medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Listmembers,
I have recently been coming across the French word "la neuvaine",
which seems to want to be translated as "novena", but the contexts
are somewhat different, I believe, from the modern conception of a
novena. During the later Middle Ages, the sick slept for nine nights
in the crypt of Chartres Cathedral, near the miraculous well, the
Puits des Saints-Forts, and as well, tunics, imitating the Tunic of
the Virgin, the major relic at Chartres Cathedral, were placed on the
reliquary for nine days, during which masses were said, before they
were sent to the queens of France, in order to aid them in conceiving
a dauphin. Early modern chroniclers and 19th-century historians
have described both practices as involving a "neuvaine". Do these
practices fall within the modern conception of a novena? Does
"novena" have a historical development? Thanks in advance for any
information or references.
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|