A coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head, and the presentation of other items of regalia. This rite may also include the taking of a special vow, acts of homage by the new ruler's subjects, and/or performance of other ritual deeds of special significance to a given nation.
Coronations were once a vital ritual in many of the world's monarchies, but this changed over time due to a variety of socio-political and religious factors. While most kingdoms have dispensed with them today, preferring simpler "enthronement" or "benediction" rites, coronations are still held in the United Kingdom, Tonga and several Asian countries.
In addition to the investing of the monarch with a diadem and other symbols of state, coronations often involve anointing with holy oil, or chrism as it is often called. Wherever a ruler is anointed in this way, as in Great Britain and Tonga, this ritual takes on an overtly religious significance, following examples found in the Bible.
Some other lands use bathing or cleansing rites, the drinking of a sacred beverage, or other esoteric practices to achieve a comparable effect. All of these acts are alleged to bring down a special divine favor upon the consecrated sovereign.
The coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III.
The concepts of king, coronation and deity were often inexorably linked. In some ancient cultures, rulers were considered to be divine or partially divine: the Egyptian Pharaoh was believed to be the son of Ra, the sun god; while in Japan the Emperor was believed to be a descendant of Amaterasu, the sun goddess.
Rome promulgated the practice of emperor worship; later, in Medieval Europe, monarchs claimed to have a "divine right" to rule. Coronations were once a powerful visual expression of these alleged connections, but recent centuries have seen the discrediting of such beliefs due to increasing secularization and democratization.
Thus coronations have often been discarded altogether, or altered to reflect the constitutional nature of the states in which they are held. However, some kingdoms still choose to retain an overtly religious dimension to their accession rituals.
0 comments:
Post a Comment