medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (3 August) reminds me of one of the most funny entries I have found
in a kalendar. The french kalendar with a saint for every day of the year
(probably composed in Paris 13C) has two places, where the same name occur
two days in a row:
10 Nov. Martin (pape)
11 Nov. Martin (of Tours)
In the first encounter with these days will the student inevitably make an
extra check, to make sure that it not is a scribal error (dittography). The
second place is today:
2 Aug. Estienne (pape)
3 Aug. Estienne (martir) (mostly written in red or gold; a major feast)
Knowing how the scribes were working in France in the 15C was I only
waiting for a major error here. Finally did it come up - with a large
jackpot:
One source in Latin has:
2 Aug. Sancti Stephani
3 Aug. Inventio eiusdem (!)
Working with medieval kalendars does the question often arise: How many of
all those saints were really known to the general reader? Given the
enormous number of scribal errors, misspellings and displacements, made by
professional scribes, have I a serious doubt about the average knowledge on
the majority of the saints. Most of them were nothing but names to the
reader. The fact that many of the names had a special pronounciation in a
local dialect does not necessarily imply that the reader of books of hours
really knew something about the saint.
Thanks to Phyllis Jestice for the daily contributions (not an easy
obligation!).
Best wishes
Erik Drigsdahl
_____________________________________________________________________
Mag.art. Erik Drigsdahl CHD Center for Haandskriftstudier i Danmark
Kapelvej 25B 3.tv Phone: +45 +35 37 20 47
DK-2200 Copenhagen N Email: <[log in to unmask]>
DENMARK http://www.chd.dk
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