A wayside shrine is a religious image, usually in some sort of small shelter, placed by a road or pathway, sometimes in a settlement or at a crossroads, but often in the middle of an empty stretch of country road, or at the top of a hill or mountain. They have been a feature of many cultures, including Chinese folk religious communities, Catholic and Orthodox Europe and some Asian regions.
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Wayside shrines were often erected to honor the memory of the victim of an accident, which explains their prevalence near roads and paths; in Carinthia, for example, they often stand at crossroads. Some commemorate a specific incident near the place; either a death in an accident or escape from harm. Other icons commemorate the victims of the plague. The very grand medieval English Eleanor crosses were erected by her husband to commemorate the nightly resting places of the journey made by the body of Queen Eleanor of Castile as it returned to London in the 1290s. Some make it clear by an inscription or notice that a specific dead person is commemorated, but most do not.
Wayside shrines were also erected along old pilgrim routes, such as the Via Sacra that leads from Vienna to Mariazell. Some mark parish or other boundaries, such as the edge or a landholding, or have a function as convenient markers for travelers to find their way. Shrines and calvaries are furthermore frequently noted on maps and therefore represent important orientation aids.
The pre-Christian cultures of Europe had similar shrines of various types; many runestones may have been in this category, though they are often in the nature of a memorial to a dead person. Few Christian shrines survive in predominantly Protestant countries, but they remain common in many parts of Catholic and Orthodox Europe, often being repaired or replaced as they fall into disrepair, and relocated as roads are moved or widened. The most common subjects are a plain cross or a crucifix, or an image of the Virgin Mary, but saints or other scenes may also be shown. The surviving large stone high crosses of Celtic Christianity, and the related stone Anglo-Saxon crosses (mostly damaged or destroyed after the Protestant Reformation) are sometimes outside churches, but often not, and these may have functioned as preaching crosses, or in some cases just been wayside shrines. The calvaires of Brittany in France, are especially large stone shrines showing the Crucifixion, but these are typically in villages.
In Greece they may be called kandilakia (Greek: καντηλάκια) or εικονοστάσιο στην άκρη του δρόμου (ikonostásio stin akri tu drómu, literally "shrine at the roadside"). They are commonly built in the memory of a fatal car accident and usually include a photograph of the victim(s), their namesake Saint and sometimes personal items. They may also be built from car accident survivors thanking the saint who protected them.
Poland is one of the few European countries where the custom of singing Maytime hymns, majówki, at wayside shrines still survives. [1]
Wayside shrines exist throughout India alongside other features of public faith, including lingams, ghats, and kunds. [2] This creates what is described by Vinayak Bharne as a faithscape, a human landscape defined by the role of religion in the public sphere. [2] The majority of these shrines are Hindu, and their public nature and rootedness to place leads them to be described as key expressions of working-class religiosity. [3] Wayside shrines provide meeting points for the micro-communities who partake in religious practice as well as maintenance of the objects. Their presence within an increasingly urban environment creates a "parallel urbanism" which refutes secular notions of religion ebbing away as a society becomes more developed. [2]
Wayside shrines are found in a variety of styles, ranging from simpler column shrines and Schöpflöffel shrines to more elaborate chapel-shrines. Some have only flat painted surfaces, while other shrines are decorated with reliefs or with religious statues. Some feature a small kneeling platform, so that the faithful may pray in front of the image. A common wayside shrine seen throughout the Alpine regions of Europe, especially Germany, Austria and northern Italy, is the Alpine style crucifix wayside shrine. This style often has elaborate wood carvings and usually consists of a crucifix surrounded by a roof and shelter.
A column shrine [4] (German : Bildstock, also Marterl, Helgenstöckli, or Wegstock; Slovene : slopno znamenje; Lithuanian : koplytstulpis) normally resembles a pole or a pillar, made either of wood or of masonry, and is sometimes capped with a roof. [5] The Austrian/south German designation Marterl hearkens back to the Greek martyros 'martyr'. In a setting resembling a tabernacle, there is usually a picture or a figure of Christ or a saint. For this reason, flowers or prayer candles are often placed on or at the foot of the shrine.
In Germany, they are most common in Franconia, in the Catholic parts of Baden, Swabia, in the Alpine regions and Catholic areas of the historical region of Eichsfeld and in Upper Lusatia. In Austria, they are to be found in the Alpine regions, as well as in great numbers in the Weinviertel, the Mühlviertel and in the Waldviertel. There are also similar structures in the South Bohemian Region and the South Moravian Region. In Czech, column shrines are traditionally called "boží muka" (= divine sufferings).
In the Eifel in particular, shrines that consist of a pillar with a niche for a depiction of a saint are known as Schöpflöffel (German for 'ladle' or 'serving spoon'). Some of these icons date from the Late Middle Ages, but for the most part were put up in the 16th century.
Near Arnstadt in Thuringia, there is a medieval shrine that is over two metres tall and that has two niches. According to a legend recorded by Ludwig Bechstein, this shrine was once a giant’s spoon, and it is therefore known as the Riesenlöffel.
Chapel-shrines, built to resemble a small building, are common in Slovenia. They are generally too small to accommodate people and often have only a niche (occasionally, a small altar) to display a depiction of a saint. The main two varieties generally distinguished in Slovenia are the open chapel-shrine (Slovene : kapelica odprtega tipa, odprti tip kapelice), which has no doors, and the closed chapel-shrine (kapelica zaprtega tipa, zaprti tip kapelice), which has a door. [6] The closed chapel-shrine is the older form, with examples known from the 17th century onward. The earliest open chapel-shrines date from the 19th century. [7] Also known in Slovenia are the belfry chapel-shrine (kapelica - zvonik) and the polygonal chapel-shrine (poligonalna kapelica). [8]
Chapel-shrines, known as kapliczka, are also often found in Poland.
In the Czech Republic, chapel-shrines are called výklenková kaple 'niche chapels' and are characterized as a type of chapel (kaple) in Czech. [9] In Moravia, they are also called poklona 'bow, tribute'.
A miniature shrine, also referred to in literature as a portable shrine,pocket shrine, or a travel altar, is a small, generally moveable shrine or altar. They vary greatly in size and architectural style, and by which region or culture produced them.
Lithuanian cross crafting is a traditional Lithuanian art of crafting crosses. The making of altars and crosses is an important part of Lithuanian culture. Lithuanian traditional crosses are part of the people's Roman Catholic religion. Approximately since Lithuania became a part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, these crosses have become a symbol of the Lithuanian people.
Rockeskyll is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein, whose seat is in the like-named town.
The Russian Chapel is a Russian Orthodox chapel located on the Russian Road on the northern side of the Vršič Pass in northwestern Slovenia. The chapel, dedicated to Saint Vladimir, was built by Russian prisoners of war engaged in forced labor in the area during World War I. It serves as both a war memorial and a symbolic link between Slovenia and Russia.
Brezje nad Kamnikom is a settlement in the Municipality of Kamnik in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.
Topol pri Medvodah is a small settlement in the Municipality of Medvode in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. It lies in the hills northwest of the Slovene capital Ljubljana and is a popular destination for short trips with locals.
Dvor pri Polhovem Gradcu is a village east of Polhov Gradec in the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.
Šentjošt nad Horjulom is a settlement in the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. In addition to the main settlement, it also includes the hamlets of Kogel, Krvinet, Kurja Vas, Paradiže, Pišek, Potok, and Stavnik, as well as part of the hamlet of Suhi Dol.
Črni Vrh is a settlement in the hills south of Idrija in the traditional Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. It includes the hamlets of Zgornja Vas, Spodnja Vas, Trate, Trebče, and Zidiše.
Idrijski Log is a dispersed settlement on the right bank of the upper course of the Idrijca River in the hills south of Idrija in the traditional Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. In addition to the settlement of Idrijski Log itself, it also includes the hamlets of Koševnik and Na Pevcu.
Ajbelj is a settlement in the Municipality of Kostel in southern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. It is a linear village standing on a hill above Kaptol. To the southeast is a karst polje with sinkholes where there are tilled fields, hay fields, and wooded land. There are large numbers of wild boar, bears, deer, foxes, and badgers in the area.
Dol pri Hrastniku is a settlement in the Municipality of Hrastnik in central Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Central Sava Statistical Region. In addition to the main settlement, it includes the hamlets of Črdenc, Grča, Javorje, Novi Dol, Pod Bregom, Rakovec, and Slatno.
Conciliation cross, also known as roadside cross or penitence cross, is a stone cross, which was set up in a place where a murder or accident had happened. It occurs mainly in Central Europe.
A summit cross is a Christian cross on the summit of a mountain or hill that marks the top. Often there will be a summit register (Gipfelbuch) at the cross, either in a container or other weatherproof case.
Horjul is a small town in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. It is the administrative center of the Municipality of Horjul. It developed from a clustered village on the north side of the marshy valley of Horjulka Creek. It includes the hamlets of Vovčne and Lipalca. Elevations in the territory of the settlement include Brezovec Hill, Rog Hill, and Lupar Hill to the north, and Rožman Peak, Kremenik Hill, and Čelc Hill to the south.
Dobrunje is a formerly independent settlement in the southeast part of the capital Ljubljana in central Slovenia. It belongs to the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region. In addition to the main settlement, Dobrunje consists of the hamlets of Devce, Marinki, Na Trdnjavi, Ob Cesti, and Pod Ježo. Rastučnik Creek, which begins below Orle, runs through the western part of the settlement before joining the Ljubljanica.
Bizovik is a formerly independent settlement southeast of the capital Ljubljana in central Slovenia. It belongs to the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region. Parts of the settlement include V Dolini along the road toward Orle, Zgornji Konec or Nazaret around the church to the northwest, Pod Kopalom from the church down to the valley, and Na Vasi in the north.
A wayside cross is a cross by a footpath, track or road, at an intersection, along the edge of a field or in a forest. It can be made of wood, stone or metal. Stone crosses may also be conciliation crosses. Often they serve as waymarks for walkers and pilgrims or designate dangerous places.
The basalt cross is a particular type of stone cross found in the Eifel mountains of Germany, bearing witness to the piety of the local population in times past. These crosses indicate their beliefs as well as the wealth and standing of the people who erected them. Details such as accidents, occupations and prayer requests have survived, thanks to the extremely weather-resistant material of which the crosses are made. Their geographic distribution is centred on the basalt quarries of Mayen and Mendig, and covers an area with a radius of approximately 30 kilometres between the Rhine, Ahr and Moselle rivers. The exact number of monuments is not known. Local historian, Kurt Müller-Veltin, estimates that there are about 4,500 wayside crosses and about 6,000 grave crosses. The conservation of these monuments is undertaken by the Rhenisch Society for Monument Conservation.
A shaft cross is a specific type of Latin or High cross, named after its method of construction. The majority of these external monuments consist of the cross or crucifix itself. The cross or crucifix is usually made of stone, occasionally of wood or, more rarely, of metal, and sits above a shaft almost always made of stone, which is fixed to a foundation or base.
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