DOI Heft:
Rozprawy
DOI Artikel:Ciećkiewicz, Zofia: Liczba w koncepcji ideowej romańskich kolumn w Strzelnie: cztery żywioły, trzydzieści sześć dekanów =
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.37084#0058
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ZOFIA CIECKIEWICZ
Pragnę wyrazić wdzięczność Pani prof. Ewie Śnieżyńskiej-Stolot za opiekę
naukową i okazaną życzliwość, Panu prof. Jerzemu Gadomskiemu za cenne
uwagi oraz Panu Rafałowi Perkowskiemu, dzięki któremu mogłam korzystać
z literatury niedostępnej w krajowych księgozbiorach.
A NUMBER IN ICONOLOGICAL CONCEPTION
OF THE ROMANESQUE P1LLARS IN STRZELNO
FOUR ELEMENTS, THIRTY SIX DECANAL PLANETS
S u m m a r y
The subject of the present article is the decoration of four Romanesąue pili ars situated in
Holy T ri n i ty Church in Strzelno. Its interpretation is based on the research method for astrolo-
gical iconography and history of ideas. The significance of the number. admitted by Boethius
to be “the basie principle of the universe”, in medieval way of thinking and in contemporary
model of Cosmos it is a starting-point for interpretation of pillars. The number of the pili ars
— four, may be related to four elements, and the number of the bas-reliefs - thirty six to thirty
six decanal planets. Recognition of elements represented on the pillars is supported by the
documents linking to Pythagorean cosmology and by the illustrations rendering four elements
in the medieval manuscripts. The “many-storied” way of medieval thinking inspired the recog-
nition of the eharacter, placed on the pil lar interpreted as the air element, as being a ligature
of Latin word aer. An accomplishment of the interpretation of the cap i tal s, covered with the
ornaments depicting geometrical hemispheres is also attempted. The Capital of the NE column
is decorated with the theme of the upwards open hemispheres containing the signs, another one
on each of four sides. On the ground of astrologie treatises. signs: the rosette, the cross, the
circles, are interpreted as the notations of the sun, and the whole of the representation as being
a scheme of solar circulation in the sky. It is noticed that the structural similarities to astrono-
mical diagrams represented in a Byzantine manuscript referring to Almcigest of Ptolemy occur.
The interpretation of thirty six bas-reliefs, placed on the eastern pillars, is performed on the
ground of the documents referring to Hermetic tradition. The subject of decans iconography,
dating from the second century is rised. The efligy of the Baptism of Christ, considered to be
linked to the zodiacal sign of Aquarius is applied as a key for the Identification of particular
decanal planets. Therefore, a personage with the sceptre, placed beneath this scene, is
recognized as Mercury in the second decan of Aquarius. The sequence of decanal planets by
Teucros of Babylon, admitted in medieval manuscripts, has allowed to attribute the decanal
planets to the particular bas-reliefs. This way of interpretation allows to read the morał
contents present in the effigies of Strzelno, according to medieval mnemotechnics, different
from the modern way of thinking. It is referred to the significance of decans representations
for the medieval art of memory. It has been assumed that an iconological conception of the
pillars of Strzelno originated from the order of Premontre, which was active in the intellectual
life of that period, and it sprang up on the ground of the monastic education based on the
septem artes liberales.
Słowa kluczowe: Strzelno, sztuka romańska, cztery żywioły/elementy, dekany.
Key words: Strzelno, Romanesąue art, the four elements, decans.
ZOFIA CIECKIEWICZ
Pragnę wyrazić wdzięczność Pani prof. Ewie Śnieżyńskiej-Stolot za opiekę
naukową i okazaną życzliwość, Panu prof. Jerzemu Gadomskiemu za cenne
uwagi oraz Panu Rafałowi Perkowskiemu, dzięki któremu mogłam korzystać
z literatury niedostępnej w krajowych księgozbiorach.
A NUMBER IN ICONOLOGICAL CONCEPTION
OF THE ROMANESQUE P1LLARS IN STRZELNO
FOUR ELEMENTS, THIRTY SIX DECANAL PLANETS
S u m m a r y
The subject of the present article is the decoration of four Romanesąue pili ars situated in
Holy T ri n i ty Church in Strzelno. Its interpretation is based on the research method for astrolo-
gical iconography and history of ideas. The significance of the number. admitted by Boethius
to be “the basie principle of the universe”, in medieval way of thinking and in contemporary
model of Cosmos it is a starting-point for interpretation of pillars. The number of the pili ars
— four, may be related to four elements, and the number of the bas-reliefs - thirty six to thirty
six decanal planets. Recognition of elements represented on the pillars is supported by the
documents linking to Pythagorean cosmology and by the illustrations rendering four elements
in the medieval manuscripts. The “many-storied” way of medieval thinking inspired the recog-
nition of the eharacter, placed on the pil lar interpreted as the air element, as being a ligature
of Latin word aer. An accomplishment of the interpretation of the cap i tal s, covered with the
ornaments depicting geometrical hemispheres is also attempted. The Capital of the NE column
is decorated with the theme of the upwards open hemispheres containing the signs, another one
on each of four sides. On the ground of astrologie treatises. signs: the rosette, the cross, the
circles, are interpreted as the notations of the sun, and the whole of the representation as being
a scheme of solar circulation in the sky. It is noticed that the structural similarities to astrono-
mical diagrams represented in a Byzantine manuscript referring to Almcigest of Ptolemy occur.
The interpretation of thirty six bas-reliefs, placed on the eastern pillars, is performed on the
ground of the documents referring to Hermetic tradition. The subject of decans iconography,
dating from the second century is rised. The efligy of the Baptism of Christ, considered to be
linked to the zodiacal sign of Aquarius is applied as a key for the Identification of particular
decanal planets. Therefore, a personage with the sceptre, placed beneath this scene, is
recognized as Mercury in the second decan of Aquarius. The sequence of decanal planets by
Teucros of Babylon, admitted in medieval manuscripts, has allowed to attribute the decanal
planets to the particular bas-reliefs. This way of interpretation allows to read the morał
contents present in the effigies of Strzelno, according to medieval mnemotechnics, different
from the modern way of thinking. It is referred to the significance of decans representations
for the medieval art of memory. It has been assumed that an iconological conception of the
pillars of Strzelno originated from the order of Premontre, which was active in the intellectual
life of that period, and it sprang up on the ground of the monastic education based on the
septem artes liberales.
Słowa kluczowe: Strzelno, sztuka romańska, cztery żywioły/elementy, dekany.
Key words: Strzelno, Romanesąue art, the four elements, decans.