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"And so too with the gods, I experience
their power every moment, |
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Contributed by
Antonia Traiana Severa |
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The first altars in Italy were familial shrines located within the countryside dwellings. The humble surroundings and sacred flame of the hearth fire provided an intimate environment where matters of everyday life were confided to and blessed. Residents of the household would gather around the familial shrine or lararium and, led by the Paterfamilias (head of the household), commence in daily communion with the Lares familiares (protective ancestral spirits). The religious observation consisted of prayers and offerings to the divine in order to achieve Pax Deorum (peace with the gods). These daily practices at the lararium ensured the protection and favor of the prevailing divine forces for the well-being of the residents, properties and lands. The lararium expounded by the Romans, was initially referred to as an aedicula; a small shrine within an aedes (dwelling place of a god). The aedes was usually a home or a temple building. Temple buildings were often preceded by an aedicula to the deity concerned, and used in public offerings. Both the public and private shrines were similar in appearance and purpose as designated sacred portals for continued devotion to the Roman deities. Later Latin texts came to refer to the household aedicula as a lararium, the term most commonly applied by modern practitioners of the Religio Romana. The lararium remains the focus of private worship in the Temple of Religio Romana. The sacred space acts as a conduit in forming relations with the divine, while providing a cathartic venue for personal enrichment. The acts of propitiation and purification ascribed to rites and prayers not only strengthen spiritual bonds, but also affirm a continued belief in ourselves and our society. Through daily veneration we can actively seek participation of the patron deities into everyday life, and secure Their prosperous blessings for ourselves, our loves ones, community and lands. Your lararium will serve as the center of devotion and reflection as you embark on your spiritual journey in the Religio Romana. The information below is provided as a guideline in establishing and maintaining a lararium as part of the daily practices of the Religio Romana. It is by no means complete and further research by the practitioner is always encouraged. For instructions on performing a lararium ritual see Daily Lararium Ritual page. Setting up your lararium Where should I place my lararium? The first lararium may have been the actual hearth fire itself. Votives were kept in a cupboard and taken out for ritualistic offerings which were then thrown into the fire. The hearth fire had a prominent place, usually in or near the kitchen, and was kept continuously burning as a sign of eternal devotion. Solid lararium structures existed alongside or in place of the hearth fire and their revealed remnants are the inspirations for modern lararia (pl.). Typically there were two forms of solid lararium structures; a wall lararium and a floor lararium. The wall lararium was regularly located near the sacred hearth fire or the entrance of the home. The floor lararium, usually reserved for larger spaces, may have resided in the atrium or a separate room. Both types of lararia were usually a rectangular recessed area, projected area or niche in the wall. Some aristocratic homes had large elaborate shrines erected; similar in features to a chapel, and situated in exclusive quarters. Several lararia may have been organized within the home, one of which would have remained the primary center of worship. Secondary shrines were employed for special veneration of, for example, certain branches of the family and patron deities. There are several considerations when choosing a location for your lararium. Salient features of the location are that your lararium is well protected, convenient, easily maintained and exclusive to worship. An optimum site would be within a prominent part of the home, preferably near the entrance or center, and close to a hearth fire if one is available. The amount of space you utilize can vary according to your intended design, however, there should be enough space allocated for at least one candle, an incense burner, and an offering dish. The top of a dresser, counter, or other piece of stable furniture with a clean flat surface can function very well. You could also construct or incorporate an existing ledge on a wall, or shelving within an enclosure such as a closet (the door may need to be removed). Another possibility is a free standing shelving system such as the large lararium pictured below (see under Gallery of lararia). This particular lararium was a baker’s rack that had been painted and then adorned. You might even want to assemble your own lararium using a simple design and some hardware and stone or masonry, or even utilize a roof tile resembling those found in antiquity, which were then placed on flat surfaces. Once you have resolved the logistics of structuring your lararium, you can then determine the appearance of it. What should my lararium look like? Ancient lararia assumed various forms and appearances, however most shrines were a recessed rectangular or semi-rectangular area, with a pediment surmounting a colonnade that served as a portico to a framed central painting, statue, or bust. Sometimes more than one medium was acquiesced within the portico such as a painting within a herm (recessed area with a bust). Variations of this form preceded the niche in the wall, were enclosed by a door, or could have been mounted on top of a podium. The podium could have been carved with inscriptions and images. Simpler shrines have also been revealed made up of bricks or roof tiles used as a ledge, or a painting hung over a wooden table or brick ledge. The framed central paintings often found within ancient lararia usually depicted the family Lares, sometimes portrayed as two young men wearing tunics and dancing while holding their drinking horns upward, or pouring wine into a patera (offering dish, see Ritual Tools page). In very early Rome, a singular Lar was worshipped and later came to include a second Lar. Additionally, early lararia often revealed the spiritual image of the master of the household (genius) and later, the mistress of the household (iuno) as well. The genius and the iuno as the guardian spirits protected the household from external threats. They were often displayed beneath the pediment for veneration. A snake was likely portrayed beneath all the images as representing the genius of a place or person. The genius was sometimes depicted as a man dressed in a toga, with his head covered and holding a horn and a patera. Sometimes two snakes were illustrated, one with a beard and comb (possibly as the genius) and one without (possibly as the iuno). There were also motif designs within or near the lararia such as apotropaic depictions and inscriptions, engraved on mosaics, murals, reliefs and friezes. Your lararium could resemble the various shrines from antiquity or assume a more contemporary facade. You can also combine appearances for a truly distinct form. Using earth-toned paints or leaving your lararium unpainted would add a more rustic, unfinished quality to your sacred space. For a rich and textured appeal, you might use brightly colored paints and add decorations. If painting is too ambitious for you, works of art or pictorial images such as prints might be displayed in or around the lararium. Many of the images and motifs from antiquity work very well with modern lararia and introduce a classical theme into the home. Plants and flowers are always welcome decorations, as gathering and offering natural flora was a frequent ancient practice. Pine cones, stones, garlands, dried flowers and home made potpourri in a beautiful container, can be hung or placed within a lararium. Your can also decorate your lararium to mark the changing seasons, holidays and special commemorations throughout the year. There are many creative and viable avenues to explore in developing your ideal lararium. Once you have completed the look of your lararium, you can then add any items that will be used for worship. What items should my lararium contain? Ancient traditional practices involved worship to the genius and iuno (male and female guardian spirits of the household respectively) and the divine ‘pantheon’ of the home including the Genii Loci (protective spirits of the home), Dii Penates (protective spirits of the inner household), Dii Manes (spirits of the deceased), Dii Indiges (native deities), Dii Novensiles (foreign adopted deities) and not uncommonly; deified benefactors. These tutelary deities were represented in different mediums such as masks (imagines) which were made from a variety of materials including wax, wood and marble. One floor lararium uncovered from antiquity contained two casts of wooden portraits of the ancestors, though the imagines maiorum were probably not worshipped within the home but rather an open area such as an atrium. Statues and figurines of deities and individuals were often fixed within the shrine - and puppets representing individuals may have also hung nearby, possibly as apotropaic (protective) devices. Additional apotropaic devices such as amulets, charms and talisman, and engraved apotropaic inscriptions and depictions on reliefs, mosaics and inlaid wood, also found their place within or near some ancient lararia. Stones, coins and assorted objects of assumed specific meanings, too, were found among remnants. Highly visible were functional implements such as oil lamps, vessels, incense burners, and salt containers (sacred objects often utilized in rites and expiations (see Ritual Tools page). Ritual tools were usually kept either in the lararium or in a box, nearby. They were exclusive to worship and required special handling. Any items you include within or around your lararium, beyond the essential sacred objects, further express your devotion to the deities of your home and land. Items are symbolic; meant only to educe the presence of gods and are a matter of preference. As mentioned the essential sacred objects used in worship are a candle, incense burner and offering dish - although the first five tools listed in the Ritual Tools page are those most commonly employed in modern worship. Particular attention to familial worship can be demonstrated by the addition of personal and ancestral materials which indicate family events such as birth, graduation, marriage, and death - or a journey and return home. Another celebrated form of family event would be a youth receiving a first clipping of his beard. The clippings would be placed in a special box and kept in the lararium (see On Sacrifices page). You might also change or update pictures of family members or loved ones, and honor an ancestor by placing a decorative funerary urn within your lararium. Additionally, your lararium may contain votive figurines, images, paintings, and photos - likenesses of people that are especially meaningful to you and your family. Statues within the lararium can be decorated with fine fabrics and pieces of jewelry such as a bracelet or necklace; a common practice in antiquity. Miniatures or model representations, plaques, hand woven objects and gifts, coins, beads, gemstones, stones, found items and a separate bowl for treats may also supplement your special environment. Additions to your lararium may remain permanent or change just as your life experiences change. Removed items should be stored with reverence and fixed items should be regularly maintained. Care should be taken to ensure their purity and the purity of the lararium. How do I maintain my lararium? In Roma antiqua the mistress of the house customarily maintained the shrines in the domus (home). She carefully cleaned and swept the hearth fire and lararium, seeing to it that the cinders of a fire were enclosed under the vestiges for uninterrupted blazing throughout the night. It was a vital religious duty concurrent with daily venerence. Keeping your lararium clean is an ongoing act of devotion to the deities. Maintaining purity is simple, does not require any special process, and will keep your lararium looking fresh and vibrant. Cleansing consists of dusting and washing objects within and around the lararium, and properly disposing of food offerings. Food offerings can be dispensed of by pouring them onto the ground outside, burning them in embers, or consuming them yourself. This should be done before the food becomes rancid and preferably soon after the offering. Live flora should be tended to and disposed of outdoors if needed, and removed items and tools should be carefully stored in a separate place. Maintenance of your lararium includes replenishing supplies (i.e. candles, incense, matches), replacing broken or damaged items and touch-ups. Try to keep your lararium uncluttered and organized so that items are easily accessible and easily cleaned. A well-kept lararium reflects your reverence to the deities and assists you in sustaining worship.
Other forms of domestic shrines Portable lararia Ancient portable lararia were utilized to maintain worship while traveling or relocating (in public use they were also carried in processions and ceremonies.) Portable lararia were typically made of tufa (a porous limestone,) terracotta, bronze, marble, or travertine. For a more practical and easily transported lararia, you could incorporate a protective case such as a small casket or box with a lined or padded interior and large enough for your religious objects. You might also want to decorate and adorn your box and make it a permanent home for a second set of ritual tools and devotional items. As with permanent lararia, hygiene of the case and contents should be regularly maintained. Fountains (nymphaeum) Nymphaeum were decorative fountains in the style of a grotto that were most likely shrines to the Nymphs (guardian spirits of pure water and associated with the river gods). The earliest nymphaeum were natural grottos, later constructed as fountains which imitated the caves. The fountain was often a recessed area with a hole in the back, and a masonry rim in front where water flowed. Larger and more ornate nymphaeum would have been decorated with statues and inscriptions and these were often located in the atrium. Public nymphaeum may have had designated buildings and were often associated with baths. A modern domestic nymphaeum could be a fountain decorated with statuettes, plants, flowers, inscriptions, works of art, and placed on the wall or the floor. Regular cleansing is required to maintain the purity of the fountain and water. Gallery of lararia The following pictures depict ancient and modern lararia. The lararia antiqua were excavated in various regions of Italy. These are archetypical of domestic shrines that appeared in the early to mid empire. The subsequent following photos illustrate extant lararia used by modern practitioners of the Religio Romana. All of the lararia pictured below are provided for purposes of reference. They offer a glimpse into ancient and modern conduits of worship in the Religio Romana. Each lararia had and has a distinct personal significance to their respective practitioners, yet all lararia share the common characteristics of devotion and inspiration.
Ancient Lararia Lararium I
Wall lararium. Niche located within an atrium. Ostia.
Lararium II
Wall lararium. Niche in House of the Lararium of Achilles. Pompeii
Lararium III
Lararium painting. Painting depicts dii Penates, lar, and genius. House of Vettii. Pompeii
Lararium IV
Regina Minor
Lararium I
Shelf One: Pictures of family and pets are displayed on the top shelf. A large candle depicting Roman matrons is in the center. Also displayed are two decorative pieces of silver from a set that has been in the family for 40 years (placed in front of the large candle). Shelf Two: The second shelf contains ritual tools (salinum; salt cellar and acerra; incense box), a decorative Roman hourglass, a small bottle of anointing oil, 2 aroma containers, potpourri in a glass container and candle burner. Shelf Three: On the third shelf (where offerings are placed) is a turibulum (a round censor for hot coals), a lucerna (clay oil lamp), a patella (offering dish), statues of Minerva, Venus, Ceres, and Apollo, two incense burners and a set of scales representing balance and harmony with the gods. There are several incense and candle burners distributed throughout the lararium and a laurel wreath adorns the right side. Flowers have been placed nearby.
This lararium is on top of a dresser. Items displayed are: patera, salinum, a bowl filled with grapes, candles, a miniature of Roman legionnaires (associated here with goddess Roma and Mars Invictus (Mars the unconquered), family portraits, statues of Divvs Avgvstvs (deified Augustus) and Neptvnvs (Neptune). A miniature replica of a clay Pompeiian lararium stands in the background. The replica depicts the Lares, Penates, Genius Patris Familias, and Vesta Mater. |
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Contact us at info@religioromana.net Temple of
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