>If you will excuse an intervention from an ignorant but fascinated
>observer, could it be that the 'crime' at stake is that Pia's marriage was
>no real marriage? I am not an expert in Italian, of Dante's period or any
>other, but I was not convinced by the phrase 'colui che innanellata, pria
>disposando, m'avea con la sua gemma.' [first plighting troth, had wedded me
>with his gem. Fogive my naivety, but don't you need a priest for a wedding?
>And what became of pious young girls who found they were not actually
>'married' after all?
Dear Valery,
Gloria has already replied with good info on Florentine marriage rites
(btw, the legend or story of Buondelmonte she referred to is in fact to be
found in Villani, Cronicon V, 38, cf. Dante, Inf. 28,103ss., Par.
16,140s.). I only wish to add that Pia's description of the ceremony does
not require the assumption of a marriage without a priest, because it was
the priest who benedicted the rings, but it was the bridegroom who had to
put the ring on the finger of his bride while speaking his vow (followd by
her who did the same with his ring).
If I may quote from a Picardic marriage rite which happens to be in my
mailbox because it was recently discussed on Medieval-Religion (the
emendations are mine):
Tunc erepositis [read: repositis] anulo et [a sum of money]
benedicat [sc. sacerdos] dicens "creator et consecrator humani
[f.19v] generis dator gratie spiritualis eterne deus emitte
spiritum sanctum tuum super hunc anulum argentum et aurum ut
armati virtute celesti protectione muniatur a meilio[?] [my
guess would be: muniantur (divino) auxilio]. Per Christum
dominum nostrum Amen."
Deinde aspergatur aqua benedicta super anulum et argentum.
Tunc accipiens argentum illud, vel aurum, a sacerdote vel ab
alio, mittens illud in mani [read: manu] mulieris dicens quod
de super manum suam dicat sacerdote perloquente "N. [name of
the bride to be filled in] de hoc argento vel auro te doto.
et de corpore meo te honorifico. et de me. et de omnibus bonis
meis que habeo et habeto [read: habebo] te dominam constituo."
Tunc postmodum sacerdos sponsum [read: sponsam] anulum
tenentem doceat dicere preloquens "N. [name of the bridegroom
to be filled in] de hoc anulo te sponso et de corpore meo te
honorifico."
The inclusion of the money may be a local pecularity, but as far as I know
the ritual with the rings was the common one, although I have no specific
documentation for marriage rites in Florence at hand (Gloria or Sharon
Strocchia will be able to correct me if I am wrong).
Otfried
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