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shrine

 
Dictionary: shrine   (shrīn) pronunciation
 
n.
  1. A place of religious devotion or commemoration, such as:
    1. a place where devotion is paid to a deity or deities, as in Shinto.
    2. the tomb of a saint or other venerated person.
    3. a location where an important event in the life of a holy person is thought to have occurred.
  2. A container or receptacle for sacred relics; a reliquary.
  3. A site hallowed by association with a revered person or object or with an important event: Independence Hall, shrine of American liberty.
tr.v., shrined, shrin·ing, shrines.

To enshrine.

[Middle English, from Old English scrīn, box, from Latin scrīnium, case for books or papers.]


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Architecture: shrine
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A receptacle to contain sacred relics; by extension, a building for that purpose.


 

[MC]

A small sacred place associated with a particular deity or dedicated to a particular person or event. A shrine may be constructed as part of a religious or ceremonial structure, but many exist within domestic buildings or in isolation to mark the special character of a particular place.

 
Wikipedia: Shrine
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The shrine of the Hodegetria at the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk, Russia, photographed by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky (1912).
The Shrine, Oil on canvas, by John William Waterhouse (1895).

A shrine (Latin: scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: escrin "box or case") is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated. A shrine at which votive offerings are made is called an altar. Shrines are found in many of the world's religions, including Catholicism, Shia Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca, LaVeyan Satanism, Chinese folk religion and Shinto, as well as in secular and non-religious settings. Shrines can be found in various settings, such as churches, temples, cemeteries, or in the home, although portable shrines are also found in some cultures.

This modern definition of a shrine is an extension of the original definition that was used in late antiquity, that of being a container, usually made of precious materials, used especially for a relic and often a cult image.

Contents

Types of Shrines

Site-specific shrines

In Christianity and Islam, a shrine does not usually denote any place where a deity is worshipped, but refers to a space set up and dedicated to an important religious event that happened there. These such sites commonly become places of pilgrimage, such as the Christian shrines in Lourdes and Walsingham, and the Ka'bah in Mecca, the most sacred site in Islam.

Temple shrines

Most shrines are located within buildings designed specifically for worship, such as a church in Christianity, or a mandir in Hinduism. A shrine here is usually the centre of attention in the building, and is given a place of prominence. In such cases, adherents of the faith assemble within the building in order to venerate the deity at the shrine.

Household shrines

Historically, in paganism, as well as in modern faiths, such as Hinduism and Neopaganism, a shrine can commonly be found within the home, dedicated to a deity or to a localised household deity.

Yard shrines

Small outdoor yard shrines are found at the places of many peoples, following various religions, including historically, Christianity. Many consist of a statue of Christ or a saint, on a pedestal or in an alcove, while others may be elaborate groupings, including paintings, statuary, and architectural elements, such as walls, roofs, glass doors and ironwork fences, etc.

In the United States, many Christians have small yard shrines; some of these resemble side altars, since they are composed of a statue placed in a niche or grotto; this type is colloquially referred to as a bathtub madonna. Nativity scenes are also a form of yard shrine.[citation needed]

Religious shrines

Orthodox Christian shrine in Suzdal, Russia, from 1912.

Shrines are most commonly found as a place of religious significance, and shrines are found in most, though not all, religions. As distinguished from a temple, a shrine usually houses a particular relic or cult image, which is the object of worship or veneration, or is constructed to set apart a site which is thought to be particularly holy, as opposed to being placed for the convenience of worshippers. Shrines therefore attract the practice of pilgrimage.

Christianity

Shrines are found in many, though not all, forms of Christianity. Roman Catholicism, the largest denomination of Christianity, has many shrines, as does Orthodox Christianity; however Protestantism, another type of Christianity, is typically opposed to them.[citation needed]

Catholic shrine: glass coffin of Saint Catherine Labouré

In the Roman Catholic Code of Canon law, canons 1230 and 1231 read: "The term shrine means a church or other sacred place which, with the approval of the local Ordinary, is by reason of special devotion frequented by the faithful as pilgrims. For a shrine to be described as national, the approval of the Episcopal Conference is necessary. For it to be described as international, the approval of the Holy See is required."

Another use of the term "shrine" in colloquial Catholic terminology is a niche or alcove in most - especially larger - churches used by parishioners when praying privately in the church. They were also called Devotional Altars, since they could look like small Side Altars. Shrines were always centered on some image of Christ or a saint - for instance, a statue, painting, mural or mosaic, and may have had a reredos behind them (without a Tabernacle built in).

However, Mass would not be celebrated at them; they were simply used to aid or give a visual focus for prayers. Side altars, where Mass could actually be celebrated, were used in a similar way to shrines by parishioners. Side Altars were specifically dedicated to The Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph or other saints.

The long Roman Catholic tradition of veneration of saints has produced an impressive number of notable shrines, some of truly international renoun. There are separate articles on:

A shrine may also designate a small altar in a home or place of business, or a room or item of furniture, which is decorated with religious symbols and used for private worship, as was common in the polytheist periods of Classical Antiquity. Devotions are generally to ancestral or tutelary spirits.

Islam

Pilgrims outside the Shrine of Imam Hussain ibn Ali in Karbala, Iraq.

Muslims do not have shrines dedicated to Allah, and consider such a thing to be idolatry. Sunni Islam, which is the largest form of Islam, allows to have shrines and there are lots of shrines of sunni scholars and Ullama spread throughout the world , the ka'bah, a central box in the city of Mecca is not a shrine it is actually the Qibla for Muslims.

On the other hand, Muslims have differing opinions on shrines and the intercession of saints (Tawassul). Shia Islam maintains a tradition of venerating late religious leaders (as there is no hierarchical church, the bond is personal; but often a 'successor', maintains a following) and/or martyrs (usually at their grave). Shrines are even made in honour of the descendants of Shī‘ah Imāms, thus the Persian word imamzadeh. There are also sunnite equivalents, as among the ascetic marabouts of West Africa and the Maghreb.

Hinduism

A Hindu shrine dedicated to the god Ganesh.

In Hinduism, a shrine is a place where a god or goddess is worshipped. Shrines are typically located inside a temple known as a mandir, though many Hindus also have a household shrine as well. Sometimes a human is venerated at a Hindu shrine along with a deity, for instance the 19th century religious teacher Sri Ramakrishna is venerated at the Ramakrishna Temple in Kolkata, India.

Central to a Hindu shrine is a statue of a deity, which is known as a murti. Hindus believe that the deity that they are worshiping actually enters and inhabits the murti. This is given offerings like candles, food, flowers, and incense. In some cases, particularly among devotees of the goddess Kālī in northern India, animals are sacrificed to the deity.

At a mandir, the congregation often assembles in front of a shrine, and, led by priests, give offerings and sing devotional hymns.

Buddhism

Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom

In Buddhism, a shrine refers to a place where veneration is focused on the Buddha or one of the bodhisattvas. Monks, nuns and laypeople all give offerings to these revered figures at these shrines and also meditate in front of them.

Typically, Buddhist shrines contain a statue of either the Buddha, or (in the Mahayana and Vajrayana forms of Buddhism), one of the various bodhisattvas[1]. They also commonly contain candles, along with offerings such as flowers, purified water, food, and incense. Many shrines also contain sacred relics, such as the alleged tooth of the Buddha held at a shrine in Sri Lanka.

Site-specific shrines in Buddhism, particularly those that contain relics of deceased buddhas and revered monks, are often designed in the traditional form known as the stupa.

Bahá'í

The two most well-known Bahá'í shrines serve as the resting places for the respective remains of the two central figures of the Bahá'í Faith, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. They are the focal points of a Bahá'í pilgrimage:

Neopaganism

In the many different neopagan faiths, which include Wicca, Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionism, Neo-Druidry, and Germanic Neopaganism, shrines serve many different purposes.

In the neopagan religion of Wicca, a shrine is a place where the Horned God and the Triple Goddess are worshipped. However, they are more commonly referred to with the term "altar." In other Pagan religions, shrines may be dedicated to one or many different Gods and Goddesses. As in Wicca, household worship is usually centered around them.

Religions without shrines

Certain religions do not feature shrines at all, either because they believe they are fundamentally wrong, or because they simply do not need them. Spiritualism, whilst believing in a God, does not typically make use of shrines.

Secular shrines

In the United States and some other countries, landmarks may be called "historic shrines." Notable shrines of this type include:

By extension the term shrine has come to mean any place (or virtual cyber-place) dedicated completely to a particular person or subject.

Select list of shrines by location

Africa

Cameroon

  • Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres (Mary Queen of the Apostles Basilica) in Yaoundé.[4]

Asia

China

  • Our Lady of Carmel shrine in Tianjiajing, Henan.[5]

India

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Japan

Saudi Arabia

Sri Lanka

Syria

Vietnam

Europe

Austria

Belgium

Croatia

Czech Republic

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

  • the minor basilica of Our Lady of Knock Queen of Ireland [BVM] in Knock

Italy

Latvia

  • minor basilica of BVM Assumption in Aglona

Malta

  • the minor basilica of National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu [BVM Assumption] in Għarb

Poland

Portugal

Spain

Ukraine

United Kingdom

North America

Canada

Mexico

United States

South America

Oceania

Australia

  • in Sydney, St. Mary's Cathedral, a minor basilica
  • in Melbourne: St. Anthony's National Shrine, National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and National Shrine of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

See also

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/actives/shrine.htm
  2. ^ Bahá'í World Centre (2007). "Shrine of the Báb". Bahá'í World Centre. https://bahai.bwc.org//pilgrimage/Intro/visit_3.asp. Retrieved on 2009-02-03. 
  3. ^ Bahá'í World Centre (2007). "Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh". Bahá'í World Centre. https://bahai.bwc.org//pilgrimage/Intro/visit_2.asp. Retrieved on 2009-02-03. 
  4. ^ Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres, shrine
  5. ^ Pontificio Istituto Missioni Estere (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions): "Our Lady of Carmel shrine in Tianjiajing safe for now." November 12, 2007.
  6. ^ Fushimi Inari-taisha
  7. ^ Fukuoka/Hakata Tourist Information website: Hakozaki Shrine
  8. ^ Hiyoshi Taisha
  9. ^ Ise-jingū
  10. ^ Tsurugaoka Izumo Taisha (Japanese)
  11. ^ Iwashimizu Shrine
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ [2]
  14. ^ [3]
  15. ^ [4]
  16. ^ Yuki, Diego, S.J. "Japanese Martyrs Shrine;" Second Asian Congress on Pilgrimages and Shrines: Fr. Renzo De Luca, S.J., Rector of the Japanese Shrine of the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki. November 2005.
  17. ^ Shrine of the 26 Martyrs
  18. ^ [5]
  19. ^ [6]
  20. ^ Kasuga Shrine
  21. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT): Usa Jinju Shrine
  22. ^ Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
  23. ^ Insigne y Nacional Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe (Spanish)
  24. ^ Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation
  25. ^ Basilica of Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians
  26. ^ Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  27. ^ Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
  28. ^ Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower
  29. ^ Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
  30. ^ Jaffa Shrine
  31. ^ Light Of Truth Universal Shrine
  32. ^ National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
  33. ^ National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe
  34. ^ National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
  35. ^ National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
  36. ^ National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
  37. ^ National Shrine of the Divine Mercy
  38. ^ National Shrine of the Little Flower
  39. ^ National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
  40. ^ National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi
  41. ^ National Shrine of Saint John Neumann
  42. ^ National Shrine of St. Katherine Drexel
  43. ^ Our Lady of Victory Basilica National Shrine
  44. ^ Shrine of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
  45. ^ Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
  46. ^ Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs
  47. ^ Shrine of Saint Joseph
  48. ^ Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
  49. ^ Shrine of the North American Martyrs
  50. ^ Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America

External links


 
Translations: Shrine
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - skrin, helligdom, alter, relikvieskrin
v. tr. - gemme som en helligdom

Nederlands (Dutch)
schrijn

Français (French)
n. - lieu de pèlerinage, autel, chapelle, tombeau
v. tr. - conserver pieusement

Deutsch (German)
n. - Schrein, Grab
v. - bewahren

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - λάρνακα, λειψανοθήκη, τάφος αγίου, τέμενος, ιερός τόπος, εικονοστάσι
v. - βάζω σε λειψανοθήκη, ανεγείρω μνημείο, (μτφ.) διατηρώ άσβεστη τη μνήμη

Italiano (Italian)
reliquiario, santuario

Português (Portuguese)
n. - santuário (m), sacrário (m)
v. - guardar em relicário

Русский (Russian)
ковчег, гробница, алтарь, храм, святыня, место поклонения, обитель, класть в раку или ковчег

Español (Spanish)
n. - relicario, capilla, santuario, altar, mausoleo
v. tr. - envolver, encerrar, guardar (como una cosa preciosa, sagrada)

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - helgedom, relikskrin, helgonskrin, helgongrav, helgonaltare
v. - lägga en relik i ett skrin, gömma, förvara, innesluta, omsluta

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
圣坛, 圣祠, 神龛, 神殿, 将...置于神龛内

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 聖壇, 聖祠, 神龕, 神殿
v. tr. - 將...置於神龕內

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 성체 용기, 사당, 묘
v. tr. - 사당에 모시다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 聖骨箱, 聖堂, 聖地, 殿堂, 祭壇

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مقام أو مزار, ضريح قديس (فعل) يقيم ضريحا أو مزارا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮כנסייה המוקדשת לקדוש מסוים, מקדש שינטו, ארון עצמות-מת, קבר של קדוש, גומחה ובתוכה פסל של קדוש, מקום הקשור בזכר של אירוע או אדם מסוים‬
v. tr. - ‮שימר, שימש כמקדש ל- (ספרותית), הניח במקום מקודש, קידש‬


 
 
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