The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c3: Errata
The Chālukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c3
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Errata
c3.1
(1) PLATE XV.—*For* the word "Section" in both the Plate and the List of Plates *read* "Elevation."
c3.2
(2) PLATES XXVII AND XXXI.—*Omit* asterisks from the List of Plates.
c3.3
(3) PLATE LXXXIII.—*For* the words "Haraḷhaḷḷi" and "Ceiling from Sōmēśvara" in the Plate *read* "Nīralgi" and "Lotus ceiling from Siddhārāmēśvara."
c3.4
(4) PLATE CXI.—*For* "Balagāmve: Pillars from the temple of Kedarēśvara" in the List of Plates *read* "Banavāsi: Pillars from Madhukēśvara."
c3.5
The guilds of the Middle Ages were not merely economic organizations; they were also social and religious institutions. They provided a sense of community and mutual support for their members, often acting as a kind of extended family. This was particularly important in an age when travel was difficult and dangerous, and when the individual had little protection outside of his immediate kin or his guild. The guild provided a burial fund, cared for the widows and orphans of deceased members, and often maintained a chapel or altar in the local church.
c3.6
The religious aspect of the guilds was deeply ingrained in their structure. Each guild usually had a patron saint, whose feast day was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony. The members would attend mass together, followed by a communal feast. This religious observance served to bind the members together and to give the guild a sense of purpose beyond mere commercial gain. It also helped to legitimize the guild in the eyes of the Church and the community at large.
c3.7
"The guild is a brotherhood," wrote one medieval chronicler, "bound by oath to mutual aid, to the defense of their common interests, and to the service of God and the saints."
c3.8
This sense of brotherhood was not, however, without its limitations. The guilds were often exclusive, restricting membership to those who could afford the entrance fees and who met certain standards of character and skill. They were also frequently involved in disputes with other guilds, with the town authorities, and with the nobility. Yet, despite these conflicts, the guilds played a crucial role in the development of medieval society, fostering a spirit of cooperation and providing a framework for economic and social life that would endure for centuries.