Doom paintings
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A "Doom painting" or "Doom" is a traditional English term for a wall-painting of the
Last Judgment The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
in a medieval church. This is the moment in
Christian eschatology Christian eschatology, a major branch of study within Christian theology, deals with "last things". Such eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" () and "study" (-) – involves the study of "end things", whether of ...
when Christ judges souls to send them to either
Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
or
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
. The subject was very commonly painted on a large scale on the western wall of churches, so it was viewed as people left the church, and the term is typically used of these, rather than depictions of the ''Last Judgement'' in other locations or media. Many examples survive as wall-paintings in medieval churches, most dating from around the 12th to 13th centuries, although the subject was common from the 1st millennium until (in countries remaining Catholic) the
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
. Most dooms in English churches were destroyed by government authority during the
English Reformation The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...
. The most famous of all Doom paintings, ''The Last Judgment'' by Michelangelo in the
Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its name ...
, painted in 1537 to 1541, comes at the end of the tradition, and is unusually sited on the east wall behind the altar.


The term "Doom"

Doom or "the Doom" was a specific term for the Last Judgement and first cited to c. 1200 by the
OED The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a co ...
("doom", 6), a sense surviving in this artistic meaning and in phrases such as the "crack of doom" and the word "doomsday", the latter going back to
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
. The original OED in the late 19th century already described this sense of "doom" as "archaic", but it remains in use in descriptions of (mostly) British medieval churches.


Purpose and iconography

Dooms were encouraged by the early medieval Church as an instrument to highlight the contrasts between the reward of Heaven and the agony of Hell so as to guide Christians away from misbehaviour and sin. A Doom was usually positioned either on the rear (liturgical Western) wall, if that space was available, or at the front (
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...
end) of a church, often on the Chancel arch itself so that it would be constantly visible to worshippers as they faced the altar during services. Although there are many different versions, the composition stays broadly the same. On the left side of a Doom painting (that is, on Christ's right hand) is Heaven, whilst on the right (Christ's left) is Hell. At the top of the image Jesus Christ sits in glory with his right hand encouraging the saved upward, and his left hand pointing down to Hell for the damned. Typically flanking him is the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
on his right and
John the Apostle John the Apostle ( grc, Ἰωάννης; la, Ioannes ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ;) or Saint John the Beloved was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee a ...
on his left, sometimes with the twenty-four elders mentioned in the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...
encircling the three of them. The angels blow trumpets to raise the dead for judgment. Commonly the Archangel Michael is in the centre, with the
scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...
he will use to weigh the souls of humanity to see if individually they are fit for Heaven: one person is on one side of the scale while
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
ic creatures that represent the sins committed by the person are on the other side of the scale. The creatures try to tip the scales in their favour while, in some versions of the painting, the Virgin Mary places a rosary next to the person she wishes to protect, or puts her hand on the scale to counterbalance the demons. In some other versions, while one of the saved enters Heaven, a demon tries to pull them in with the damned, while an
angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
fights the demon for the soul. Those who are worthy are brought to the gates of Heaven, frequently represented by a castle with large walls built to keep out sinful impurities. This is most commonly depicted on the left hand side of Doom paintings. Groups of angels adorn the walls of Heaven celebrating the saved as they approach Heaven's gates, where
Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
waits with his keys. Those on the other side are deemed unworthy of Heaven, usually seized by demons and brought into the
Hellmouth A Hellmouth, or the jaws of Hell, is the entrance to Hell envisaged as the gaping mouth of a huge monster, an image which first appeared in Anglo-Saxon art, and then spread all over Europe. It remained very common in depictions of the '' Last ...
, beyond which, mostly out of sight, lie the bowels of hell. A decisive factor in the Doom or Last Judgement will be the question, if the corporal
works of mercy Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics. The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that th ...
were practiced or not during lifetime. They rate as important acts of charity. Therefore, and according to the biblical sources (Mt 5:31-46), the conjunction of the Last Judgement and the
works of mercy Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics. The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that th ...
is very frequent in the pictorial tradition of Christian art. At
Chaldon Chaldon is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The village is situated high on the North Downs, immediately west of Caterham and south of Charing Cross, the traditional centre of London. History Etymology an ...
in Surrey the west wall of the church has a painting of the Ladder of Salvation (a subject common in the Eastern Church but this is the only example in England). This painting dates from about 1200 and is 17.5 ft long and 11.21 ft high. It is in the church of Saints Peter and Paul, Chaldon (built before 1086 AD), and depicts images of the ways of salvation and damnation and their result.


Examples in English churches

There are examples of doom and related paintings in the churches of following English towns and villages: * Ashampstead, Berkshire * Attleborough, Norfolk (Christ in Majesty) *
Bacton, Suffolk Bacton is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England, about north of Stowmarket. The village appeared as 'Bachetuna' in the Domesday Book and the area appears to have been settled at least since Roman times. At the centre of the village is ...
* Bartlow, Cambridgeshire (Weighing of Souls) *
Beckley, Oxfordshire Beckley is a village in Oxfordshire about northeast of the centre of Oxford. Beckley is part of the civil parish of Beckley and Stowood. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 608. The village is above sea level on the north ...
*
Bishopsbourne Bishopsbourne is a mostly rural and wooded village and civil parish in Kent, England. It has two short developed sections of streets at the foot of the Nailbourne valley south-east of Canterbury and centred from Dover. The settlement of P ...
, Kent (Weighing of Souls) *
Blyth, Nottinghamshire Blyth is a village and civil parish in the Bassetlaw district of the county of Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands, north west of East Retford, on the River Ryton. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census is 1,233. It sits a ...
* Bradfield, Norfolk * Broughton, Buckinghamshire * Broughton, Cambridgeshire *
Catherington Catherington is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1 mile (1.8 km) northwest of Horndean. The village is also close to Cowplain and Clanfield. It is situated about 10 miles north of Portsmouth and eight mi ...
, Hampshire (Weighing of Souls) *
Chelsworth Chelsworth is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It lies on the B1115 road, 10 miles in either direction from Sudbury and Stowmarket. It is part of Babergh district. The parish also contains the hamlet of Chelsworth Common. Built ...
, Suffolk * Chesterton, Cambridgeshire *
Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
(Holy Trinity Church), Warwickshire *
Croughton, Northamptonshire Croughton is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, about southwest of Brackley. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 992. The village is on the B4031 road about above sea level, on the south side of ...
(Weighing of Souls) *
Dauntsey Dauntsey is a small village and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, England. It gives its name to the Dauntsey Vale in which it lies and takes its name from Saxon for Dantes- eig, or Dante's island. It is set on slightly higher ground in ...
, Wiltshire *
Great Harrowden Great Harrowden is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, with a population (including Hardwick) at the 2011 census of 161. The village sits astride the busy A509 running between Kettering and Wellingborough - although a bypass ...
, Bedfordshire *
Great Shelford Great Shelford is a village located approximately to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. In 1850 Great Shelford parish contained bisected by the river Cam. The population in 1841 was 803 people. By 2001 ...
, Cambridgeshire *
Houghton Conquest Houghton Conquest is a village and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The parish also includes the hamlet of How End. History Historically in the hundred of Redbornestoke, the name of the villag ...
, Bedfordshire (Christ in Majesty) *
Ickleton Ickleton is a village and civil parish about south of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. The village is beside the River Cam, close to where a southern branch of the Icknield Way crossed the river. The eastern and southern boundaries of the ...
, Cambridgeshire *
Lenham Lenham is a market village and civil parish in Kent situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, east of Maidstone. The picturesque square in the village has two public houses (one of which is a hotel), a couple of restaurants, and a tea ...
, Kent (Weighing of Souls) * Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire *
Marton, Cheshire Marton, Cheshire is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England on the A34 road 3 miles (5 km) north of Congleton (). Its correct postal address is "Marton, ...
*
Mears Ashby Mears Ashby is a village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It lies between the county town of Northampton and Wellingborough and was in the West ward of borough council of Wellingborough area which also included Sywell prior to loca ...
, Northamptonshire * Newington-next-Sittingbourne, Kent *
North Cove North Cove is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk. It is part of the East Suffolk district, located around east of Beccles and west of Lowestoft. It merges with the village of Barnby and the villages s ...
, Suffolk *
Oddington, Gloucestershire Lower Oddington and Upper Oddington are a pair of adjoining villages in the English county of Gloucestershire. Together they form the civil parish of Oddington. In 2010 the parish had an estimated population of 477, decreasing at the 2011 cens ...
*
Pickworth, Lincolnshire Pickworth is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish including Braceby and Sapperton was 243 at the 2011 census. It is situated approximately both east from Granth ...
* Rotherfield, East Sussex (Doom) *Rotherfield, E Sussex (Weighing of Souls) *
Slapton, Northamptonshire Slapton is a small village in Northamptonshire, England, about from Towcester and the same from Silverstone. It is close to the A43 road which links the M40 motorway junction 10 with the M1 junction 15A at Northampton. Central London is abo ...
(Weighing of Souls) *
South Leigh :''There is also a Southleigh in Devon.'' South Leigh is a village and civil parish on Limb Brook, a small tributary of the River Thames, about east of Witney in Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 336. Manor So ...
, Oxfordshire (Doom) *South Leigh, Oxfordshire (St Michael Weighing Souls) * Stanningfield, Suffolk * Stoke-by-Clare, Suffolk *
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...
, the Guild chapel, Warwickshire * Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire (Allegory of the Penitent and Impenitent Soul) *
Wenhaston Wenhaston is a village situated to the south of the River Blyth in northeastern Suffolk, England. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 563. History Roman coins, pottery and building materials unearthed in local fields indicate the existen ...
, Suffolk *
West Somerton West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
, Norfolk *
Widford, Hertfordshire Widford is a village and civil parish between Ware and Much Hadham in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire in England. It covers an area of approximately 1,167 acres and contains 220 houses. The River Ash flows through the north of ...
(Christ in Judgement) * Wissington, Suffolk (Weighing of Souls) *
Yaxley, Suffolk Yaxley is a small village just west of Eye in Suffolk, England. The name means 'cuckoo-clearing'. Church of St. Mary Pevsner describes the north porch of the 12th-century church as 'one of the most swagger in Suffolk'. Inside the church are ...


Notes

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Further reading

*Tristram, E. W. ''English Medieval Wall Painting; 12th-14th cent.''. 3 vols. 1944-55


External links


"The Doom, or Last Judgement and the Weighing of Souls"
at ''Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church''
Doom Paintings and their Significance
at ''Allan Barton- Art Historian, Youtube Channel'' Medieval art Christian iconography Judgment in Christianity Christian art