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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Hello Meg

Have you looked at Norman Tanner, The Church in Late medieval Norwich 
1370-1532 (Toronto, 1984)?  This is based on an analysis of wills and 
includes an appendix of all the books mentioned.  You might also find it 
useful to look at the work of Clive Burgess on lay piety in Bristol and 
London - might be something on books.  I don't have any historical 
precedents but, if I go to a weekday Mass, the priest often says 'today we 
celebrate the feast of...' and has a little run-down of his/her life and 
usefulness as a precedent - I wouldn't be surprised if the same sort of 
thing went on.

Have a look at The church and Learning in Later Medieval Society: essays in 
honour of RB Dobson, ed. CM Barron and J Stratford, Harlaxton medieval 
Studies 11 (Donington, 2007).  It has a number of articles on books 
including  F Kisby 'Books in London parish churches before 1603'

Regards,
Rosemary Hayes


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cormack, Margaret Jean" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 11:42 AM
Subject: Re: [M-R] latin or vernacular legends/lives of saints in parish 
churches


medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

I have realized for some time I need to look at Mirk's festiale. It seems to 
me that a reading at Matins would not have much effect, how many people 
would really be awake and in church for Matins? Unless they came to a shrine 
in need of healing and waked t hrough the night. If anyone runs across 
specific examples of people listening to stories about saints in church, 
attending matins, or the like, or of saints' lives specifically said to be 
for reading on a feast day (we have one such example in Iceland), or 
contained in homily books, please let me know. Good to know that "sermones" 
could be saints' lives!  I'd also be very  interested in information about 
liturgical books owned by  parish churches (I'm assuming monastic and 
diocesan libraries are easier to find!) I suspect I have before me a long 
period of hunting through visitation records . . . . suggestions of where to 
start on that project will also be welcome! Likewise, John mentioned seeing 
such  things in wills, private ownership of any kind of book would be good 
to know about. If I were more computer adept I would set up a website, and
as far as that goes I have purchsed server space for another project but 
lack the technical know-how to set
up what I need here!
Meg

________________________________

From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious 
culture on behalf of Sherry Reames
Sent: Tue 5/15/2012 16:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [M-R] latin or vernacular legends/lives of saints in parish 
churches



medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Sorry for this late response to Meg's question. I just want to add a 
reminder that lessons taken from Latin saints' lives were routinely read as 
part of the Matins service-- originally just in monasteries and collegiate 
churches, but I believe also in parishes before the end of the Middle Ages. 
As a result, large numbers of (usually abbreviated) saints' lives are 
included in two kinds of liturgical manuscripts: lectionaries for the daily 
office (sometimes called legendaries) and breviaries. Newly written 
manuscripts devoted to a single saint may also have been designed for 
liturgical use, esp. when that saint was either recently canonized (like 
Osmund) or the patron of the church in question (like Cuthburga).

In England, at least, lives of important saints were evidently also retold 
to the laity during Mass, as suggested by the contents of John Mirk's 
Festial, a late Middle English collection which calls them "sermones."

Sherry Reames

On 05/07/12, John Shinners  wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Check Aelred Watkin's "Inventory of Church Goods, temp Edward III" for the 
> archdeaconry of Norfolk (Norfolk Record Soc., 1947-48), which lists ten 
> copies of the Legenda Aurea and hints of others in his intro (xlvii). I've 
> come across saints lives randomly in last wills from that diocese and in 
> some transcribed collections but that would be work!
>
> Best,
> John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Katherine French" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Monday, May 7, 2012 8:50:06 AM
> Subject: Re: [M-R] latin or vernacular legends/lives of saints in parish 
> churches
>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> In the diocese of Bath and Wells, Yatton, Croscombe, Bridgwater, and 
> St.collectio
> John's Glastonbury all own legenda--with the saints unspecified. In St.
> Margaret's Westminter, the parish has a printed life of St. Katherine
> bequeathed by Caxton (a parishioner).
> Katherine French
> On Mon, 7 May 2012 07:26:34 -0400, "Cormack, Margaret Jean"
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and 
> > culture
> >
> > Greetings all,
> > I've just been reading a fascination and detailed book, Andrew D Brown,
> > Popular Piety in Late Medieval England. The Diocese of Salisbury
> > 1250-1550. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1995
> >
> > In it I found the references below, and I am wondering how typical they
> > are? Does anyone know of examples (or articles about!) lives of saints
> > being owned by or read in parish churches (indeed, any information about
> > the ownership and reading of saints' lives would be of interest.)
> Language
> > of publication is not an issue.
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Meg
> >
> > In 1474/5 the churchwardens of St. Edmunds paid 17 d for the story of St
> > Osmund on parchment; in 1479/80 and 1495/6 further payments were made
> for
> > St Osmund's feast and story. p. 63
> >
> > the parishioners of Wimborne Minster bought a new "legend" for their
> > cherished St Cuthberga. p. 234
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
> > culture on behalf of Volker Schier
> > Sent: Sun 5/6/2012 13:07
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: [M-R] Symposium Books Changing Hands in Wolfenbüttel
> >
> >
> >
> > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and 
> > culture
> >
> > Dear colleagues,
> > The Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel is hosting the
> > interdisciplinary symposium Books Changing Hands, June 20-22, 2012,
> > organized by Volker Schier and Corine Schleif. Other participants
> > include Patrizia Carmassi, Madeline Caviness, Nancy van Deusen, William
> > Diebold, Matthias Eifler, Barbara Haggh-Huglo, Judith Oliver, Bruno
> > Reudenbach, Kathryn Rudy, Thomas Schilp, Gabriela Signori, and Alison
> > Stones. The following themes will be discussed: perpetual presentation -
> > books handed on/over; continuing memory - hands at work in books; signs
> > of possession - a book in hand; traces of hands in books. The program is
> > posted at
> > http://www.hab.de/kalender/wissveranst/Manuscripts_Changing_Hands.pdf .
> > Volker Schier
> >

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