Carving sound

Abstract

Prayer inscriptions in churches relate to the church soundscape in various ways. I discuss whether epigraphic inscriptions were read aloud or silently and argue that at least the less literate readers would need to use their voices as aids in the carving and reading process, thus contributing to the church soundscape by producing sound. Prayer inscriptions also evoke sound through spurring its readers to pray for people named in the inscriptions. These prayers may have been voiced or unvoiced, audible only to the reader and prayer’s inner ear. Inscriptions in churches may also reflect sound, both through their spelling and by reflecting popular prayers sung or read in the church. Finally, I consider a group of inscriptions which are closer to symbols than to verbal text, and how these relate to sound. I argue that although the connection to sound is less apparent in these inscriptions, they attest to the popularity of the Ave Maria prayer and thus reflect popular prayers spoken time and again in the church.