{"id":20845,"date":"2019-10-08T16:58:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T15:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/?p=20845"},"modified":"2019-10-08T16:58:06","modified_gmt":"2019-10-08T15:58:06","slug":"the-martyrologium-poeticum-of-ps-bede-a-k-a-the-metrical-calendar-of-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/2019\/10\/08\/the-martyrologium-poeticum-of-ps-bede-a-k-a-the-metrical-calendar-of-york\/","title":{"rendered":"The Martyrologium Poeticum of ps.Bede, a.k.a. The Metrical Calendar of York"},"content":{"rendered":"

All Saints Day is celebrated on 1st November.\u00a0 But it was not always so.\u00a0\u00a0The first reference to this celebration on this date is a poem of 83 lines, in hexameter verse, preserved in the manuscripts under the title of “Martyrologium Bedae”, the Martyrology of Bede<\/em>.\u00a0 It cannot in fact be by Bede, because it mentions events after his death.\u00a0 It may be an early work by Alcuin.\u00a0 Dom Andr\u00e9 Wilmart labelled it the “Metrical Calendar of York”, and this name has stuck.\u00a0 It is often abbreviated as MCY.<\/p>\n

Few will be aware that there is in fact a critical edition, and English translation, hidden inside K. Karasawa, The Old English Metrical Calendar (Menologium)<\/em>, 2005, in appendix 2, p. 138-145.\u00a0 The author very wisely edited and translated a whole bunch of texts related to his subject, one of which was MCY.\u00a0 Since few will have access to this, and it is short, I thought that I would quote it here.\u00a0 The apparatus can be found in the excellent printed version.\u00a0 I have highlighted the couplet of interest to us.<\/p>\n

Prima dies Iani est qua circumciditur agnus.
\nOctauas idus colitur theophania Christi.
\nDeserti quartas primus capit accola Paulus.
\nSex decimas Antonius obtinet aeque kalendas.
\nTres decimas Sebastianus tenuisse refertur.
\nBis senas meritis mundo fulgentibus Agnes,
\nMartyrio undecimas et Anastasius memoratur.
\nPrima dies Februi est iam qua patitur Policarpus,
\nEt quartas nonas Christus templo offerebatur.
\nNonarumque diem festum celebramus Agathae,
\nAtque Ualentini sedenis sorte kalendis.
\nSic Iuliana et bis septenas ornat honore,
\nAc senas merito Mathias uirtute dicabat.
\nHinc idus Martis quartas Gregorius aurat.
\nCuthbertus denas tenuit ternasque kalendas,
\nBis senis sanctus post quem sequitur Benedictus.
\nOctauis merito gaudet conceptio Christi.
\nAtque Georgius hinc euectus ad astra uolauit
\nCarnifices nonis Maiae uincente kalendis.
\nEcgberhtus digna uirtutum laude choruscus,
\nAstriferum octauis ueneranter scandit Olympum.
\nQuoque die praesul penetrauit Uilfridus alma
\nAngelico gaudens uectus trans culmina coetu.
\nUilfridus et ternis superam penetrauit in aulam
\nTempore posterior, morum non flore secundus.
\nIacobus seruus domini pius atque Philippus
\nMirifico Maias uenerantur honore kalendas.
\nBis binis sequitur Pancratius idibus insons.
\nTer quinis Marcus meruit pausare kalendis.
\nIunius in nonis mundo miratur ademtam
\nEt summis Tatberhti animam trans sidera uectam.
\nAtque die uincens eadem Bonifatius hostes
\nMartyrio fortis bellator ad astra recessit.
\nInque suis quadris Barnaban idibus aequat.
\nGeruasius denis patitur ternisque kalendis
\nProtasius simul in regnumque perenne uocati.
\nEstque Iohannes bis quadris baptista colendus
\nNatalis pulchre feste plaudente corona.
\nMartyrio et Paulus senis ouat atque Iohannes.
\nDoctores Petrus et Paulus ternis sociantur
\nMaxima quos palma clarat sibi lumina mundus.
\nIulius in quadris bis gaudet ferre kalendis
\nIacobum fratremque Iohannis more colendum.
\nSanctificant Abdo et Sennis ternos uenerando.
\nAugustus Xystum octauis tenet idibus aptum.
\nBis binis uictor superat Laurentius hostes.
\nSancta Dei genetrix senas ter constat adire
\nAngelicos uecta inter coetus uirgo kalendas.
\nOctonos sanctus sortitur Bartholomeus.
\nBis binis passus colitur baptista Iohannes.
\nIdus Septembris senas dedicabat honore
\nQuis meruit nasci felix iam uirgo Maria.
\nOctauas decimas Cornelius inde kalendas
\nConsecrauit et Cyprianus ordine digno.
\nEufemia ac sex decimas tenet intemerata.
\nUndecimas capit et Matheus doctor amoenus,
\nMauricius decimas tenet martyr cum milibus una.
\nQuintanas sortitur Cosmas sibi cum Damiano.
\nMichahelis ternas templi dedicatio sacrat.
\nAt bonus pridias micat interpres Hieronymus.
\nSextas Octembris nonas Bosa optat habere
\nSollemnes terris summo qui gaudet Olympo.
\nAt gemini quinis Haeuualdi sorte coluntur.
\nPaulinus senas metet idus iure magister.
\nDoctor ter quinis Lucas succurrere kalendis.
\nSimonis quinis et Iudas uota feramus.
\nMultiplici rutilet gemma ceu in fronte Nouember<\/strong>
\nCunctorum fulget sanctorum laude decorus.<\/strong>
\nMartinus ternis scandit super idibus astra.
\nQuindecimis uitam finiuit Tecla kalendis.
\nCaecilia astra merito decimis cum laude migrauit.
\nClementis laeti ueneramur festa nouenis.
\nOctauis Crysogonus ouat uitalibus armis.
\nAndreas pridias iuste ueneratur ab orbe.
\nTres decimas adiit iam Ignatius aeque kalendis.
\nBis senis caelum coepit conscendere Thomas.
\nOctauis Dominus natus de Uirgine casta.
\nMartyrio Stephanus septenis alma petiuit.
\nBis ternis euangelicus scriptor penetrauit
\nAngelico uectus tutamine uirgo Iohannes.
\nMartyrio tenera prostrantur milia quinis.
\nSiluestrem pridias celebramus ab orbe uerendum.<\/p>\n

(1 Jan) The first day of January is when the Lamb was circumcised.
\n(6) The sixth is worshipped because of the theophany of Christ.
\n(10) Paul, the first inhabitant of the desert, occupies the 10th.
\n(17) Similarly, Anthony obtains the 17th.
\n(20) Sebastian is said to have obtained the 20th.
\n(21) Because of merits conspicuous to the world, Agnes is commemorated on 21st,
\n(22) and through martyrdom Anastasius is commemorated on the 22nd.
\n(1 Feb) The first day of February is just when Polycarp suffered.
\n(2) A nd Christ was offered to the temple on the 2nd.
\n(5) We celebrate Agatha\u2019s feast day on the 5th,
\n(14) and also Valentine\u2019s is assigned to the 14th.
\n(16) And then Juliana decorates the 16th with honour,
\n(24) and also, Mathias deservedly made the 24th a holy day by his virtue.
\n(12 Mar) Here Gregory gilds the 12th of March.
\n(20) Cuthbert obtained the 20th,
\n(21) after whom St Benedict follows on the 21st.
\n(25) Christ\u2019s conception rightly enjoys the 25th.
\n(23 Apr) And George was taken from hence and flew to the stars,
\nby overcoming executioners, on the 23rd.
\n(24) Ecgberht, shining with due praise for his virtue,
\ndutifully ascended starry Olympus on the 24th.
\n(24) On the same day, Wilfrid the Bishop reached heaven,
\nrejoicing in being borne by the angelic host through the delightful heights.
\n(29) And Wilfrid, on the 29th, went into the heavenly court,
\nfollowing him in time, but second to none in the flower of his virtues.
\n(1 May) James, the pious servant of the Lord, and also Philip
\nare worshipped with great honour on the first of May.
\n(12) The innocent Pancras followed on the 12th.
\n(18) On the 18th, Mark deserved to rest.
\n(5 Jun) June, on its fifth day, worships Tatberht\u2019s soul
\ntaken away from the world and carried through the heavens.
\n(5) And on this same day, Boniface the mighty warrior,
\nvictorious over his enemies, departed to heaven through martyrdom.
\n(10) (June) treats Barnabas in the same way on the 10th.
\n(19) Gervasius suffered on the 19th,
\n(19) as did Protasius, and both were summoned to the eternal kingdom.
\n(24) And John the Baptist is to be revered on the 24th,
\non this feast of his beautiful birth, in the glory of his crown.
\n(26) And through martyrdom, Paul rejoices on the 26th, and so does John.
\n(29) The teachers Peter and Paul are associated (with each other) on the 29th,
\nillustrious men whom the world illuminates with the greatest honour.
\n(25 Jul) On July 25th, a happy day,
\nJames, the brother of John, is celebrated in the usual way.
\n(30) Abdon and Sennen consecrate the 30th by venerating it.
\n(6 Aug) Appropriately, August has its sixth day as the feast of Sixtus.
\n(10) On the 10th, the victor Laurence overcomes enemies.
\n(15) The holy Mother of God, it is agreed, has her feast on the 15th,
\nthe day on which the Virgin was carried to the angelic hosts.
\n(25) St Bartholomew is put on the 25th.
\n(29) On the 29th, the martyr, John the Baptist, is worshipped.
\n(8 Sept) The Blessed Virgin Mary gave honour to the 8th of September,
\nthe day on which she was born.
\n(14) Cornelius then made the 14th holy,
\n(14) and did Cyprian in the appropriate order.
\n(16) The chaste Eufemia obtains the 16th.
\n(21) And the delightful teacher Matthew occupies the 21st.
\n(22) Maurice the martyr together with thousands (of others) obtains the 22nd.
\n(27) Cosmas is put on the 27th, along with Damian.
\n(29) The dedication of the Temple of Michael makes the 29th holy.
\n(30) And the good translator Jerome sparkles on the day before (the 1st of Oct).
\n(2 Oct) Bosa, who is venerated on earth, as he rejoices on the heights of Olympus,
\nwishes to have the 2nd of October solemn.
\n(3) And it falls to the twin Ewalds to be worshipped on the 3rd.
\n(10) The master Paulinus rightly marks out the 10th.
\n(18) Luke the teacher is to be remembered on the 18th.
\n(28) Let us pay reverence to Simon and Jude on the 28th.
\n(1 Nov) As a jewel worn on the brow sparkles time and again, so November<\/strong>
\nat its beginning is resplendent with the praise given to all the saints.<\/strong>
\n(11) Martin ascended above the stars on the 11th.
\n(17) Thecla finished her life on the 17th.
\n(22) Cecilia deservedly left for heaven with praise on the 22nd.
\n(23) We happily venerate Clement\u2019s feast on the 23rd.
\n(24) Chrysogonus in his mighty armour rejoices on the 24th.
\n(30) Andrew is properly venerated round the world the day before (the 1st of Dec).
\n(20 Dec) On the 20th (of Dec), similarly, Ignatius departed.
\n(21) Thomas began to ascend to heaven on the 21st.
\n(25) The Lord was born from the immaculate Virgin on the 25th.
\n(26) Through martyrdom, Stephen sought his reward on the 26th.
\n(27) On the 27th, the evangelist reached heaven,
\nthe innocent John, borne by the protection of the angels.
\n(28) Through martyrdom, thousands of infants were overthrown on the 28th.
\n(31) We celebrate the Reverend Silvester, who is to be honoured throughout the
\nworld on the day before (the 1st of Jan).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The best introduction to the Metrical Calendar of York is undoubtedly by Michael Lapidge, “A tenth-century metrical calendar from Ramsey”, in: Revue Benedictine<\/em> 94 (1984), 326-369, esp. 327-332.\u00a0\u00a0The original text from York is extant in two manuscripts.\u00a0 The text then crossed the channel and spread widely on the continent, losing references to local anglo-saxon saints, and acquiring new lines for saints in the new location.\u00a0 There are many continental witnesses, all somewhat modified.\u00a0 Unusually a version of the text then came back to England, and had further descendants here.<\/p>\n

The various metrical calendars are a field of study of their own, and too much for a blog post.\u00a0 But we can certainly look a little at the history of the text.<\/p>\n

The original text is preserved in two manuscripts.\u00a0 The first of these is British Library, Cotton Vespasian B. vi. (=V)\u00a0 It dates a\u00a0 little after 800 AD, and was written in Mercia.\u00a0 Our text is on folios 104r-v.\u00a0 This is in a group of 3 bifolia which were for some reason extracted from the main manuscript and are bound separately as B.VI\/1.\u00a0 They are online here<\/a>.\u00a0 This is the top of f.104r.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
British Library, Cotton Vespasian B VI\/1, f.104r (top)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unhappily the manuscript is defective at the start, beginning only on line 16 with “Bis senis sanctus….”.\u00a0 (To the right of the text is a list of Roman and Greek numerals – nothing to do with our text).<\/p>\n

The other manuscript is Trinity College Cambridge, O.2.24, fol. 87v-89r, (=Tr.) from the start of the 12th century.\u00a0 It is not a copy of V, and it is complete.\u00a0 It is online here<\/a>, although I found that the manuscript images did not display on my Android phone.\u00a0 But blessedly you can download a page that you are interested in:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Trinity College, Cambridge. Ms. O.2.24, fol.87v-88r.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In actual fact our text starts, without an incipit<\/em>, on fol. 88r.\u00a0 Each month has an initial.\u00a0 The manuscript is far more handsome than the rough Dark Ages manuscript above.\u00a0 It ends on fol. 89r, without any explicit<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Both manuscripts contain our verse.\u00a0 They have, however, no mention of a verse commemorating John of Beverley which is preserved only in continental manuscripts, but is probably original.<\/p>\n

The latest saint mentioned is Boniface, who was martyred by the pagan Friesians in 754.\u00a0 The last bishop of York mentioned is Wilfrid II (d. 732), but not Ecgberht (d.766), which might suggest that he was still alive when the poem was written.\u00a0\u00a0The manuscript V itself dates to soon after 800 AD.\u00a0 Alcuin mentions All Saints Day on 1st November in a letter to Arno of Salzburg, dateable to early 800 AD,[ref]Ed. E. D\u00fcmmler, MGH, Epistolae Karolini Aevi<\/em> II (Berlin 1895), p. 321.[\/ref] suggesting that he was aware of such a date before he left for the continent in 782 AD.\u00a0 These dates all suggest that the work was written between 754 and 766 AD.\u00a0 Lapidge suggests that it may in fact be an early work by Alcuin himself.<\/p>\n

The work is extant in various continental manuscripts, all interpolated.\u00a0 For instance there is British Library Sloane 263, f. 22r, online here<\/a>.\u00a0 We can see that this has acquired an incipit<\/em>: INCIPIT MARTYROLOGIUM BEDAE HEROICO CARMINE:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
British Library, Sloane 263, f.22r.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It has also acquired some introductory verses as a prologue to January from somewhere.<\/p>\n

The Martyrologium Poeticum<\/em> \/ Metrical Calendar of York<\/em> was printed first by Luc D’Achery in 1671 from a manuscript of Reims transcribed by Mabillon.\u00a0 This too has the spurious prologue.\u00a0 The edition is online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the text given by Migne in the Patrologia Latina<\/em> 94, col. 603 (online here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The authorship by Bede was first dismissed by Henri Quentin in Les martyrologes historiques du moyen ages<\/em>, 1908, chapter 3, p.120 f., (online here<\/a>) who also gave an edition of the text.<\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9 Wilmart, “Un t\u00e9moin anglo-saxon du calendrier m\u00e9trique d’York”, Revue B\u00e9n\u00e9dictine<\/em> 46, 1934, p.41-69 established the English origin and gave an edition based on V.\u00a0 But we had to wait until 2005 and the edition of Karasawa for a proper edition and translation.<\/p>\n

The importance of all this is that it establishes a date for the celebration of All Saints Day in the middle of the 8th century, nearly 50 years earlier than Alcuin.\u00a0 It also establishes that this date is likely to be of anglo-saxon origin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All Saints Day is celebrated on 1st November.\u00a0 But it was not always so.\u00a0\u00a0The first reference to this celebration on this date is a poem of 83 lines, in hexameter verse, preserved in the manuscripts under the title of “Martyrologium Bedae”, the Martyrology of Bede.\u00a0 It cannot in fact be by Bede, because it mentions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[19],"tags":[1075,1098,1127],"class_list":["post-20845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-my-diary-announcements","tag-manuscripts","tag-martyrologium-poeticum","tag-metrical-calendar-of-york"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20845\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}