What was a Chrisom?

[stanmapstone]

JUst to add  that in the mediæval Church of England, the priest anointed the child with the chrism or, holy oil in the form of a cross .....
Stan

The church in England at the time was Catholic. 

I was posting an extract from my original post http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=549345.msg4028109#msg4028109
I believe it does not mean "The Church of England" it means the church of England. 

Stan

[Westy11]

thanks so much everyone.  A fascinating piece of history and I am glad I asked.

Westy

[Top-of-the-hill]

   I'm glad you asked! I vaguely knew a chrisom child was one who died very young, but not the details.

[Viktoria]

As to Churching,I distinctly remember how angry I was when my M in L
marched me to the Rectory to arrange the Baptism of my first baby.
She honestly believed babies did not thrive if not Baptised,also what if they died?
Whilst there she said to the Rector that  I needed Churching,she would not allow me in her house until I was.!!!!!
So into church and it was done ,it so angered me as just a year before at our wedding it had been stated as part of the service that marriage was for the procreation of children,yet there I was having to admit I had sinned,if I had my husband had also so why did he not have to be churched?
I would have gladly have said  thank you for a healthy baby and a safe delivery,but I was incensed and refused to do it ever again.
I have never found that particular form in The Prayer book but I read from a leaflet like those some churches have for Baptisms .There were responses to questions asked by the Rector,I gritted my teeth and was barely audible.

That topic has been on RootsChat some years ago and I spoke later with friends my age(very old) some remembered as I do with anger others had the form on the Prayer book so were not much miffed by it.

I remember it still some 61 years later(it was said baby,s 61 st Birthday last Tuesday) Iam getting hot under the collar again so I,d better make a cuppa.
                        Viktoria.

[stanmapstone]

Churching of Women in the Christian Church was a service of thanksgiving and nothing to do with 'uncleaness' or with sinning

This site gives a comprehensive explanation of 'Churching'  http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/church.html#intro

You can read about Churching of Women in the Roman Catholic Church at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03761a.htm

In Jewish Law the 'uncleaness' came from the bleeding, not from the birth. The period of uncleaness after the birth of a baby boy, 40 days, was half the period of for a girl, 80 days. After 40 days(or 80days) the time of purification was completed, and the woman went to the priest with a sacrificial offering after which she was ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

Stan

[Westy11]

fascinating.

Viktoria its sad how somethings as a woman life seems really strange and inexplicable.

I'm fascinated how, as Stan states the "..  period of uncleaness after the birth of a baby boy, 40 days...." whereas after a girl 80 days.

What is it about giving birth to a female child that requires double the time to become 'clean'?

Westy

[stanmapstone]

fascinating.
What is it about giving birth to a female child that requires double the time to become 'clean'?

Westy

Leviticus 12. Verse 5. - If she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks;... and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days. The reason why the duration of the mother's uncleanness is twice as long at a girl's birth as at a boy's, would appear to be that the uncleanness attached to the child as well as to the mother, but as the boy was placed in a state of ceremonial purity at once by the act of circumcision, which took place on the eighth day, he thereupon ceased to be unclean, and the mother's uncleanness alone remained; whereas in the case of a girl, both mother and child were unclean during the period that the former was "in the blood of her purifying," and therefore that period had to be doubly long. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/12-5.htm

Stan

[Maiden Stone]

Churching of Women in the Christian Church was a service of thanksgiving and nothing to do with 'uncleaness' or with sinning

This site gives a comprehensive explanation of 'Churching'  http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/church.html#intro

The mother offering her baby's chrisom cap is mentioned in this article, on a page describing different versions of the churching rite.

[Maiden Stone]

As to Churching,I distinctly remember how angry I was when my M in L
marched me to the Rectory to arrange the Baptism of my first baby.
She honestly believed babies did not thrive if not Baptised,also what if they died?
Whilst there she said to the Rector that  I needed Churching,she would not allow me in her house until I was.!!!!!

It was customary "in olden days"    (long before your son's birth)  for a mother to remain at home for a month to 6 weeks after birth of a child. This was partly to allow her time for rest & recovery and to devote all her energy to the baby. There was also a superstition that fairies liked to steal new babies so it was safer if mother & baby didn't go out in public. Your mother-in-law's beliefs may have been influenced by inherited superstitions. One of the articles quoted by Stan touches on superstition.