Wayside shrines are found in a variety of styles, ranging from simpler column shrines and
Schöpflöffel shrines to more elaborate chapel-shrines. Some have only flat painted surfaces, while other shrines are decorated with reliefs or with religious statues. Some feature a small kneeling platform, so that the faithful may pray in front of the image. A common wayside shrine seen throughout the Alpine regions of Europe, especially Germany, Austria and northern Italy, is the Alpine style crucifix wayside shrine. This style often has elaborate wood carvings and usually consists of a crucifix surrounded by a roof and shelter.
Column shrines A column shrine (, also
Marterl,
Helgenstöckli, or
Wegstock; ; ) normally resembles a pole or a pillar, made either of wood or of masonry, and is sometimes capped with a roof. The Austrian/south German designation
Marterl hearkens back to the
Greek martyros 'martyr'. In a setting resembling a
tabernacle, there is usually a picture or a figure of Christ or a saint. For this reason, flowers or prayer candles are often placed on or at the foot of the shrine. In Germany, they are most common in
Franconia, in the Catholic parts of
Baden,
Swabia, in the Alpine regions and Catholic areas of the historical region of
Eichsfeld and in
Upper Lusatia. In Austria, they are to be found in the Alpine regions, as well as in great numbers in the
Weinviertel, the
Mühlviertel and in the
Waldviertel. There are also similar structures in the
South Bohemian Region and the
South Moravian Region. In Czech, column shrines are traditionally called "boží muka" (= divine sufferings).
Schöpflöffel shrines with an image of Mary In the
Eifel in particular, shrines that consist of a pillar with a niche for a depiction of a saint are known as
Schöpflöffel (
German for 'ladle' or 'serving spoon'). Some of these icons date from the
Late Middle Ages, but for the most part were put up in the 16th century. Near
Arnstadt in
Thuringia, there is a medieval shrine that is over two metres tall and that has two niches. According to a legend recorded by
Ludwig Bechstein, this shrine was once a giant’s spoon, and it is therefore known as the
Riesenlöffel.
Chapel-shrines Chapel-shrines, built to resemble a small building, are common in Slovenia. They are generally too small to accommodate people and often have only a niche (occasionally, a small altar) to display a depiction of a saint. The main two varieties generally distinguished in Slovenia are the open chapel-shrine (), which has no doors, and the closed chapel-shrine (), which has a door. The closed chapel-shrine is the older form, with examples known from the 17th century onward. The earliest open chapel-shrines date from the 19th century. Also known in Slovenia are the belfry chapel-shrine () and the polygonal chapel-shrine (). Chapel-shrines, known as
kapliczka, are also often found in Poland. In the
Czech Republic, chapel-shrines are called
výklenková kaple 'niche chapels' and are characterized as a type of chapel (
kaple) in Czech. In
Moravia, they are also called
poklona 'bow, tribute'. ==Gallery==