medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Aaron Hope <[log in to unmask]>
>I am working on a capitular foundation agreement from the 1460s that
established a yearly anniversary for a donor's soul. The document states that
the dean and chapter of the cathedral promised “librare seu librari facere
in eorum celtario panem et vinum inter presentes, ut in aliis anniversariis
panis et vini in eadem ecclesia fundatis est fieri solitum”. My question
is: what is meant by the phrase 'anniversary of bread and wine'? Is this just
another way of describing the mass,
no, not to my best understanding of the term/institution (and i would
appreciate being corrected if i'm wrong here).
we have these "anniversary" foundations in the Chartrain region from the 12th
c., becoming more common in the 13th and later (cf. the multiplicity of them
recorded in the Chartres cathedral necrologies, available on
http://www.gallica.bnf.fr ).
in my understanding it's a matter of a sum of money (or property) being
bequeathed to the cathedral chapter (in this case) in return for an annual
celebration of the death of the deceased.
though this most likely did include an anniversary mass, because these
"anniversary" entries (rather than the more common simple "obit. X" notices)
seem to have involved more expense, i have always assumed (and it's just an
assumption on my part) that they also implied an anniversary meal of some
sort.
>or would they distribute unconsecrated bread and wine (as one would assume
from the location mentioned, the 'celtarium', which I understand to be a
storeroom or cellar)?
yet another reason to see this as more than the foundation of a simple
anniversary mass.
>If the latter, was this a common practice?
definitely.
at least in the Chartrain.
at least in the late 12th-13th + cc.
c
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