Medieval History
In the Christian faith, Maundy Thursday is the day that Christ conducted the Last Supper with the apostles; in the Middle Ages it was also the day on which heinous sinners were reconciled with the Christian community after 40 days of being ostracised from society.
The way in which these sinners were expelled from and then welcomed back into the community in medieval England and Wales forms part of a new research project being led by a historian at the University of Exeter.
The Arts Humanities and Research Council (AHRC) funded project focuses on the re-enactment of a medieval liturgical rite for the reconciliation of penitents in a medieval parish church (St Teilo?s) located at St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff. This re-enactment is part of a wider study as to how rites such as those for baptism, marriage and funerals, would have been conducted. The text and music for the service which will be re-enacted was originally written for Salisbury cathedral, and became the standard written form for services in most churches in southern England and Wales in the later Middle Ages. However, the way in which such rites were conducted must have differed from the written text in smaller, more local churches.
Dr Sarah Hamilton, a historian at the University of Exeter said ?Enactments were written for a large cathedral setting and all the music and text could not be used in a smaller church setting. We are exploring what was cut and how the rite was likely to have been performed. This also helps in our understanding of social, religious and ideological issues, using liturgical material to study otherwise little known areas of medieval life.?
These rites would have involved the whole community. For example, when a repentant sinner was physically brought back into the church members of the congregation lay down on the floor to show that they were are humble sinners too and ask for forgiveness.
The project is in collaboration with the University of Kent and Dr Helen Gittos a historian at Kent said, ?Ritualised actions played an important role in medieval religious, social and political life. This research brings together historians, musicologists, literary scholars, theologians, palaeographers and art and architectural historians, to discuss the problems involved in studying the surviving evidence for occasional services.?
The re-enactment of a medieval liturgy will be performed on 24 June in St Teilo?s Church at St Fagans National History Museum in Wales, and a film of the occasion posted on the web.
Click here to go to the project Interpreting Medieval Liturgy c. 500 ? 1500 AD: Text and Performance
Source: University of Exeter
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Medieval History
Research reveals medieval Maundy Thursday
The way in which these sinners were expelled from and then welcomed back into the community in medieval England and Wales forms part of a new research project being led by a historian at the University of Exeter.
The Arts Humanities and Research Council (AHRC) funded project focuses on the re-enactment of a medieval liturgical rite for the reconciliation of penitents in a medieval parish church (St Teilo?s) located at St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff. This re-enactment is part of a wider study as to how rites such as those for baptism, marriage and funerals, would have been conducted. The text and music for the service which will be re-enacted was originally written for Salisbury cathedral, and became the standard written form for services in most churches in southern England and Wales in the later Middle Ages. However, the way in which such rites were conducted must have differed from the written text in smaller, more local churches.
Dr Sarah Hamilton, a historian at the University of Exeter said ?Enactments were written for a large cathedral setting and all the music and text could not be used in a smaller church setting. We are exploring what was cut and how the rite was likely to have been performed. This also helps in our understanding of social, religious and ideological issues, using liturgical material to study otherwise little known areas of medieval life.?
These rites would have involved the whole community. For example, when a repentant sinner was physically brought back into the church members of the congregation lay down on the floor to show that they were are humble sinners too and ask for forgiveness.
The project is in collaboration with the University of Kent and Dr Helen Gittos a historian at Kent said, ?Ritualised actions played an important role in medieval religious, social and political life. This research brings together historians, musicologists, literary scholars, theologians, palaeographers and art and architectural historians, to discuss the problems involved in studying the surviving evidence for occasional services.?
The re-enactment of a medieval liturgy will be performed on 24 June in St Teilo?s Church at St Fagans National History Museum in Wales, and a film of the occasion posted on the web.
Click here to go to the project Interpreting Medieval Liturgy c. 500 ? 1500 AD: Text and Performance
Source: University of Exeter
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A prototype project at St Laurence?s Church, in St Benedict?s Street, was launched on Saturday in an effort to explore new ways to use the 15th-century church. The Common Room project temporarily transformed the church into a type of community space in...
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The culture of the West Country in the Middle Ages and its role in shaping the identity of Medieval England is the focus of a new research project at the University of Bristol. The project aims to bring together researchers from across the region to initiate...
- Early Medieval Manuscripts Give New View Of English Life Under The Normans
A new study of early medieval manuscripts written in the English language has revealed that the Normans, who conquered England in 1066, were not the destructive force of popular belief. The project, ?The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060-1220?...
- Exeter Cathedral Awarded £45,800
Plans to transform opportunities for education and research at Exeter Cathedral received a boost last week, thanks to a £45,800 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Through the proposed project new learning spaces will be created in the Bishops...
- Rethinking Medieval Liturgy - Call For Papers
Call for Papers Rethinking Medieval Liturgy: New Approaches across Disciplines 1819 June 2010, London The study of medieval liturgy has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. As the lines between various kinds of cultural studies have...