Everything about Throne totally explained
» This article is about royal thrones; for the order of angels by the same name see thrones.
A
throne is the official
chair or seat upon which a
monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the
monarchy or
the Crown itself, an instance of
metonymy, and is also used in many terms such as "
the power behind the throne".
Thrones in ancient cultures
monarchs and
deities since
ancient times. In some cultures, an early form of the throne was used in
coronation ceremonies, or to lift the monarch up above all others present. Thrones have ever since been associated with royal power.
The
Greeks (according to
Homer) were known to place additional, empty thrones in the royal
palaces and
temples so that the gods could be seated when they wished to be. The most famous of these thrones was the
throne of Apollo in
Amyclae.
The
Romans also had two types of thrones- one for the
Emperor and one for the goddess
Roma whose statues were seated upon thrones, which became centers of worship.
The
Hittites considered thrones to be gods themselves.
Thrones and the Bible
The word "throne" appears in the
Bible 176 times ("thrones", in the plural, appears 9 times). God is described as seated upon a throne in the manner of kings, as a sign of his sovereignty over
creation.
In the
Old Testament, King David and King
Solomon (as God's representative on earth) are depicted upon thrones: "Moreover the king made a great throne of
ivory, and overlaid it with the best
gold" .
Isaiah mentions the same throne: :
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of
David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."
In the
New Testament, the
Angel Gabriel also refers to this throne in the
Gospel of Luke :
"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the
Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Jesus promised his
Apostles that they'd sit upon "twelve thrones", judging the
twelve tribes of Israel .
John's
Revelation states: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away" .
The
Apostle Paul speaks of "
thrones" in .
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, in his work,
De Coelesti Hierarchia (VI.7) interprets this as referring to one of the ranks of
angels (corresponding to the Hebrew
Arelim or
Ophanim). This concept was expanded upon by
Thomas Aquinas in his
Summa Theologica (I.108), wherein the thrones are concerned with carrying out divine justice.
In
Medieval times the "Throne of Solomon" was associated with the
Virgin Mary, who was depicted as the throne upon which Jesus sat. The ivory in the biblical description of the Throne of Solomon was interpreted as representing purity, the gold representing divinity, and the six steps of the throne stood for the six
virtues. was also interpreted as referring to the Virgin Mary, the entire Psalm describing a royal throne room.
Ecclesiastical thrones
From ancient times,
bishops of the
Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox,
Anglican and other churches where episcopal offices exist, have been formally seated on a throne, called a
cathedra (
Greek: κάθεδρα, seat). Traditionally located in the
sanctuary, the cathedra symbolizes the bishop's authority to teach the faith (hence the expression "
ex cathedra") and to govern his flock.
"Ex cathedra" refers to the explicative authority, notably the extremely rarely used procedure required for a papal declaration to be '
infallible' under Roman Catholic
Canon law. In several languages the word deriving from
cathedra is commonly used for an academic teaching mandate, the professorial chair.
From the presence of this cathedra (throne), which can be as elaborate and precious as fits a secular prince (even if the prelate isn't a
prince of the church in the secular sense), a bishop's primary church is called a
cathedral. In the Roman Catholic Church, a
basilica -from the Greek
basilikos 'royal'-, now refers to the presence there of a papal
canopy (
ombrellino), part of his
regalia, and applies mainly to many cathedrals and Catholic churches of similar importance and/or splendor. In Roman Antiquity a basilica was secular public hall. Thus, the term basilica may also refer to a church designed after the manner of the ancient Roman basilica. Many of the churches built by the emperor
Constantine the Great and
Justinian are of the basilica style.
Some other
prelates besides bishops are permitted the use of thrones. For instance,
abbots and
abbesses. These are often simpler than the thrones used by bishops and there may be restrictions on the style and ornamentation used on them, according to the regulations and traditions of the particular denomination.
As a mark of distinction, Roman Catholic bishops and higher prelates have a right to a canopy above their thrones at certain ecclesiastical functions. It is sometimes granted by special
privilege to prelates inferior to bishops, but always with limitations as to the days on which it may be used and the character of its ornamentation. The
liturgical colour of the canopy should correspond with that of the other vestments. When ruling monarchs attend services, they're also allowed to be seated on a throne that's covered by a canopy, but their seats must be outside the sanctuary.
In the
Greek Orthodox Church, the bishop's throne will often combine features of the monastic choir stall (
kathisma) with appurtenances inherited from the Byzantine court, such as a pair of lions seated at the foot of the throne.
The term "throne" is often used in reference to
Patriarchs to designate their ecclesiastical authority; for instance, "the Ecumenical Throne" refers to the authority of the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
Western bishops may also use a
faldstool to fulfill the liturgical purpose of the cathedra when not in their own cathedral.
Papal Thrones
In the
Roman Catholic Church, the
Pope is an
elected monarch, both under
canon law as
supreme head of the church, and under
international law as the
head of state -styled "sovereign pontiff"- of the
Vatican City State (the sovereign state located within the city of Rome established by the
Lateran Treaty in 1929. Until 1870 the Pope was the elected monarch of the
Papal States, which for centuries constituted one of the largest political powers on the divided Italian peninsula). To this day the
Holy See maintains officially-recognized diplomatic status, and papal
nuncios and
legates are deputed on
diplomatic missions throughout the world.
The throne upon which the
Pope is traditionally seated as
Bishop of Rome (the
Cathedra Romana), is located in the
apse of the
Basilica of St. John Lateran, his
cathedral. The throne upon which he sits as Pope is in the apse of
St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Enshrined above this throne is an armchair believed to have been used by
Saint Peter, the first pope. This
relic is known as the
Cathedra Sancti Petri (Chair of Saint Peter).
In the past, the pope was also carried on occasions in a portable throne, called the
sedia gestatoria. Originally, the
sedia was used as part of the elaborate, ostentatious pomp surrounding papal ceremonies that was believed to be the most direct heir of
pharaonic splendour, and included a pair of
flabella (fans made from ostrich feathers) to either side.
Pope John Paul I at first abandoned the use of these implements, but later in his brief reign began to use the
sedia so that he could be seen more easily by the crowds. However, he didn't restore the use of the flabella. The use of the
sedia was abandoned by
Pope John Paul II in favor of the so-called "
popemobile" when outside. Near the end of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II had a specially-constructed throne on wheels that could be used inside.
Prior to 1978, at the
Papal conclave, each
cardinal was seated on a throne in the
Sistine Chapel during the balloting. Each throne had a
canopy over it. After a successful election, once the new pope accepted election and decided by what name he'd be known, the cardinals would all lower their canopies, leaving only the canopy over the newly-elected pope. This was the new pope's first throne. This tradition was dramatically portrayed in the 1963 film,
The Shoes of the Fisherman.
Thrones in feudal times
In European feudal countries, monarchs often were seated on thrones, based in all likelihood on the Roman magisterial chair. These thrones were originally quite simple, especially when compared to their Asian counterparts. One of the grandest and most important was the Throne of Charlemagne in the "Imperial Cathedral" (
German:
Kaiserdom) at
Aachen, the site of the coronation of 30 German kings and emperors of the
Holy Roman Empire.
The
Byzantine emperors made use of much more elaborate thrones, often guarded by stone lions. The emperor was initially seen behind a series of silken screens, which would be pulled aside if the foreign visitor was sufficiently important. As the throne was approached mechanical lion would roar and organs would play. On reaching the foot of the throne, the suppicant was forced to prostrate and touch his head to the ground, and the throne would rise into the air, so that when the visitor raised his head from the ground he'd be astounded.
The medieval
Russian Tsars also employed Byzantine ceremonial with regard to throne-room
etiquette. The most famous throne of
Muscovy was the Ivory Throne of
Ivan IV "the Terrible". Dating from the mid-XVIth century, it's shaped as a high-backed chair with arm rests, and adorned with ivory and walrus bone plaques intricately carved with mythological, heraldic and life scenes. The plaques carved with scenes from the biblical account of
King David’s life are of particular relevance, as David was seen as the ideal for Christian monarchs.
In the Indian subcontinent, the term
gaddi (pronounced /gəd̪d̪iː/, also called
rājgaddī) was reserved for the throne of a Hindu
princely state's ruler, while their Muslim colleagues throned on a
musnad (pronounced /məsnəd̪/), even though both were in the shape of a
divan. In the
Mughal times the throne was called
Shāhī takht (pronounced /ʃaːhiː t̪əxt̪/), while traditional
Sanskrit name for the throne was
singhāsana (lit., seat of a lion).
In the '
regency' (nominally an Ottoman province, de facto an independent realm) of the
Bey of
Tunis, the throne was called
kursi.
During the
Russian Empire, the throne in
St. George's Hall (the "Greater Throne Room") in the
Winter Palace was regarded as
the throne of Russia. It sits atop a seven-stepped
dais with a
proscenium arch above and the symbol of the Imperial Family behind (the
two-headed eagle).
Peter I's Room (the "Smaller Throne Room") is modest in comparison to the former. The throne was made for
Empress Anna Ivanovna in London. There is also a throne in the Grand Throne Room of the
Peterhof.
Thrones in modern times
In some countries today which retain a monarchy, thrones are still used and have important symbolic and ceremonial meaning. However many modern day monarchies have dispensed with the usage of such symbolism as
crowns, thrones and
coronations.
Among the most famous thrones still in usage are
St Edward's Chair, on which the
British monarch is crowned, and the thrones used by monarchs during the state opening of parliaments in the
United Kingdom,
Denmark,
The Netherlands,
Canada,
Australia, and
Japan (see above) among others.
Some republics use distinctive throne-like chairs in some state ceremonial. The
President of the United States sits on a distinctive high-backed white-clothed chair in the
Oval Office in the
White House when meeting distinguished visitors in front of the media.(The visitor sits in a matching chair.) The
President of Ireland sits on a former
viceregal throne during his or her
inauguration ceremony while
Lords Mayor of many
British and
Irish cities often preside over local councils from throne-like chairs.
List of named thrones
Africa
the Golden Stool of the Ashanti
the Throne of David of the Emperors of Ethiopia
Asia
the Dragon Throne of the Emperors of China
the Chrysanthemum Throne of the Emperors of Japan
the Phoenix Throne of the Kings of Korea
the Lion Throne of the Dalai Lama of Tibet
the Lion Throne of Sikkim
the stone throne of King Kasyapa from SriLanka (External Link
) from the 5th century citadel of Sigiri
the stone throne of King Nissankamalla from Sri Lanka (External Link) from the 12th century Polonnaruwa kingdom
the Peacock Throne of the Mughal Emperors, later became:
the Peacock Throne of the Persian Shahs
the Takht-e Marmar of the Persian Shahs
the Peacock Throne of Korea
the Peacock throne at Montchobo, then at Ava, ancient capitals of Burma
the Saridhaleys 'ivory throne' and the sighsana 'lion throne' of the Maldives sultanate
the sandalwood throne, at Bikaner Fort
Gallery
Thrones of kings and emperors
Image:SanktEdvardsstol westminster.jpg| King Edward's Chair, Westminster Abbey, England
Image:Thronsaal, Residenz München.jpg| Throne of the Bavarian King, Munich
Image:Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial throne.jpg| Imperial throne of Napoleon
Image:Debret31.jpg| Throne of the Emperor of Brazil, Pedro I.
Image:Palacio-real-de-madrid-sala-de-tronos.jpg| Thrones of the king and queen of Spain, Madrid
Image:Salon trono.jpg| Thrones, Buckingham Palace, London
Image:Throne of the netherlands.jpg| Throne of the monarch of The Netherlands in the Ridderzaal
Thrones of the popes
Image:SanGiovanniChiostro2.JPG| Throne of the pope, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome
Image:Roma-san giovanni03.jpg| Throne of the pope, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome
Image:Honorius3.JPG| Throne of Pope Honorius III.
Image:Pintoricchio 015.jpg| Throne of Pope Pius II. (Enea Silvio Piccolomini)
Other uses
In slang, a common sit-down toilet is also called a throne.
In religion, a niche in an altar piece for displaying the Holy Sacrament is called a throne.
In music, the stool used to sit behind a drum kit is often called a throne.
One of the Angel choirs is an order called Ophanim or 'Thrones', said to carry God's heavenly throne - other choir names expressing power in secular terms include Powers, Principalities, Dominions
Sources and references
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