Tintinnabulum (Ancient Rome)
Encyclopedia
In ancient Rome
, a tintinnabulum (less often tintinnum) was a wind chime
or assemblage of bells. A tintinnabulum often took the form of a bronze phallic figure or fascinum, a magico-religious phallus thought to ward off the evil eye
and bring good fortune and prosperity.
A tintinnabulum was hung outdoors in locations such as gardens
, portico
es, houses, and shops
, where the wind would cause them to tinkle. The sounds of bells were believed to keep away evil spirits; compare the apotropaic role of the bell in the "bell, book, and candle
" ritual of the earlier Catholic Church.
Hand-bells have been found in sanctuaries and other settings that indicate their religious usage
, and were used at the Temple of Iuppiter Tonans
, "Jupiter the Thunderer." Elaborately decorated pendants for tintinnabula occur in Etruscan settings
, depicting for example women carding wool, spinning, and weaving. Bells were hung on the necks of domestic animals such as horses and sheep to keep track of the animals, but perhaps also for apotropaic purposes.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, a tintinnabulum (less often tintinnum) was a wind chime
Wind chime
Wind chimes are chimes constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells or other objects and are often made of metal or wood. Wind chimes are usually hung outside of a building or residence, as a visual and aural garden ornament, and are to be played by the wind....
or assemblage of bells. A tintinnabulum often took the form of a bronze phallic figure or fascinum, a magico-religious phallus thought to ward off the evil eye
Evil eye
The evil eye is a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike...
and bring good fortune and prosperity.
A tintinnabulum was hung outdoors in locations such as gardens
Roman gardens
Roman gardens and ornamental horticulture became highly developed during the history of Roman civilization. The Gardens of Lucullus on the Pincian Hill at the edge of Rome introduced the Persian garden to Europe, around 60 BC...
, portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
es, houses, and shops
Taberna
A taberna was a single room shop covered by a barrel vault within great indoor markets of ancient Rome. Each taberna had a window above it to let light into a wooden attic for storage and had a wide doorway....
, where the wind would cause them to tinkle. The sounds of bells were believed to keep away evil spirits; compare the apotropaic role of the bell in the "bell, book, and candle
Bell, book, and candle
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" refers to a method of excommunication for one who had committed a particularly grievous sin. Apparently introduced around the late 9th century, the practice was once used by the Catholic Church; in modern times, a simple pronouncement is made...
" ritual of the earlier Catholic Church.
Hand-bells have been found in sanctuaries and other settings that indicate their religious usage
Religion in ancient Rome
Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...
, and were used at the Temple of Iuppiter Tonans
Jupiter Tonans
Jupiter Tonans, or, in Latin spelling, Iuppiter Tonans was the aspect of Jupiter venerated in the Temple of Iuppiter Tonans, which was vowed in 26 BC or BCE by Augustus and dedicated in 22 BC or BCE on the Capitoline Hill; the Emperor had narrowly escaped being struck by lightning during the...
, "Jupiter the Thunderer." Elaborately decorated pendants for tintinnabula occur in Etruscan settings
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
, depicting for example women carding wool, spinning, and weaving. Bells were hung on the necks of domestic animals such as horses and sheep to keep track of the animals, but perhaps also for apotropaic purposes.
See also
- SuperstitionSuperstitionSuperstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
- Lucky charmLucky charmLucky Charms is a breakfast cereal.Lucky charms are items within cultures that are believed to bring luck and may refer to:- Lucky Charms in Western Culture :*Four-leaf clover, an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved clover...
- Erotic art in Pompeii and HerculaneumErotic art in Pompeii and HerculaneumErotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum was discovered in the ancient cities around the bay of Naples after extensive excavations began in the 18th century. The city was found to be full of erotic art and frescoes, symbols, and inscriptions regarded by its excavators as pornographic. Even many...
- Sexuality in ancient RomeSexuality in Ancient RomeSexual attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome are indicated by Roman art, literature and inscriptions, and to a lesser extent by archaeological remains such as erotic artifacts and architecture...
- PriapusPriapusIn Greek mythology, Priapus or Priapos , was a minor rustic fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his absurdly oversized, permanent erection, which gave rise to the medical term priapism...
- Mutunus TutunusMutunus TutunusIn ancient Roman religion, Mutunus Tutunus or Mutinus Titinus was a phallic marriage deity, in some respects equated with Priapus. His shrine was located on the Velian Hill, supposedly since the founding of Rome, until the 1st century BC....
Literature
- Sex or symbol: erotic images of Greece and Rome by Catherine Johns, The British Museum Press (1982) ISBN 0714180424
- Eros in Pompeii: the erotic art collection of the Museum of Naples by Michael Grant, Antonia Mulas, Museo nazionale di Napoli (1997)
- Experiencing Rome: culture, identity and power in the Roman Empire by Janet Huskinson, Routledge, (2000) p. 171
- Herculaneum, Italy's buried treasure by Joseph Jay Deiss (1989) p. 38
- The Roman cultural revolution by Thomas N. Habinek, Alessandro Schiesaro (1997) p. 171
External links
- Highlights from the British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
: Lion-phallus, winged phallus, diphallic figure