medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
There isn't anything for an extra pair of hands to do at a private mass!
"Familiaris" means 'member of household' - so, if it's a servant, it's
a *domestic* servant. "Minister" (or "clericus") needn't be clergy in
major orders.
John Briggs
On 27/02/2013, Laura Jacobus <
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> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Thanks for all these ideas
>
> Rosemary, 'chapel clergy' sounds useful, but its not yet clear if the
> servant is clerical or lay (see below).
>
> John Briggs has put his finger on a nagging doubt of mine, as to whether
> they are all part of a team to celebrate Mass, or whether the 'servant' is
> just that- but see quotes below as the context suggests that they were all
> involved at the altar. The idea that they could all get together for a sung
> Mass, and could celebrate private masses in their smaller teams is helpful-
> I'm assuming that chantries could be private. Presumably two is the
> minimum for private masses and there's nothing to stop them having an extra
> pair of hands?
>
> I had been contemplating John Dillon's foreign language/italics solution
> in a slightly different form. It might seem strange to use *capella* when
> that's not used in any of the docs but the word *capellania* might serve as
> it actually occurs in one of my documents in a context which suggests its
> referring to the same sort of 'altar team'- though its not absolutely clear
> that that is the case as its a late document and not in the same series.
>
> I think the notaries had the same problem I have, as they didn't have a
> term either and so wrote out the job-titles of the 'team' in full each
> time. What they actually say in various documents is
>
> 'sacerdotes, clericis et familiaribus'
> and
> 'rectoribus, ministris et familiaribus ad cultum divinum et ad divina
> offitia'
> and
> 'ad cultum divinum et obsequia oportuna ipsius ecclesie et ministrantium ei
> habere et tenere debeat duos alios sacerdotes et tres clericos et
> familiares sufficientes'
> and
> 'ad divina officia in dicta eclesia exercenda habere debeat et tenere apud
> se tres sacerdotes et quatuor clericos et familiares sufficientes'
> and
> (in a 16thC Italian summary where I think they've
> mistranscribed/mistranslated the last word) 'sacerdoti, chierici e
> scrivani'
> and
> (my odd one out) 'capellaniam ad capellam sive altare in ecclesia'... I'd
> be inclined from context to assume this is still referring to an
> 'altar-team', were it not for a later summary which paraphrases it as 'unum
> beneficium sacerdotale in dicta Ecclesia dandum et conferandum uni
> sacerdoti qui officiet in dicta Ecclesia'
>
> Thanks for any further thoughts...
>
> Laura
