewish:
temizuya (Japanese)
Shinto: The structure where ablutions of hands and mouth are performed near the
entrance of a Shinto shrine.
temple
terrace
A level promenade in front of a building.
terra
cotta
Fired but unglazed clay, used mainly for wall covering and ornamentation as it
can be fired in molds.
terrazzo
A flooring finish of marble chips mixed with cement mortar and laid in situ;
the surface is then ground and polished.
tesserae
The small cubes of glass, stone, marble or tile used in mosaic.
tessellated
An adjective describing a cement floor or wall covering in which tesserae are
embedded.
thangka
Buddhist: A scroll painting with a religious meaning or theme.
thobe (Arabic)
Muslim (Gulf States, esp. Saudi Arabia): A long shirt-like dress worn by men;
usually made of white cooton, but can be heavier and
darker-colored for he winter months.
tie
beam
Horizontal beam forming part of the structure of a roof. It connects two walls,
preventing them from moving apart.
tika
Hindu: A colorful vermillion powder applied to the forehead, between the eyes,
as a symbol of the presence of the divine.
tiki
Sacred statue or amulet.
topi (Nepalese)
Hindu: Formal, traditional Nepali cap worn by adult males.
Torah (Hebrew:
"teaching", "instruction", "revelation")
- Common
usage: The transverse arms of a cross-shaped church, usually between nave
and chancel, but also occasionally at the west end of the nave as well, and also doubled, with
the eastern arms farther east than the junction of nave and chancel.
- Christian
(architecture): In a Latin cross plan (as in a Gothic cathedral) the section that crosses
the nave, usually separating the nave and the choir.
- Christian
(architecture): Area of a cruciform church which laterally intersects
the main body of the building at the crossing.
- Christian
(architecture): Part of a church or cathedral built at right angles to
the nave and choir,
often housing small chapels.
trefoil
A three-lobed or leaf-shaped curve formed by the cusping
of a circle or arch.
tribune
triforum
The arcaded story between the nave arcade and the clerestory.
triglyph
A projecting block incised with two vertical grooves, producing a rhythmic
decoration on the frieze of Classical buildings.
trim
The framing or edging of openings and other features on a façade or indoors. It
is usually of a color and material different from that of the adjacent wall
surface.
Tripitaka (=tipitaka)
(Sanskrit: "three baskets")
- Christian:
The sculptural area enclosed by the arch above the main exterior doors
of a cathedral.
- The
area between the lintel of a doorway and the arch
above it; also the triangular or segmental space enclosed by the moldings
of a pediment.
- The
triangular space enclosed by the horizontal base and sloping cornices of
a pediment, often decorated.
U
V
Vachanamrut
Hindu (Gujarati): Scripture, the Lord Swaminarayan’s
spoken word; word for word compilation of 262 day to day discourses in
Gujarati. See Vachanamrut
vajra (also, dorje)
Buddhist: In Tantric Buddhism, a ritual thunderbolt or curved scepter
symbolizing the Absolute. It also representes power
and male energy.
vault
Arched masonry covering over a building, based on the shape of the arch; used
for the most part as a ceiling or roof. Common types of vaults are barrel (also
known as tunnel or wagon), groin (or cross), rib and fan.
- barrel
vault: Single vault with a continuous, semicircular section; also known
as a tunnel vault or wagon vault.
- fan
vault: A rib vault in which the ribs radiate from the springing point
like a fan. Style of vaulting typical of England in the 16th century, in
which the ribs are of equal length and form a fan shape.
- groin
vault: Two barrel vaults intersecting at right angles.
Veda (adjective: Vedic) (Sanskrit: "knowledge")
Hindu: The corpus of Hindu scriptures.
vedica (Nepalese)
Hindu: A sacrificial altar.
vihara (Sanskrit, Pali)
Buddhist: A monastery or nunnery, usually encompassing
a bahal and a bahil.
Vinaya Pitaka (Sanskrit)
Buddhist: Accounts on the origin of the sangha and
the rules of monastic discipline. Part of the Tripitaka.
volute
[incomplete]
voussoir
One of the wedge-shaped blocks, usually of stone, making up an arch or vault.
Vulgate (from Latin, editio vulgata:
"common edition")
Christian (Roman Catholic): The Latin version of the Bible
completed by St. Jerome in approximately 404 CE, which came into common use in
western Christendom, specifically Roman Catholic Christianity.
W
- ajimez (Muslim - Spanish/Moorish):
Pairs of small windows divided by a column or pier.
- lattice
window: A window with diamond-shaped leaded lights or with glazing bars
arranged like an open-work screen; any hinged window.
- leaded
lights: Rectangular or diamond-shaped panes of glass set in lead cames to form a window.
- wheel
window: A window used primarily in Romanesque architecture in which
mullions radiate from the center of the window like the spokes of a
wheel.
XYZ
yoni
Hindu: A stone with a hole in the center, symbolizing the female sexual aspect;
usually placed with a lingam.
Y'uqi qiqian
Taoist: A repository of sacred scriptures in 122 sections compiled by
Zhang Junfang during the years CE 1004-1007.
zafu
Buddhist (Zen): A small round cushion used as a seat during zazen.
zaniku (=zabuton)
Buddhist (Zen): A large rectangular flat pad placed under the zafu which
cushions the knees.
zarih
Muslim (Shi'ite): Decorative grave covering.
zendo (Japanese; =Korean: sonbang)
Buddhist (Zen): A meditation hall.
Buddhist (Zen): An informal hall for meditation, which may combine the function
and layout of a sodo and hondo.
ziggurat
A tower structure rising in consecutive and diminishing levels reached by stairs
or a ramp.
ziyarat
khanah
Muslim (Shi'ite): A place for displaying religious
artifacts evocative of the ahl al-bayt.
© Susan McKee
(created 1997)
SITE UNDER (perpetual) CONSTRUCTION
(last updated 1 March 2018)