page_title: Irish penal rosary
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Irish penal rosary / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: irish penal rosary Español: rosario irlandés
context_page_description: The Irish Penal Rosary was a single-decade rosary used during penal times in Ireland, when Roman Catholicism and its religious objects were forbidden. This version of the rosary is easily hidden, allowing devout Roman Catholics to pray with less fear of being detected.
context_section_description: The crucifix has various symbols of the Passion: a hammer for the nails of the cross; a halo for the Crown of Thorns; a jug symbolizing the Last Supper; cords for binding which recall the Scourging at the Pillar; the spear used at Calvary; a cock and pot, which illustrates an early apocryphal legend relating to Judas the betrayer, and a roasting cock which suddenly came to life and crowed (thus prophesying the Resurrection); and three nails used for the crucifix. Small marks along the side of the corpus indicate a ladder, both for the ladder used in the crucifixion and a metaphor for ascent into heaven.
caption: Irish Penal Rosary of modern manufacture
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