tice.^17 The ritual underwent a number of changes during the Middle Ages.
After the Synod of Canterbury (1214), it became increasingly accepted for in-
fants to be baptized immediately after birth. In life-threatening situations, the
midwife or father of the baby could perform an emergency baptism.^18 This act
did not take the place of the formal baptism ceremony. Babies who were bap-
tized immediately after birth, were not named right away, but in a church cer-
emony performed later.^19
More central to our discussion is the reorganization of the institution of co-
parenthood during the Carolingian period. The co-parents (often known in
modern discourse as godparents) were adults not related to the infant who par-
ticipated in the baptism ceremony alongside the biological father of the baby.
They helped prepare the newborn for baptism and held him/her during the
ceremony.^20 This role spread throughout the Byzantine Empire in the fourth
century, and gradually became accepted in the western part of the empire as
well, particularly under Charlemagne’s rule, during the Carolingian period.
Prior to this period, babies were prepared for baptism and escorted to the bap-
tism font by their parents and other relatives. No co-parents were chosen to per-
form this function.^21
The co-parents had relationships with both the infant they sponsored, for
whom they were considered spiritually responsible, and the biological par-
ents. Research has shown that the relationship between the co-parents and
natural parents was considered the most binding. The most important role the
co-parent had was carrying the infant to the baptismal font and back and hold-
ing him/her during baptism. This action, suscipereor excipere in Latin, was un-
derstood as a symbolic rebirth, meant to remove the sin of carnal birth from the
child and turn him/her into a Christian. The co-parents answered the questions
posed by the bishop or priest who officiated over the ceremony. In addition, they
dressed and bathed the infant before baptism and often bought the newborn
clothes for the ceremony—a white gown and a small white cap. At times, they
also prepared a meal in honor of the baptism and gave the child additional gifts.
During the early Middle Ages, it was customary for the co-parent to be of the
same gender as the infant. Over time, more co-parents were added. In the four-
teenth century, for example, one can often find three co-parents attending a bap-
tism. The number of co-parents chosen varied by locality. In Italy for example,
there were often three or more co-parents, whereas in Germany, from the tenth
century onward, there seems to have been a concentrated effort to restrict the
number of co-parents.^22 Relatives were not allowed to act as co-parents, and
marriage between the co-parent and the baptized child was prohibited and con-
sidered a form of incest.
A number of studies have examined co-parenting practices in medieval Eu-
rope. For example, Christiane Klapisch-Zuber noted that the men chosen as
co-fathers were usually of higher social status than the family who chose them.
Parents often chose patrons or potential benefactors in order to cement the
rick simeone
(Rick Simeone)
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