Category Archives: Church Year

OE Easter Vigil

Okay–read over the RC and LME on the train. Here’s the thing…both the RC and the LME (Ae’s adaptation or customary-on-the-customary of the RC) both mandate Easter festivities “According to Gregory” and in line with OR I. In the secular office (supposedly written by Gregory the Great), the Easter Vigil has *4* readings. The twelve reading schema we’re used to was just appearing at the time. So, of the top two missals that we use as indicators of A-S liturgical practice one, the missal of Robert of Jumièges has the four reading system but the Leofric missal has the twelve!

Thus, while Ae could have known about the 12 reading system (and must have *if* the core of the Leofric missal is Dunstan’s missal) both he and his metor legislated the four reading system. (As does Amalar–Ae’s favorite go-to guy on the liturgy…)

Curioser and curiouser…

OE Question

For the medievalists in the house…

I’m puzzled by some lines (ll. 150-152) in Pope XIa on Easter.

And we wurðiað þa tid wurðlice mid sangum
Seofon niht on an, swylce hit an dæg sy,
For ðære micclan mærðe manncynes alysednysse.

Literally:
And we celebrate the time worthily with songs
[?seven nights in one, as if it were one day?]
for the great joy of humanity’s redemption.

What’s up with line 151? The combination of the prep ‘on’ and the swylce+subj. leaves me unsettled (my grammatical skills in OE still suck…). As a liturgist I immediately think that he’s talking about the extraordinary length of the Easter Vigil but, not having neither the RC or the LME close to hand, don’t remember how long their Vigil was…

Thoughts?

Gaudeamus

Christus vincit!
Christus regnat!
Christus imperat!
Exaudi Christi…

M and I had this in our heads all day yesterday–it’s the refrain from the petitions of the prayers from a 12th century Easter mass from Autun. I absolutely love it especially since so many of the prayers were for high-ranking politicos. The image I get is of the crowned Sephanus and Robert looking around nerveously… Even while they and their reigns are being prayed for, the canons burst out into enthusiastic song to proclaim the conquest and rule of a far greater Lord. He is risen indeed.