misericords

misericord In Christian church architecture, a bracket or ledge projecting from the underside of a hinged tip-up seat in the choir, against which an elderly or infirm clergyman could lean and rest during long services whilst still appearing to stand. The term, which derives from the Latin misericordia (‘compassion’), is first recorded in Germany in the 11th century, but the earliest surviving examples date from the early 13th century. Misericords are often richly carved, and England has a particularly impressive tradition in them. The subject matter of the carving is predominantly secular and frequently humorous, illustrating fables and proverbs for example, but there is often a moral attached. Misericords were at their peak of development in the 14th and 15th centuries in England, but they continued to be produced into the 17th century.

misericord a ledge projecting from the underside of a hinged seat in a choir stall which, when the seat is turned up, gives support to someone standing. Medieval misericords were often decorated with elaborate and sometimes bawdy scenes from secular or religious life, visible when the seat was raised.

Dating in this sense from the early 16th century, misericord (denoting pity) is recorded from Middle English, and comes ultimately from Latin misericordia, from misericors ‘compassionate’, from the stem of misereri ‘to pity’ + cor, cord- ‘heart’. Other early uses in English include an apartment in a monastery in which some relaxations of the monastic rule were permitted, and a small dagger used to deliver a death stroke to a wounded enemy.

misericords , carvings in Gothic churches that adorn choir stalls provided for the use of the clergy during services. The stalls were carved with biblical scenes that demonstrated the artist's skill and wit. Superb examples of misericords are at Ely, Wells, and Lincoln cathedrals in England.