THE PATER NOSTER and the LAITY in ENGLAND C.700
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THE PATER NOSTER AND THE LAITY IN ENGLAND c.700 - 1560 WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE CLERGY’S USE OF THE PRAYER TO STRUCTURE BASIC CATECHETICAL TEACHING ANNA EDITH GOTTSCHALL A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH SCHOOL OF ENGLISH, DRAMA AND AMERICAN AND CANADIAN STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM NOVEMBER 2014 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. At present no scholar has provided an in-depth study into the dissemination of the Pater Noster outside the clerical sphere. This thesis provides a detailed consideration of the ways in which the Pater Noster was taught to the laity in medieval England. It explores the central position of the prayer in the lay curriculum, the constitutions which played a fundamental role in its teaching, and the methods by which it was disseminated. Clerical expositions of the prayer and its tabular and diagrammatic representations are examined to consider the material available to assist the clergy in their pedagogical role. The ways in which material associated with the Pater Noster was modified and delivered to a lay audience provides an important component in the holistic approach of this thesis. The thesis itself proposes that the prayer was widely known and recited, drawing on a variety of mediums in which it was presented to the laity. These include sermon material, which would have been delivered in the vernacular; the recitation of Paternosters, an earlier version of the conventional rosary; the performance of the Pater Noster plays in the northern locations of York, Beverley and Lincoln; and representations of the prayer in wall paintings. This work is dedicated to the memory of my father Karl Franz Gottschall (26th April 1927 - 28th June 2000) So many people have been influential and supportive in the creation of this thesis. I would like to make particular mention of my mother, Christine, who has been a tower of strength and inspiration throughout my study. When my confidence has wavered she has always been there to lead me back onto the right path and to encourage me onwards. I would also like to mention my daughter, Heidi, who I hope will be extremely proud of what her mommy has achieved. LIST OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to offer thanks to the Hilton Shepherd Postgraduate Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Birmingham, the Bibliographical Society and the C.C. Walker Charity for their financial support during the undertaking of this research. A debt of gratitude is owed to my supervisor Professor Wendy Scase. This document is testament to her support, guidance and expertise. I would also like to thank other members of the academic staff at the University of Birmingham, especially David Griffith, Robert Swanson and Philippa Semper. The administrative staff at the University also deserves thanks, especially Michelle Cullen. I have also received assistance from academics based further afield. My thanks are given to Orietta da Rold, Philippa Hoskins, Miriam Gill, Ruth Kennedy, Niamh Pattwell, Sue Powell, Kathryn Rudy, Kathryn Vulic, Margaret Connolly and Vincent Gillespie. I would also like to thank anyone I have failed to mention by name who has contributed to this study. I have obtained images from the following institutions: Gray’s Inn, London; Bodleian Library, Oxford; University Library, Cambridge; British Library, London; Yale University Library, New Haven; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich; Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Paris; and Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. I would like to specifically thank Colin Harris and Bruce Barker-Benfield at the Bodleian Library for their assistance. I have also received responses and contributions from the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London (especially the Museum of London Archaeology Service and the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre), Fitzwilliam Museum, Canterbury Museum, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and the Ashmolean Museum. The access provided to records and artefacts, especially in relation to prayer beads, has been invaluable. I would like to thank Alison Spedding for her support and advice in the production of this document and David Higgins for the design of the bookplate. In addition, I would also like to thank Nicola Taylor, the College of Arts and Law Academic Writing Advisor, and Mike Harrison, from Orchid Copyediting, for sharing their time and expertise. Finally, I would like to thank my mother and my friends for their support, encouragement and tolerance over the last few years. CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS i A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY ii LIST OF PLATES AND FIGURES iii PREFACE vii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE - LAY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PATER NOSTER 9 CHAPTER TWO - THE PATER NOSTER IN THE CHURCH’S LAY CURRICULUM 26 CHAPTER THREE - WRITTEN TEACHING RESOURCES FOR THE CLERGY: ORTHODOX 43 EXPOSITIONS OF THE PATER NOSTER CHAPTER FOUR - VISUAL TEACHING RESOURCES FOR THE CLERGY: THE PATER 67 NOSTER IN WHEEL DIAGRAMS AND TABLES CHAPTER FIVE - THE PATER NOSTER, PRAYER BEADS AND LAY DEVOTION 97 CHAPTER SIX - THE PATER NOSTER IN DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES 133 CHAPTER SEVEN - THE PATER NOSTER AND WALL PAINTINGS AND TABULAE 156 CHAPTER EIGHT - SUPERSTITION AND INVERSIONS OF THE PATER NOSTER 186 CHAPTER NINE - HETERODOX APPROPRIATIONS OF THE PATER NOSTER 209 CONCLUSION 235 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEPTENARIES 246 LIST OF WORKS CITED MANUSCRIPT SOURCES AND RECORDS 251 PRIMARY SOURCES 253 SECONDARY SOURCES 258 ABBREVIATIONS BIHR Borthwick Institute of Historical Research (York) c. Circa d. Died f. Folio ff. Folios fl. Flourished MS Manuscript PL Patrologia Latina PRO Public Record Office (London) TNA The National Archive (Kew) i A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY ‘Pastoralia’ refers to the basic tenets of the Christian Church which were disseminated from the clergy, as part of their pastoral role, to the laity in numerous didactic works during the medieval periods. ‘Pater Noster’ refers to the Latin version of the prayer commonly known in the vernacular as the Our Father or Lord’s Prayer. The Latin text is as follows: Pater Noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen. ‘Paternoster’ refers to a string of beads used to count the recitation of certain prayers, usually the Pater Noster alone or a combination that may include the Pater Noster, Ave Maria and Gloria Patri. ‘Table’ refers to a diagram presented in a tabula form in a manuscript context. ‘Tabulae’ refers to tables mounted in religious buildings for visual display. ii LIST OF PLATES AND FIGURES PLATES Plate 1: The Vernon Manuscript Pater Noster table, Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Eng. poet. a.1, fol. 231v (c.1390). Plate 2: The Wheel of Sevens diagram from the De Lisle Psalter, London, British Library, MS Arundel 83 II, fol. 129v (c.1310). FIGURES Figure 1: The left alignment of the Pater Noster in the Vernon Manuscript table. Figure 2: The Vernon Manuscript Pater Noster table unites three additional septenaries with the prayer. Figure 3: The vernacular connective phrases in the Vernon Manuscript Pater Noster table clearly link the petitions of the prayer to the remaining septenaries, creating individual narratives. Figure 4: The wheel of sevens diagram in the De Lisle manuscript presents the relationship between seven religious septenaries. Figure 5: The use of gold for the letter ‘P’ of ‘Pater’ in the De Lisle wheel of sevens diagram indicates that it is the starting point for the text. Figure 6: Examples from the De Lisle wheel of sevens diagram showing connective phrases between radial segments Figure 7: The wheel of sevens diagram located in Cambridge, University Library, MS Gg.4.32, fol. 12v (c.1317). Figure 8: Examples of connective phrases between radial segments in the wheel of sevens diagram in Cambridge, University Library, MS Gg.4.32, fol. 12v. Figure 9: In the Vernon Manuscript Pater Noster table the same colour ink is used for the Latin prayer and the vernacular gloss. Figure 10: In the Vernon Manuscript Pater Noster table noting the script and colour used for the Latin prayer text and the vernacular connective phrases. Figure 11: Pater Noster diagram in London, British Library, MS Royal 1 B X, fol. 4r (thirteenth to fourteenth century). Figure 12: Pater Noster diagram in Oxford, St John’s College, MS 58, fol. 11 (fifteenth century). Figure 13: Depiction of Geoffrey Chaucer holding a string of prayer beads in British Library, MS Royal 17D.VI, f. 93v (c.1430-1440). Figure 14: Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck housed in The National Gallery in London (1434). iii Figure 15: A portrait, possibly of Margaret of Tewkesbury, housed in Oxford College Anon II, University of Oxford (c.1529). Figure 16: Amber prayer beads excavated from Waterford city centre (c.1250). Figure 17: Wooden prayer beads found in the carpenter’s cabin on the Mary Rose (pre-1545). Figure 18: Wooden prayer beads found on the deck of the Mary Rose (pre-1545). Figure 19: Boxwood prayer beads belonging to Henry VIII (pre-1530). Figure 20: Memorial brass of Alice and William Cobb and their son (1522) Figure 21: Memorial brass of Thomas and Emme Pownder (1525).