Caught in the Net?

You’ve probably noticed it too, but perhaps you haven’t given it much thought. In churches and cathedrals, the vaulted ceilings are literally covered with networks that, at first glance, might seem to serve a structural purpose in Gothic architecture.

However, the sometimes exaggerated ornamentation suggests a deeper meaning behind them. There may be several possible interpretations to choose from here. If one reflects on Christian “folklore,” the “fishers of men” immediately come to mind. An instrument of the false promise of salvation by the Christian elect, to save defenseless souls from drowning in sin.

The net vaults in the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos—“monastery” (Lisbon) and on the ceiling of its adjoining church are possibly not exact replicas of the same design found in other Christian buildings. Yet they do bear a striking resemblance to them quite frequently. If one assumes that this represents God’s firmament, it would at least guarantee that no sparrow falls defenselessly from the sky as long as the divine plan is realized in the form of the ceiling lattice. Perhaps it evokes pious thoughts during worship. But is that really certain?

From a purely power-political perspective, in the case of the Portuguese (taken here as an example), it could represent the global network that stood for protection and trade and was also subject to the laws of the crown and the Order of Christ.

One could, however, also reach other conclusions. For sensitive observers, it may—like the rest of the architecture—convey the feeling of a powerful structure that surrounds people and keeps them small and “trapped.” If one takes this further, it also carries within it, on a metaphysical level, the aspect of inescapability. If one looks up at the dense network, it is not necessarily divine humility that prevails, but perhaps also fear. The ribs of the vaulted ceiling form a physical, dense mathematical structure and boundary. Can one be certain after death that one leaves the prescribed system and truly ascends to higher, more blissful spheres? Might the soul remain trapped in the network close to the earth?

Gloomy prospects after death, a forced cycle of reincarnation, or simply a queasy, subliminal misunderstanding? Perhaps we are simply dealing with beautiful decoration and structural elements in a church nave or cloister. None of it is truly symbolic? Not even the points where it intersects with the whimsical “little pictures” on it…?

Decide for yourselves, but stay alert. The ancient builders, with their incredibly sophisticated skills, certainly had the potential to encode messages alongside beautiful aesthetic flourishes—messages that only the initiated could properly interpret.