Faldstool (from the O.H. Ger. ''falden'' or ''falten'', "to fold," and ''stuol'', Mod. Ger. ''Stuhl'', "stool"; from the

medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

''faldistolium'' derived, through the old form ''fauesteuil'', from the Mod. Fr. ''fauteuil'') is a portable

folding chair A folding chair is a type of folding furniture, a light, portable chair that folds flat or to a smaller size. Many modern styles of folding chairs can be stored in a stack, in a row, or on a cart. They may be combined with a folding table. Us ...

, used by a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

when not occupying the throne in his own

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, or when officiating in a cathedral or church other than his own; hence any movable folding stool used during divine service. Whatever the origins, it is difficult not to note the general resemblance to the

curule chair A curule seat is a design of a (usually) foldable and transportable chair noted for its uses in Ancient Rome and Europe through to the 20th century. Its status in early Rome as a symbol of political or military power carried over to other civiliza ...

or ''sella curulis'', which according to

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

supposedly derived its name from ''currus'', "chariot", and like the Roman toga originated in

Etruria Etruria ( ) was a region of Central Italy delimited by the rivers Arno and Tiber, an area that covered what is now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and north-western Umbria. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that f ...

, but much earlier stools supported on a cross-frame are known from the

New Kingdom of Egypt The New Kingdom, also called the Egyptian Empire, refers to ancient Egypt between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC. This period of History of ancient Egypt, ancient Egyptian history covers the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth, ...

. Just as a campstool of similar form came to be used by military commanders in the field, so it became the ceremonial chair that accompanied the bishop in his official visitations. The bishop will either use the faldstool as a seat, or kneel in front of it, resting his forearms on it in prayer like a

prie-dieu A prie-dieu ( French: literally, "pray oGod") is a type of prayer desk primarily intended for private devotional use, but which may also be found in churches. A similar form of chair in domestic furniture is called "prie-dieu" by analogy. S ...

, depending upon the

rubric A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the Latin , meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th century or ...

al requirements. Other

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

s may be granted the use of a faldstool during services, with certain limitations. The faldstool may be covered with silk cloth in red, green or violet, depending upon the liturgical season or the rank of the prelate. In the

Anglican Church Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

, a faldstool is a desk at which a

litany Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

is recited. It also refers to the small, upholstered

at which the

British sovereign The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...

and the

royal consort A royal consort is a person of either sex who has an official status through an intimate relationship, often through marriage or concubinage, with a monarch. The term ''consort'' was thereafter extended to encompass similar relationships with othe ...

kneel during important religious services such as

coronations A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special ...

and weddings. The term ''faldistory'' has a similar meaning.

References

*''

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (''AHD'') is a dictionary of American English published by HarperCollins. It is currently in its fifth edition (since 2011). Before HarperCollins acquired certain business lines from H ...

'' (

Houghton-Mifflin Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company ( ; HMH) is an American publisher of textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, and reference works. The company is based in the Boston Financial District. It was formerly known as the Houghto ...

Co. Boston, 1973), s.v., "faldstool".

External links

*{{cite Catholic Encyclopedia, wstitle=Faldstool, volume=5, first=Francis, last=Mershman Chairs Furniture

See also

References

External links