New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-16
HAAKON TO BE 8 OILED ;
NorzCegians Insist That Their King
BE AnoiHted.

Although tho phrase "anoinied OF the LORI" is
o7,ulonly used 10 designate al the mOnarcFs OF
sSs old World yet strictly speaking there are but
s,v- temporal sovereigns who be thus described
,srnelv. the rulers OF Great Britain Of Russia Of
Eyungary and OF Sweden. The occupants Of the
.+her thrones OF Europe dispense with the use OF
80 holy oils. and some. like the German Kaiser
-. Kings Of SPAIN Italy Wurtemburg Denmark
S5ortueal Belgium and Roumania. as well as the
oueen Regent Of Holland. have not even considered
!. necessary TO have themselves crowned regarding
re ceremony not only as archaic. but also as
aaachTonistic-
70 the four rulers mentioned ABOVE as having
fse1 "oied" il will be necessary to add a
seh For the Norwegiaus. although they are so
s.fensely democratic that they have no nobility ia
.her country, and hesitated for some time as 70
,-befher OF not they should adopt republican form
~ government after cutting themselves loose from
s-eden have decided that their new King and also
as consort must be anoiDted in due form on the
oseasion Of their coronation at Trondhjem next
month. Both viii be anointed by the Lutheran
Primate OF Norway. the Bishop of Trondhjem. with
he holy oil on the palms Of their hands. the
forehead and temples and on the breast. which
King Haakon would be compelled to bare only
slightly for the purpose
King Edward wore for his amounting a sort OF
runfc Of crimson sarsenet. with holes through
which the oil should be supplied 10 his arms and
breast King Richard I less fortunate. For
be was stripped 20 his waist 70 be anointed, while
Chaglemagne was left without stitch OF clothing.
being anointed from the head 10 the feet accord
ing 70 the custom prescribed by the Jewish law
i Is only after this amounting has been COM
pleted that the King win rise from his knees and
the Prnate and the Premier will Jointly place
the crown Of Norway upon his head. One o9 the
ministers Of state win thereupon hand him the
Eceptre. another the orb. while tho generalssimo
Of the kingdom will hand him the sword OF state.
He wiz then take his seat on the throne in the
oertre OF the OF the old cathedral! ana after
feE moTe prayers and chants the ceremony will be
brought 8 close
Tie aI.o.ntng OF monaFchs in token ot their SOW
ereisnty antedates the Christian Era by many
centuries. According to the Old Testament the
kings Of lsrae ana Judea were enthroned byslneans
Of arontnent with consecrated oil! and the ex-
preston 'arointed Of the Lord" is even used IN
connection with pagan rulers, since Cyrus. the
King Of Persia, is described in that fashion in the
scriptUres The first authentic instance of anoint-
Gnent as feature Of Christian coronation appears
IN the annals OF Spain. and is described in The
Sixth Council OF Toledo" held in the seventh cen
tzry. The old Saxon kings were all anointed and
in the chronicles Of Robert Of Gloucester Alfred
fhe Great is described as having been .'oiled to
be King" Pepin the first ruler Of France to
be anointed King by Pope Stephen III. while Pope
Leo II appointed Charlemagne as Emperor Of the
Romans. in 81. Peters on November q. A. D 500
The word conservation is always used in connec-
non with the holy oils IN the act of anointnent
and IL olden times the latter was held to invest
nonarchs with the same ecclesiastical qualities as
bishops and prelates. Thus. any who raised his
hand against the sovereign, that Is 10 say against
The anointed Of the Lord. in olden times was re-
Earded guilty not alone OF the temporal crime
OF high treason but likewise OF the ecclesiastical
offence Of sacrflege IN its most aggravated form
and as such, beyond the pale Of the church and
beyond the hope OF eternal salvation.
How great is the Importance attached to the
holy oil is by the fact that it is used by both
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches for
The dying in order 10 prepare them 10 meet their
Creator in the belief that this JUNCTION wipes
away sins and fills the dying person with the grace
% the Holy Spirit Il is not astonishing therefore
that lis use in amounting certain Old World mon
archs should endow the latter with that divinity
which doth hedge king and with prestige
that not even crime destroy. For. according
70 the old rhyme:
So AL the rough. rude sea
Car wash the balm from anointed king.