Glossary and Dates

arris

X-shaped projection at intersection of two semi-circular (barrel) vaults, running diagonally from pier to pier. Because it takes its shape in response to the rest of the vault, it is geometrically indeterminate, and therefore aesthetically unsatisfactory in Medieval terms.

bay

Area marked off by piers, wall shafts, vaulting ribs etc.

boss

Decorative knobble at the intersection of three or more ribs on a vault. Often sculpted. Often very large indeed.

chancel

Choir area of church (East end!). Term used particularly often on church sites, originally meaning "screened off". Presbytery refers to the same area, and derives from monasteries when priests occupied that space.

chi ("ky" as in "sky")

Curving X-shaped Greek letter which stood for Christ, whether used alone or as part of the Early Christian monogram for Christ.

choir

Eastern end of nave just past the crossing, usually reserved for choristers and priests during the service. Church people like to use quainter sounding terms for the same area, including quire (archaic spelling), chancel (meaning "screened off"), and presbytery (reserved for priesthood—monastic term, obviously).

cloister

Continuous covered walkway, often surrounding small formal or herb garden, connecting monastic buildings and used by monks for meditative pacing.

"compacted tierceron vault"

Michelli's special term for a particular form of tierceron vault in which the diagonal ribs are moved inwards to connect with the tiercerons, resulting in a shallower bay and extra bosses.

crossing

In a church of any kind, the open space at the intersection between nave and transepts, often crowned by a tower.

cusp

Decorative point formed by back-to-back curls. Often added to straight mouldings to give the appearance of pulling apart and leaf patterns.

diagonal rib

In a vault, the rib that covers the arris, running diagonally from corner to centre.

domed-up groin vault

Very particular form of groin vault whose arrises are perfect semi-circles because they were constructed ahead of the shell of the vault. Can be used to form a dome-shaped vault, or if the ridge is kept horizontal, will become the basis of a pointed vault.

fan vault

Late form of tierceron vault in which the segments are rounded to form a series of inverted cone shapes

groin vault

Vault formed by intersecting two semi-circular (barrel) vaults. The intersection point forms a great X-shaped projection that is geometrically unclassifiable and therefore aesthetically unacceptable in Medieval terms.

"interlaced tierceron vault"

Michelli's special term for a particular form of tierceron vault in which extra tierceron-sets half overlap two regular tierceron bays to create a complex star pattern, as in the choir at Gloucester Cathedral.

lantern

Turret with windows, used to let in light to a dome, steeple or tower.

lierne vault

Any vault whose decoration includes short ribs that are unconnected with the piers. Michelli considers this an unhelpful term that obscures the structure and symbolism of the tierceron patterns.

lierne

Short rib that fills spaces between tiercerons. Should be carefully differentiated from the short ribs that result from splitting major ribs such as tiercerons, diagonal ribs and transverse arches. Liernes do not pretend to be structural.

mausoleum

Burial chapel.

nave

Main passageway leading from main door to high altar, usually runs west-east.

pendant vault/drop vault

Later form of fan vault in which voussoirs of the transverse arches appear to hang like stalactites or icicles.

pier

An upright supporting element of any shape

presbytery

Choir area of church (East end!). Term used particularly often on church sites, and derives from monastic use when priests occupied that space. Chancel refers to the same area, especially when it is screened-off.

quadripartite vault

Any derivative of the groin vault, with or without ribs. The term means "four-part", and Michelli deprecates it as confusing, because all pointed and ribbed derivatives are necessarily divided into six or more sections.

quire

Archaic term for Eastern end of nave just past the crossing, usually reserved for choristers and priests during the service. More usual term is choir. Church people like to use quaint sounding terms for this area, including chancel (meaning "screened off"), and presbytery (reserved for priesthood—monastic term, obviously).

rib vault

Any derivative of the domed-up groin vault that is decorated with ribs. Note and remember that the ribs are self-supporting, but are otherwise purely decorative.

ridge rib

Rib that marks the top or ridge of any vault.

sexpartite vault

Double-bay derivative of the domed-up groin vault equipped with extra transverse arch that runs through the intersection of the diagonal ribs. Like the arris of the original groin vault, this extra transverse arch takes its shape in response to the rest of the structure and is therefore geometrically unsatisfactory.

shell of the vault

The curved masonry surface of the vault. Note and remember that every square inch of curved surface, whether in an arch or a vault, is self-supporting. Arches and vaults have no need of reinforcement!

strainer arch

Single or double arch (upright or inverted or both) set against piers whose loads have become unbalanced. The thrust from the strainer arch balances the thrust from the unbalanced load, and the masonry in the pier goes thankfully back into compression.

tierceron

Additional major rib that springs from the supporting pier and rises to meet the ridge rib over the nave or in the window bay.

tierceron vault

Any derivative of the domed-up groin vault whose decoration includes tiercerons.

transverse arch

Arch or rib that runs from pier to pier accross the main axis of a sequence of vaults or nave bays.

transept

Passageway, usually running north-south, that crosses the nave at right angles.

voussoirs

Masonry blocks on the curved edge of any arch or rib.

Amiens Cathedral

nave

1220—1247

Chris Hennige, Ancient to Medieval Art, Beloit College

choir

1258—1269

Chris Hennige, Ancient to Medieval Art, Beloit College

Bath Abbey

c.1500 ff

Alison Stones

Bristol Cathedral

choir

completed 1306

Alison Stones

nave

completed 1877

Alison Stones

Canterbury Cathedral

choir

1175-1185

Alec Clifton-Taylor, The Cathedrals of England, 1967, 68

nave vault

begun c.1374; completed 1405

Andrew Martindale, Gothic Art, 1967, 250

Ely Cathedral ("Eely", as in "freely")

Lady Chapel

1321 to c.1350, or later

Alison Stones

Act of God—tower fell

1322

Alison Stones

Octagon

1328-47

Exeter Cathedral

c.1270-1369

nave vault design

begun 1292

J A Thurmer, The Pitkin Cathedral Guide to Exeter Cathedral, 1995, 10

Gloucester Cathedral ("Glosster")

nave

1089-1104

Gloucester Cathedral, History Page

nave vault

c.1240

Mervyn Blatch, Cathedrals, 1980, 32

The Norman World

south transept vault

1331

Mervyn Blatch, Cathedrals, 1980, 32

choir

c.1332 ff

Gloucester Cathedral, History Page

south cloister

1373 ff

Gloucester Cathedral, History Page

King's College Chapel, Cambridge

1446-1515

Alison Stones

Lincoln Cathedral

St Hugh's Choir (central choir)

1192 ff

Alison Stones

nave

begun c.1225

Andrew Martindale, Gothic Art, 1967, 35

central tower fell

1237 or 1239

Alison Stones

Angel Choir (eastern choir)

1256-1280, or later

Alison Stones

Oxford Cathedral ("Cathedral Church of Christ, Oxford")

nave vault

c.1500

Astoft

Prague Cathedral

choir vault

1344 ff

Prague Hoteliers

Salisbury Cathedral ("Saulsbry")

nave

1220-1265

A F Smethurst, The Pitkin Guide to Salisbury Cathedral, 1976, 10

tower

1285-1310

A F Smethurst, The Pitkin Guide to Salisbury Cathedral, 1976, 15

east transept strainer arches

c.1380?

main transept/crossing strainer arches

c.1394?

Sherborne Abbey

choir vault

begun c.1425

J H P Gibb, Fan Vaults and Medieval Sculpture: Sherborne Abbey, between 1980 and 2000 (no pub date given), 3

nave vault

completed by 1490?

J H P Gibb, Sherborne Abbey, 3rd ed, 2000, 14

Wells Cathedral

nave vault

1205-1220; completed by 1260

Alison Stones

tower added

1315-22

F P Harten, The Pitkin Guide to Wells Cathedral, 1973, 8

choir extension, and retrochoir

1329-1363

F P Harten, The Pitkin Guide to Wells Cathedral, 1973, 8

strainer arches

1338

F P Harten, The Pitkin Guide to Wells Cathedral, 1973, 6

Westminster Abbey

choir

begun 1245

J A Snyder, Medieval Art, 1989, 408

nave vault

tierceron vault bays 1-4, 1260-1272

Ute Engel, in The Art of Gothic, Rolf Toman (ed), Cologne, 1998, 136

continued in same style, minus painted details 1376-1405

Henry VII's Mausoleum

Also Henry VII's Burial Chapel

Also the Lady Chapel

1503-1409

John Field, Kingdom, Power and Glory (A Historical Guide to Westminster Abbey), 2nd ed, 1999, 70

Winchester Cathedral

nave

c.1394-1404

Astoft, notes 27-38

Page 1: structure and terms
Page 2: an idea is born
Page 3: the patterns and the power
Page 4: problems with towers
Page 5: the masons fight back
Page 6: lilies, seashells, snowflakes and waterfalls
Page 7: Glossary and Dates