medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dare I reopen the thread (and perhaps I should have done it yesterday with
St. George's dragon in mind !) by mentioning that I have just realised that
the First Vespers hymn from Low Sunday to Ascension was "Chorus nove
hierusalem" (at least it was in the York Breviary and presumably also in
Sarum):
Chorus nove hierusalem novam meli dulciedinem promat collens cum sobriis
paschale festum gaudiis
Quo Christus invictus leo dracone surgens obruto dum voce viva personat a
morte functos excitat .......
The English Hymnal gives the author as St. Fulbert of Chartres c. 1000 and
has two translations :
Ye choirs of new Jerusalem,
To sweet new strains attune your theme ;
The while we keep, from care released,
With sober joy our Paschal feast :
When Christ, unconquer'd Lion, first
The dragon's chains by rising burst :
And while with living voice he cries,
The dead of other ages rise....... [ translated JM Neale]
Ye choirs of new Jerusalem,
Your sweetest notes employ,
The Paschal victory to hymn
In strains of holy joy.
How Judah's lion burst his chains,
And crushed the serpent's head ;
And brought with him from death's domains,
The long-imprisoned dead. [ translated R Campbell]
Regards,
Tim
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Henderson <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2000 12:20 PM
Subject: Lion and dragon symbolism
> This reminded me of the Sarum Processionale for the Rogation Days :"
> Praeterea in principio processionis deferatur draco, tribus vexillis
rubeis
> praecedentibus, secundo loco leo, tertio loco cetera vexilla.......". But
on
> Ascension Day the order changes with the vanquished dragon (with its long
> train having been stoned to a fraction of its original size ?) coming
behind
> the banners of the lion and the cross.
>
> The Golden Legend :" In some churches and especially in France,the custom
> obtains of carying a dragon with a long tail stuffed with straw or some
such
> material : the first two days it is carried in front of the cross, and the
> third day, with the tail empty, behind the cross. The significance of this
> is that on the first day, before the Law, and on the second, under the
Law,
> the devil reigned in this world, but on the third day, the day of grace,
he
> was expelled from his realm by the passion of Christ."
>
> The Sarum Missal litany for the returm of the procession starts "
> Kyrieleyson . Qui precioso sanguine mundum eripuisti de maledicti fauce
> draconis ....."
>
> Regards,
> Tim
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Long, Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 3:29 AM
> Re: Lion symbolism (More!)
>
>
> > Fast by them stand at Christ's left hand
> > the Lion fierce and fell,
> > The Dragon bold, that Serpent old,
> > that hurried Souls to Hell.
> > There also stand, under command,
> > Legions of Sprights unclean,
> > And hellish Fiends, that are no friends
> > to God nor unto Men. (stanza 36)
> >
> > I searched resources (bestiaries, reproductions of Judgment images,
emblem
> > books) at Yale's Beinecke, Sterling, and Art/Architecture libraries, but
> > couldn't find medieval or patristic analogues for the lion AND the
dragon
> > restrained beside Christ at the Last Judgment. Am aware of scriptural
> > allusions to lion as satanic, of course (1 Pt. 5:8; Daniel in the den;
Ps
> > 91:13) Any suggestions?
> >
> > Tom Long
> >
> >
>
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|