Lararium Tools

The tools of the lararium are all necessary to have, and their functions must be understood to be properly used.

Lucerna

The Lucerna,  or Sacred Lamp,  was most usually the source of sacred flame at the lararium altar. This is a lamp lit during the rites in honor of deity. An oil lamp or a candle will suffice for this.

The Sacred Flame that came from the lamp is a representation of the Goddess Hestia (Known in Latin as Vesta), but also serves as an of offering to the Gods as well a representation of the divine power of the Gods. It is the flame that’s important, not the container.

It only needs to be lit during:

  • The sacred rites
  • When an offering is made to the Gods.

Patera

The Patera is the offering dish also used at the lararium. The Patera is used to offer food or wine from houshold meals to the Gods. It is important to note that this was done symbolically, to honour the deity as a member of the home.

The Patera is an easy tool to use. A small bit of food from the family table, or liquid such as wine or milk is placed into it so that the Gods may share with the members of the household.

The offerings placed in a Patera need only be left for an hour or two, although they can be left from meal to meal if one wishes. The Patera should be kept spotless when not in use.

Turibulum

Incenses such as frankincense or myrrh were very popular, as were substances such as sandalwood. Powdery incense was stored in the acerra and then sprinkled the coals of the turibulum to make offerings to the gods. It is because the incense was considered a sacred offering that the acerra is a sacred lararium “tool.”

The Turibulum or Incense Burner is used both to create sacred scents that are offered to the Gods, and to also change the form of things from a solid to an ethereal form by consuming them with fire.

The turibulum holds hot coals, and powdered or resin incense is put on them to give off smoke. The coals were also used to burn small offerings such as bits food or flowers and other sacred plants.

To add a turibulum to your home lararium, you will need a non-burnable container (perhaps made out of clay, stone or metal), and fill it with some sort of non-burnable substance for the coals to rest on so that they won’t make the turibulum too hot to hold or leave on the surface of an altar. The material for the inside of the incense burner should be both non-burnable, and also something that doesn’t conduct heat. Sand is perfect as an insular, and clay based granular “kitty litter” works as well. Dug up earth won’t work well unless it is very, very dry, as anything organic in it tends to be burned by the charcoal and give off a smell.

The turibulum can be decorated if one wishes, but plain works just as well. Incense burners are of course commercially available in religious shops, etc.

Wood charcoal and modern “incense burner charcoal” both work fine. Outdoor “charcoal briquettes” for your backyard grill should not be used in any ritual, especially indoors, as they give off poison gasses that can be very dangerous if inhaled; especially in an inside space.

 

Accera

The acerra is a special container for sacred incense.

An acerra for your home altar should be some sort of covered container that will keep your incense “fresh.” A pottery container with a lid, or a decorated metal or wood box can make a fine acerra.

 

Salinum

The Salinum is a container for sacred purifying salt.

Salt is a very powerful substance that removes negative spiritual influences such as miasma. Salt’s antiseptic qualities aid in medical healing, and thus Salt was and still is used for health in baths and medicines.

Salt is used for purification, and also for making mola salsa, a sacred cake, which was offered to Hestia (Vesta).

A Salinum for a lararium can be made of pottery or metal, and should have a covering so that the salt does not absorb moisture or get dirty. The Salinum container can be either plain or decorated. Sea salt or course granular salt is recommended. Iodized table salt,while acceptable, is less desirable as it is less traditional.

 

Gutus

The Gutus is a container for sacred milk or wine that is offered to the gods. As with the Acerra and the Salinum, the Gutus is used to keep a sacred offering’s substance clean and protected. Any of a variety of materials may be used, such as pottery, glass, stone or metal.

Liquid from the Gutus is poured into the Patera when it is being offered to the Gods.

If you are offering milk to the Gods it should be placed in the Gutus only a short time prior to the rite where you will offer it, and the Gutus should be emptied afterward. Wine may be left in the Gutus for a longer time, although care should be taken if your Gutus is made from metal due to wine’s acidic properties being able to corrode the metal if left there for days.

 

Bibliography

Temple of Athena. “Household Worship: My Lararium.” Temple of Athena the Savior. January 11, 2017. Accessed August 17, 2017. https://templeofathena.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/household-worship-my-lararium/.

WikiHow. “How to Make a Lararium.” WikiHow. January 08, 2016. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Lararium.

Iulianus, Marcus Cassius. “How to start practicing private rites.” Religio Romana: How to start private rites. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/Howto.html.

Nova Roma. “Lararium.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Lararium.

Nova Roma. “Acerra.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Acerra.

Nova Roma. “Salinum.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Salinum.

Nova Roma. “Gutus.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Gutus.

Nova Roma. “Patera.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Patera.

Nova Roma. “Incense.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Incense.

Nova Roma. “Turibulum.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Turibulum.

Nova Roma. “Lucerna.” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Lucerna.

Nero, T. Iulius . “Daily Rituals (Nova Roma).” NOVA ROMA Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Daily_Rituals_%28Nova_Roma%29.

Roman Republic. “Ritual/Ceremonial Formula (Roman Republic).” Roman Republic: RES PVBLICA ROMANA. Accessed August 17, 2017. http://romanrepublic.org/bibliotheca/wiki/ceremony.html.