Le Tau — Un Attribut ou un Insigne Liturgique?

Abstract

The Tau — an attribute or liturgical insignia? The head of the Tau Cross indicating the authority of the bishops over earthly matters originates from texts and archaeological finds dating from the 7 th century. It originally took the form of a curved wooden cane. From the beginning of the 8 th century there also emerged a cane with a horizontal finish in the form of the letter ‘T’ — Tau. Up to the present time there exist thirty-three examples of the Tau form made from elephant ivory, walrus ivory, bronze or wood. These were found in England, Ireland, Scandinavia, France, the German Empire, Poland and Portugal. They all originate from the period between the 8 th and 12 th centuries but most of them are from the 11 th and first half of the 12 th century. While the origins of this form of Tau Cross are not entirely clear it undoubtedly has its roots in antiquity but not from the Byzantine period where the prelates used a different type of cane altogether known as a ‘Rabdos’.