I'm not sure whether the answer to your question is
liturgical,lexical, or both, and would be interested to
know. Are we looking specifically at the use of the
Canticles as 'honorary psalms'; or is it simply that the
concept 'psalm' was broader in the Middle Ages than it is
now (for which there is some evidence in the dictionaries
of medieval Latin, and also Middle English; see _Middle
English Dictionary_ s.v. Psalm(e) 2,where the word covers
not only canticles but the Paternoster and Credo)? In the
early C13 rule for anchoresses I'm editing, the Magnificat
is used as an 'honorary psalm' in a sequence of prayers
(Cambridge, Corpus Christi Coll., MS 402, f. 9v/10); and the
author also refers to 'the psalm Benedicite' (referring to a
canticle, Dan. 3:35-66) at f. 5v/20. Perhaps a liturgist can
help?
Bella Millett
>
> jbugslag wrote:
> >
> > Along the same lines as psalms to Mary, I have recently been
> > coming across, in the 13th-century Ordinary of Chartres Cathedral,
> > the phrase "ps. Magnificat". Not being at all schooled in liturgical
> > matters, this has puzzled me somewhat. Is the answer similar to
> > the very useful posting that Erik Drigsdahl just sent on psalms to
> > the Virgin? Thanks in advance for any information on this.
> > Cheers,
> > Jim Bugslag
----------------------
Dr Bella Millett
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English Department
University of Southampton
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
023 80593704
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