The Liber Ordinarius of Nivelles (Houghton Library, MS Lat 422): Liturgy as Interdisciplinary Intersection (Spatmittelalter, Humanismus, Reformation / Studies in the La)

Throughout the Middle Ages, the religious women of Nivelles Abbey governed one of the most venerable and powerful ecclesiastical institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, which played a critical role, not only as the center of the cult of St Gertrude, but also as a lynchpin in the power politics of the empire. The recent discovery of the oldest surviving manuscript from the abbey, its Liber ordinarius, thus represents a significant addition to knowledge, not only of Nivelles' liturgy and the development of the cult of its patron saint, but also of the history of female monasticism in the High Middle Ages. In addition to a wealth of detail concerning the abbey's liturgical ceremonies, the Liber ordinarius permits fresh insight into the balance of power in this politically highly competitive region in the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. It also sheds light on the history, religious life, and the architectural history of the building, which was badly damaged in WWII. The documents incorporated in the manuscript, most of which were previously unknown and which are edited here for the first time, enhance greatly what is known about the politics of the period as well as the inner workings of the abbey at a time of economic and administrative conflict. Cover Title Acknowledgments Table of Contents Introduction The Manuscript Jeffrey F. Hamburger — Description of the Liber ordinarius of Nivelles, Houghton Library, MS Lat 422 and the Date of its Decoration Albert Derolez — Codicology and Paleography of the Nivelles Liber ordinarius The Context Eva Schlotheuber — Pilgrims, the Poor, and the Powerful: The Long History of the Women of Nivelles Walter Simons — Worlds Apart? Beguine Communities of Nivelles and the Abbey of St Gertrude, from Marie d’Oignies (d. 1213) to the Liber ordinarius (c. 1300) Rowan Dorin — Order and Disorder: The Documentary Additions to the Liber ordinarius of Nivelles The Cult Bonnie Effros — Elizabeth de Bierbais and the Relics of Gertrude of Nivelles Alison I. Beach — Placet nobis electio: The Election and Investiture of the Abbess at Fourteenth-Century Nivelles Margot Fassler — Liturgical History and Hagiography as Reflected in the Ordinal of Nivelles, with Emphasis on the Cult of St Gertrude The Liturgy Louis van Tongeren — Holy Week in Nivelles Charles Caspers — On the Road: The Processions of the Canonesses of Nivelles and their Attitude towards the Outside World (c. 1350) The Architecture Klaus-Gereon Beuckers — The Abbey Church of St Gertrude in Nivelles: Observations regarding its Architectural Disposition Andreas Odenthal — Maiorem ecclesiam esse matrem omnium ecclesiarum totius villae: On the Sacral Topography of Nivelles based on the Liber ordinarius The Documents – Edition, Commentary, and Translation Thomas Forrest Kelly — Personnel of the Church of Nivelles as seen in the Liber ordinarius Virginie Greene — The French of Nivelles: A Vernacular Legalese in the Making Hannah Weaver — Note on the Language of the Documents Pertaining to the Abbey of Nivelles Eva Schlotheuber and Jeffrey F. Hamburger — Document Edition and Translation Abbreviations Bibliography Color Plates Index of Names Index of Places "Throughout the Middle Ages, the religious women of Nivelles Abbey governed one of the most venerable and powerful ecclesiastical institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, which played a critical role, not only as the center of the cult of St Gertrude, but also as a lynchpin in the power politics of the empire. The discovery of the oldest surviving manuscript from the abbey, its Liber ordinarius, thus represents a significant addition to our knowledge, not only of Nivelles' liturgy and the development of the cult of its patron saint, but also of the history of female monasticism in the High Middle Ages. In addition to a wealth of detail concerning the abbey's liturgical ceremonies, the LIber ordinarius permits fresh insight into the balance of power in this politically highly competitive region in the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. It also sheds light on the social and the architectural history of the building, which was badly damaged in WWII. The documents incorporated in the manuscript, most of which were previously unknown and which are edited here for the first time, enhance greatly what is known about the politics of the period as well as the inner workings of the abbey at a time of economic and administrative conflict."-- Publisher, Inside front flap of dustjacket Throughout the Middle Ages, the religious women of Nivelles Abbey governed one of the most venerable and powerful ecclesiastical institutions in the Holy roman Empire, which played a critical role, not only as the center of the cult of St Gertrude, but also as a lynchpin in the power politics of the empire. The discovery of the oldest surviving manuscript from the abbey, its Liber ordinarius, thus represents a significant addition to our knowledge, not only of Nivelles' liturgy and the development of the cult of its patron saint, but also of the history of female monasticism in the High Middle Ages. In addition to a wealth of detail concerning the abbey's liturgical ceremonies, the LIber orinarius permits fresh insight into the balance of poer in this politically highly competitive region in the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. It also sheds light on the social and the architectural history of the bui9lding, which was badly damaged in WWII. The documents incorporated in the manuscript, most of which were previously unknown and which are edited here for the first time, enhance greatly what isknown about the politics of the period as well as the inner workings of the abbey at a time of economic and administrative conflict. --Dustjacket Front Inside Flap