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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Madeleine Gray wrote:
>
> While we are on matters liturgical: I have been working on the various
> versions of the life of St Winifred for my paper at Leeds. The anonymous
> Vita Prima describes her remaining in her parents house after they had
> gone to church 'in order to bring with her what was necessary for the
> Mass, that is, fire and water with salt'. This looks like the Great Vigil
> for Easter, though the account doesn't say so. But it also looks as
> though she is performing a sort of sacramental function - which is
> interesting in view of the debate over whether women might exercise such
> functions. . Do learned members have any suggestions as to which of the
> minor orders would have been responsible for fire, water and salt? The
> Vita I dates fro  the late 1130s, but I think this is probably a bit of
> embedded narrative from an earlier tradition.
>

I think the 'fire' should be a lit candle or taper.  Here is an extract from
Nick Sandon, The Use of Salisbury, Vol. 1 (1990), p.1:


The Blessing, Aspersion and Procession

Salt and water are blessed, mixed and sprinkled before High Mass on every
Sunday.  High Mass is preceded by a procession on Sundays, on principal and
major double feasts and on the feasts of the Conception and the Annunciation
of Our Lady.

On ordinary Sundays salt and water are blessed in quire after Prime and
Chapter.  The aspersion and procession follow at once, and during the
procession the officiant sprinkles the other altars as he comes to them.

[...]

The Blessing

The officiant, wearing an alb and a silken cope, stands centrally on the
quire-step facing the altar.  The water-boy stands on his right bearing salt
and water; the book-boy stands before him holding the book for him to read
from; both boys wear surplices.  The other assistants (an acolyte carrying a
processional cross, two taperers, a thurifer, a virger, a subdeacon carrying
a Gospel-book, and a deacon) stand facing the altar in a line between it and
the officiant, the acolyte being nearest the altar; they all wear albs with
amices. [...]

John Briggs

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