Crutch. An attribute of St. Anthony, to denote his age and feebleness.
Crux. The Latin equivalent for Cross (q.v.).
Crwth (A.S. crudh, Eng. crowd). A Welsh instrument, a sort of violin, similar to the rébek of the Bretons.
Fig. 221. Crypt at Lanmeur (France).
Crypta, Crypt, Chr. (κρύπτω, to bury). In ancient times the crypt was really a cloister; it formed, in fact, a long and narrow gallery surrounded by buildings, and itself surrounding a building, garden, or court. The courtyards of villæ were surrounded by crypts; the ruins of Diomed’s villa, at Pompeii, afford a curious instance of the kind. In modern archæology the term crypt is applied to a subterranean chapel underneath a church. (Figs. 221 and 222.) Among the Romans the word meant (1) a covered portico, or arcade, called crypto-porticus. (2) A grotto, or more accurately a tunnel. (3) A subterranean vault used for secret worship. (4) In the catacombs, a tomb in which a number of bodies were interred together.
Fig. 222. Crypt of St. Mary’s Church, Warwick.
Crypteia (κρυπτεία). A systematic massacre of Helots at night, by young Spartans, who hid themselves during the day.
Crystal. Rock crystals are frequently found large enough to make vessels of. The Romans had crystal drinking-cups of extraordinary size and beauty. Crystal ornaments were especially chosen for ecclesiastical purposes, and for mediæval bookbinding, &c., and are frequently found in early British graves.