What Does the Word Orans Mean?

Orans (/ˈoː. rans/), a loanword from Medieval Latin ōrāns translated as one who is praying or pleading, also orant or orante, is a posture or bodily attitude of prayer, usually standing, with the elbows close to the sides of the body and with the hands outstretched sideways, palms up.

What was the purpose of orans?

The orans, although a gesture with a long 'pagan' past, was easily adopted by Christians for its symbolic meanings of prayer and piety and quickly attained a number of other more nuanced meanings as it was refined and reused.

What is an orant figure?

Orant, in Christian art, a figure in a posture of prayer, usually standing upright with raised arms. ... The most frequent use of the orant in the catacombs, however, was as an abstract representation of the soul of the deceased.