Word Wednesday.


Monstrance

Noun.

A vessel in which the consecrated host is exposed for the adoration  of the faithful. Example.

[Origin: Middle English mustraunce, monstrans demonstration, monstrance from Anglo-French mustrance show, sign, from Medieval Latin monstrantia, from Latin monstrare to show, from monstrum.]

(15th Century)

There’s also a monstrance clock: The monstrance clock, or mirror clock, developed during the Renaissance. The monstrance was a cross-shaped gold or silver vessel which played an important part in church ritual and often incorporated sacred figures as part of the design. The clock made use of a rotating ball at the top or in the base to indicate the time of day.

“Two years ago, the clock tower had collapsed, almost completely destroying the choir loft and the vestry at a time when more than hundred people were in the church. An elderly widow, Regina Reichart, was crushed in the rubble, and took three days and three nights of digging to find the buried monstrance.” – The Play of Death, Oliver Pötzsch.

Given that monstrance means to demonstrate or show, I think it would a fine word for those who insist on demonstrating their assholism.

And…

Ghost – Monstrance Clock. If you don’t know:

In the last tour, Papa Emeritus III had a monologue about this song, that was usually said before it: in the end and summing it up, he says it’s a song that” paints a picture of how the female orgasm can be achievied”, as it is deemed as “a craft of the devil”. In the monologue, Papa also talks about sexual encounters and the synchrony and affinity between a two people, reaching orgasm together.

Comments

  1. says

    Marcus, yes, remonstrate is related:

    C16: from Medieval Latin remonstrāre to point out (errors), from Latin re- + monstrāre to show

    Joseph:

    A lot of Youtube commenters seem to think it’s a misspelling of “monstrous.”

    I’m so not surprised. I’ve begun to think that a lot of people aren’t capable of using a dictionary.

    rq:

    Hadn’t heard the song — it’s wonderful!

    Glad you like it! It’s a favourite of mine.

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