A fény liturgikus használata a késő középkori székesegyházakban

The research this paper is a part of focuses on the use of late medieval cathedral spaces: the way in which people interacted with these spaces can tell us about their way of thinking. This article deals with the use of natural and artificial light in cathedral buildings, relying on archaeological information as well as written sources like inventories, charters and liturgical books like missals and ordinals. in the first part, the everyday lights are presented: firstly, case studies of Prague and Eger, both dealing with planned but unusual window situations, show that both the presence and absence of light could be important for medieval liturgy and cathedral life. secondly, the role of candles and lanterns in the everyday life of the cathedral is presented, with an analysis of the inventory of Wawel cathedral from 1563 showing the abundance of candelabras, examining the ever-burning lights marking important sites at some of cathedrals, and the dire circumstances of running out of oil for the lamps. The last part focuses on the use of candles and dramatic dark-light changes in the celebration of the Holy Saturday vigil in Central European cathedrals.