Flabellum

This article is about liturgical fans in Western Christianity. For fans in Eastern rites, see Liturgical fan in Eastern Christianity.
For the genus of corals, see Flabellum (coral).
"Flabella" redirects here. For the accessory bone, see fabella.
Ancient Egyptian flabella (top center) and lotus motifs. 1868, NYPL picture collection

A flabellum (plural flabella), in Christian liturgical use, is a fan made of metal, leather, silk, parchment or feathers, intended to keep away insects from the consecrated Body and Blood of Christ and from the priest,[1] as well as to show honour. The ceremonial use of such fans dates back to Ancient Egypt, and an example was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. A flabellum is also a fan-shaped structure on the fifth legs of horseshoe crabs (Xiphosura).

  1. ^ Public Domain Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Flabellum". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.