What is cistercian sign language?

Cistercian sign language is a sign language used by the Cistercian religious order. It developed in the 12th century and was used in the Cistercian monasteries for communication among the monks who had taken vows of silence. The sign language was also used for communication with deaf or hard-of-hearing monks who may have joined the order.

Cistercian sign language was primarily a manual alphabet system that used gestures to represent letters of the Latin alphabet. It was not a full language system but rather a tool for conveying written messages through signs. The signs were often accompanied by facial expressions and body language to convey meaning.

The use of Cistercian sign language declined considerably in the late Middle Ages as the monasteries became less isolated and the practice of silence became less prevalent. However, the system continued to be used in some Cistercian monasteries until the 18th century.

Today, there are no known users of Cistercian sign language and the system has largely been lost to history. However, it remains an important artifact of the history of deaf communication and the role of sign language in monastic communities.