Stool of Repentance
Encyclopedia
The Stool of Repentance in Presbyterian polity
, mostly in Scotland
, was an elevated seat in a church used for public penance of persons who had offended against the morality
of the time, often through fornication
and adultery
. Often, at the end of the service, the offender had to stand upon the stool to receive the rebuke of the minister.
The humiliation associated with sitting on the stool and publicly repenting one's sins often drove people to suicide
, or women to conceal their pregnancy
and even to kill their child, rather than to face the congregation of the Kirk Session.
An alternative to, or commutation of, the Stool of Repentance was payment of buttock mail
.
for children and adults. The players sit in a circle around a stool.
One of the group (the "victim") leaves the room, and the rest say or write all sorts of things about him or her. For instance, one will say he or she is handsome, another that he or she is clever, or stupid, or vain. The "victim" is then called back to sit on the stool, and one of the players begins to tell or read him or her the different charges that were made against him or her. "Someone said you were vain; can you guess who?" If the victim guesses correctly, he or she returns to the circle, and the person who made the accusation takes the stool as the new "victim". If, however, the "victim" is unable to guess correctly, he or she must leave the room again and fresh charges are made against him or her. The game almost certainly takes its name from the old Scottish church custom.
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
, mostly in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, was an elevated seat in a church used for public penance of persons who had offended against the morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
of the time, often through fornication
Fornication
Fornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other. For many people, the term carries a moral or religious association, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The...
and adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. Often, at the end of the service, the offender had to stand upon the stool to receive the rebuke of the minister.
The humiliation associated with sitting on the stool and publicly repenting one's sins often drove people to suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, or women to conceal their pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
and even to kill their child, rather than to face the congregation of the Kirk Session.
An alternative to, or commutation of, the Stool of Repentance was payment of buttock mail
Buttock Mail
Buttock mail was the colloquial term for a Scottish Poor Law tax which was introduced in 1595. Enforced by the ecclesiastical courts who had responsibility for the moral behaviour of the laity, buttock mail was levied as a fine for sexual intercourse out of wedlock.-Etymology:In the 17th century,...
.
Parlour game
Stool of Repentance is also the name of a parlour gameParlour game
A parlour game is a group game played indoors. During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour, hence the name....
for children and adults. The players sit in a circle around a stool.
One of the group (the "victim") leaves the room, and the rest say or write all sorts of things about him or her. For instance, one will say he or she is handsome, another that he or she is clever, or stupid, or vain. The "victim" is then called back to sit on the stool, and one of the players begins to tell or read him or her the different charges that were made against him or her. "Someone said you were vain; can you guess who?" If the victim guesses correctly, he or she returns to the circle, and the person who made the accusation takes the stool as the new "victim". If, however, the "victim" is unable to guess correctly, he or she must leave the room again and fresh charges are made against him or her. The game almost certainly takes its name from the old Scottish church custom.