Conjuratory
Encyclopedia
A conjuratory or exconjuratory is a small religious building from which ceremonies were conducted to bless the fields and ward off calamities caused by the weather, like storm
s, hail
and excessive rain that could ruin the harvests. Usually these buildings are attached to a church building
or a hermitage
.
Exconjuratories were usually built in a symmetrical way, with large windows open to the four cardinal points
.
They were common in the ancient villages of the Pre-Pyrenees
and the Pyrenees
, especially in Aragon
.
In some places the exconjuratory is part of the bell tower
of a church. On the fourth floor of the main tower of the Cathedral of Murcia
there are four conjuratories. Located in each corner, special ceremonies were conducted in them by priests to ward off storms that could spoil the harvest in the fields by means of the Lignum Crucis kept in the cathedral. Other towns in the Region of Murcia
like Cieza
, had conjuratories as well. Conjuratories could also be used to ward off other non-weather related catastrophical events afflicting the community, like epidemic
s and crop-damaging pests, like locust
s.
They fell into disuse centuries ago and many of the exconjuratories that have survived are in a ruined state.
) is an example of the prayers conducted in special occasions within the conjuratories:
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
s, hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
and excessive rain that could ruin the harvests. Usually these buildings are attached to a church building
Church Building
The Church Building is located at the corner of Main and Market Streets in downtown Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, just across Market Street from the Dutchess County Court House, and north of the Bardavon Theater...
or a hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
.
Exconjuratories were usually built in a symmetrical way, with large windows open to the four cardinal points
Cardinal Points
Cardinal Points is a student newspaper published in Plattsburgh, New York which serves the SUNY Plattsburgh community. The newspaper publishes 3,000 copies every Friday morning throughout the semester, from February until May 12...
.
They were common in the ancient villages of the Pre-Pyrenees
Pre-Pyrenees
The Pre-Pyrenees are the foothills of the Pyrenees.-Description:As a mountainous system the Pre-Pyrenees are part of the Pyrenees. They run parallel to the main mountain range in a west to east direction...
and the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, especially in Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
.
In some places the exconjuratory is part of the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
of a church. On the fourth floor of the main tower of the Cathedral of Murcia
Cathedral of Murcia
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia , commonly called the Cathedral of Murcia, is a church the city of Murcia, Spain...
there are four conjuratories. Located in each corner, special ceremonies were conducted in them by priests to ward off storms that could spoil the harvest in the fields by means of the Lignum Crucis kept in the cathedral. Other towns in the Region of Murcia
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast....
like Cieza
Cieza, Murcia
Cieza is a town and municipality in Spain, in the autonomous community of Murcia. It is the capital of the Vega Alta comarca, an old form of provincial subdivision). Its current population is around 40,000...
, had conjuratories as well. Conjuratories could also be used to ward off other non-weather related catastrophical events afflicting the community, like epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s and crop-damaging pests, like locust
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
s.
They fell into disuse centuries ago and many of the exconjuratories that have survived are in a ruined state.
Rituals
The Tentenublo (in SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) is an example of the prayers conducted in special occasions within the conjuratories:
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