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Alectern is a standing reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in ascripture reading,lecture, orsermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. To facilitate eye contact and improve posture when facing an audience, lecterns may have adjustable height and slant. People reading from a lectern, calledlectors, generally do so while standing.
The word has its origins in the medievalLatin termlectrum, related tolegere which means 'to read'.[1] In pre-modern usage, the wordlectern was used to refer specifically to the "reading desk or stand ... from which the Scripture lessons (lectiones) ... are chanted or read."[2] One 1905 dictionary states that "the term is properly applied only to the class mentioned [church book stands] as independent of thepulpit."[3] By the 1920s, however, the term was being used in a broader sense; for example, in reference to a memorial service inCarnegie Hall, it was stated that "the lectern from which the speakers talked was enveloped in black."[4] Lecterns are frequently also referred to aspodiums, a word which can also refer to an elevated platform upon which a lectern is placed, derived from the Latin rootpod-, meaning 'feet'.[1]
Lecterns used in academia—generally in seminar rooms and lecture theatres—may have certain features that common lecterns lack, based on the technological sophistication of the venue. These features usually include a microphone stand, audio-visual controls, sometimes even an integrated computer and recording system. Lecterns of this sort are generally attached or integrated into a large desk, as the amount of support material tends to be larger in academic contexts than in straightforward public talks.[citation needed]
In theChristian Church, the lectern is usually the stand on which theBible or other texts rest and from which the "lessons" (scripture passages, often selected from alectionary) are read during the service. The lessons may be read or chanted by a priest, deacon, minister, or layperson, depending upon the liturgical traditions of the community. The lectern is normally set in front of the pews, so that the reader or speaker faces the congregation.
Lecterns are often made of wood. They may be either fixed in place or portable. A lectern differs from apulpit, the latter being used forsermons though, especially historically, many pulpits include a built in lectern, for exampleSiena Cathedral Pulpit (Nicola Pisano, 1268). Churches that have both a lectern and a pulpit will often place them on opposite sides. The lectern will generally be smaller than the pulpit, and both may be adorned withantipendia in the color of theliturgical season.
In monastic churches and cathedrals, a separate lectern is commonly set in the centre of thechoir. Originally this would have carried theantiphonal book, for use by thecantor orprecentor leading the singing of thedivine office.Eagle-shaped lecterns are common,[5][6] though some, rather rarely, instead take the form of a pelican,[5] or an angel.
In theEastern Orthodox andEastern Catholic Churches, a lectern on whichicons or theGospel Book are placed for veneration is called ananalogion. It may also be used for reading fromliturgical books during thedivine services.[7]
Because theTorah scrolls are generally large, the central feature of thebimah in asynagogue is a table large enough to hold an open Torah along with atikkun orChumash (reference books used to check the reading). In some synagogues, this table may resemble a large lectern. The Hebrew term for this article of furniture isamud (Hebrew:עמוד).[8]
In traditionalyeshivas and some synagogues, students and members of the congregation may use small desks calledshtenders (Yiddish:שטענדער). These closely resemble conventional lecterns, and indeed, oneshtender may be used as a lectern by thehazzan leading the service. Each study group in a yeshivah may have its ownshtender and in some older synagogues individual members of the congregation may have their ownshtenders.[9][10]
Traditionalshtenders frequently incorporate a locker under the desktop where prayer books and study material may be locked when not in use, and many feature a footrest for comfort during extended study sessions or standing prayers. Some older synagogues have large collections ofshtenders.
InIslam, lecterns are often used when studying in Islamic seminaries or reading and learning the Qur'an while sitting on the floor, calledrehal.[11] The name "rehal" ultimately derives from the Arabic wordrahl (رَحْل) meaning "camelsaddle", referring to the resemblance of the unfolded lectern to a saddle.[12]
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Lecterns are used in political debates on stage, as well as for political speeches. Notable instances of these lecterns include the several types of AmericanPresidential lecterns, of which the most secure is the "Blue Goose", a bulletproof lectern used by thepresident of the United States, its smaller counterpart the Falcon,[13] and theseries of lecterns used for statements outside10 Downing Street.[14]
While they are designed in a wide variety of variations, lecterns usually feature a sloped top on which to rest the material to be read. A lip at the bottom of this slope is typically present to prevent this material from sliding off the lectern. The width of a lectern can range from a slender pole to as wide as the lectern's top section. Some modern lecterns feature motorised height adjustment, and sometimes come equipped with a small podium on which to stand.[1]
In addition to their utilitarian reading use, lecterns are often designed with aesthetics in mind. At events, lecterns may bear the name or insignia of the event's sponsor, its speaker, or the venue in which an event is taking place, such as that of ahotel orconference center.[1]
Table lecterns, which are portable lecterns designed to be placed upon tables, are also used.[1]
In this case, the use of therehal connects with the sense of how "God's word" should be reverently treated.
Media related toLecterns at Wikimedia Commons
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