Civic Ceremony and Religion in Medieval Bruges, C. 1300-1520

"Public religious practice lay at the heart of civic society in late medieval Europe. In this illuminating study, Andrew Brown draws on the rich and previously little-researched archives of Bruges, one of medieval Europe's wealthiest and most important towns, to explore the role of religion and ceremony in urban society. The author situates the religious practices of citizens - their investment in the liturgy, commemorative services, guilds and charity - within the contexts of Bruges' highly diversified society and of the changes and crises the town experienced. Focusing on the religious processions and festivities sponsored by the municipal government, the author challenges much current thinking on, for example, the nature of 'civic religion'. Re-evaluating the ceremonial links between Bruges and its rulers, he questions whether rulers could dominate the urban landscape by religious or ceremonial means, and offers new insight into the interplay between ritual and power of relevance throughout medieval Europe"--Provided by publisher. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Figures......Page 11 Maps......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 13 Abbreviations......Page 15 Note on currency and monies of account......Page 16 Introduction......Page 17 Civic space and time: Bruges c. 1300......Page 19 ‘Civic religion’......Page 30 Civic ceremony......Page 38 Civic government and civic peace......Page 44 1 The Holy Blood procession......Page 53 Civic funding......Page 55 Civic order......Page 65 Guilds......Page 69 Clergy......Page 73 Civic identity......Page 78 2 General processions......Page 89 Origins......Page 93 Processions and civic authority......Page 98 Processions and St Donatian’s church......Page 108 3 Feast days and liturgical commemoration......Page 116 Commemoration for the soul c. 1200–1400......Page 117 Public and civic devotion......Page 124 Public worship in the fifteenth century......Page 133 4 Guilds: feast, festivity and public worship......Page 149 Guild foundation in the fourteenth century......Page 151 Jousters and jousting......Page 157 Crossbowmen, archers and rhetoricians......Page 161 Craft guilds......Page 167 Devotional guilds of distinction and Our Lady of the Snow......Page 171 Guilds and public worship......Page 178 5 Guilds and civic government......Page 183 Civic investment in festivity c. 1300–1400......Page 184 Festive events and civic honour c. 1400–1500......Page 187 Festive events and the ‘public good’ c. 1400–1500......Page 192 The common good and urban conflict: the end of the White Bear......Page 201 6 Civic charity......Page 211 Foundations for the poor......Page 213 Charity and municipal authority......Page 217 Charity and liturgy......Page 223 Civic networks of intercession......Page 229 7 Civic ceremony, religion and the counts of Flanders......Page 238 The prince in the town: familiarity and distance......Page 241 Joyous entries......Page 250 Churches, relics and guilds......Page 263 Civic festivities: jousting and shooting......Page 268 General processions ‘for the prince’......Page 276 Commemoration of princely events......Page 283 Commemoration for the soul......Page 287 Conclusion and epilogue: civic morality c. 1500......Page 296 Civic morality c. 1500......Page 306 Appendix 1: Order of craft guilds in the Holy Blood procession......Page 322 Appendix 2: Dating obits and foundations in the planarii of Bruges churches......Page 325 Appendix 3: Foundations augmenting feast days (by date)......Page 327 Appendix 4: Foundations augmenting feast days c. 1200–1520......Page 328 Appendix 5: Guilds and fraternities in Bruges churches......Page 337 Primary sources......Page 345 Published......Page 350 Index......Page 367 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Figures 11 Maps 12 Acknowledgments 13 Abbreviations 15 Note on currency and monies of account 16 Introduction 17 Civic space and time: Bruges c. 1300 19 ‘Civic religion’ 30 Civic ceremony 38 Civic government and civic peace 44 1 The Holy Blood procession 53 Civic funding 55 Civic order 65 Civic disorder 69 Guilds 69 Clergy 73 Civic identity 78 2 General processions 89 Origins 93 Processions and civic authority 98 Processions and St Donatian’s church 108 3 Feast days and liturgical commemoration 116 Commemoration for the soul c. 1200–1400 117 Public and civic devotion 124 Public worship in the fifteenth century 133 4 Guilds: feast, festivity and public worship 149 Guild foundation in the fourteenth century 151 Guild membership and activity 157 Jousters and jousting 157 Crossbowmen, archers and rhetoricians 161 Craft guilds 167 Devotional guilds of distinction and Our Lady of the Snow 171 Guilds and public worship 178 5 Guilds and civic government 183 Civic investment in festivity c. 1300–1400 184 Festive events and civic honour c. 1400–1500 187 Festive events and the ‘public good’ c. 1400–1500 192 The common good and urban conflict: the end of the White Bear 201 6 Civic charity 211 Foundations for the poor 213 Charity and municipal authority 217 Charity and liturgy 223 Civic networks of intercession 229 7 Civic ceremony, religion and the counts of Flanders 238 Ceremony in the presence of the prince 241 The prince in the town: familiarity and distance 241 Joyous entries 250 Churches, relics and guilds 263 Civic festivities: jousting and shooting 268 Ceremony in the absence of the prince 276 General processions ‘for the prince’ 276 Commemoration of princely events 283 Commemoration for the soul 287 Conclusion and epilogue: civic morality c. 1500 296 Civic morality c. 1500 306 Appendix 1: Order of craft guilds in the Holy Blood procession 322 Appendix 2: Dating obits and foundations in the planarii of Bruges churches 325 Appendix 3: Foundations augmenting feast days (by date) 327 Appendix 4: Foundations augmenting feast days c. 1200–1520 328 Appendix 5: Guilds and fraternities in Bruges churches 337 Bibliography 345 Primary sources 345 Published 350 Index 367 9780521764452 Cambridge University Press "Public religious practice lay at the heart of civic society in late medieval Europe. In this illuminating study, Andrew Brown draws on the rich and previously little-researched archives of Bruges, one of medieval Europe's wealthiest and most important towns, to explore the role of religion and ceremony in urban society. The author situates the religious practices of citizens - their investment in the liturgy, commemorative services, guilds and charity - within the contexts of Bruges' highly diversified society and of the changes and crises the town experienced. Focusing on the religious processions and festivities sponsored by the municipal government, the author challenges much current thinking on, for example, the nature of 'civic religion'. Re-evaluating the ceremonial links between Bruges and its rulers, he questions whether rulers could dominate the urban landscape by religious or ceremonial means, and offers new insight into the interplay between ritual and power of relevance throughout medieval Europe"-- Provided by publisher Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. The Holy Blood Procession; 2. General processions; 3. Feast days and liturgical commemoration; 4. Guilds: feast, festivity and public worship; 5. Guilds and civic government; 6. Civic charity; 7. Civic ceremony, religion and the counts of Flanders; Conclusion and epilogue: civic morality c.1500. Bruges was one of medieval Europe's wealthiest and most important towns. In this illuminating study, Andrew Brown draws on rich and previously little-researched archives to re-evaluate the ceremonial links between Bruges and its rulers. He offers new insight into the interplay between ritual and power relevant throughout medieval Europe.