misericord

noun /mɪˈzɛɹɪkɔːd/

1. Relaxation of monastic rules.

   countable, uncountable

2. The room in a monastery for monks granted such relaxation.

   countable, uncountable

3. A ledge, sometimes ornately carved, attached to a folding church seat to provide support for a person standing for long periods; a subsellium.

   countable, uncountable

   Misericords are a very humble form of medieval art and it is unlikely that the most distinguished carvers of any period were employed in making them, except, perhaps, during their apprentice years.

   1969, M. D. Anderson, The Iconography of British Misericords, G. L. Remnant, A Catalogue of Misericords in Great Britain, page xxiii,

4. A medieval dagger, used for the mercy stroke to a wounded foe.

   countable, uncountable

   The word misericordia implies an act of mercy but despite its amiable name, it refers to coercing or forcing a spirit to pass through the Gates of Death. In the age of medieval chivalry, knights carried a dagger called the misericorde that was used to strike the coup de grâce upon mortally wounded foes so that they did not have to suffer. The term “misericordia” carries a similar import in necromancy.

Where it comes from

From 1200–1250, from Middle English misericorde (“an act of clemency”) from Old French, from Latin misericordia (“pity”). Doublet of misericordia.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry misericord (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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