Correction of Liturgical Words, and Words of Liturgical Correctio in the Ordines Romani of Saint Amand

Abstract

This chapter explores understandings of correctio in the context of Carolingian liturgical manuscripts in order to challenge the idea of rigid liturgical correctness in this period and to consider both their relationship to authoritative ecclesiastical sources and use of Latin idiom. The author focuses on the Ordines Romani – a group of texts circulating from the eighth century dealing with liturgical rituals – and re-evaluates them as Frankish texts in Frankish manuscripts, taking as a particular case study the Collection of Saint Amand (MS Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, latin 974) and its six Ordines Romani. While all six relate to Roman models, they approach this tradition quite differently, prompting a reconsideration of the extent to which their apparently vulgar Latin dates them as pre-Carolingian and as a fraudulent collection. ‘Roman’ is far from a consistent concept for Carolingian writers, who are shown to have appropriated Roman texts in more creative ways than has previously been assumed. Such texts not only offered snapshots of Rome to their Frankish readers but the distinctive idiom of liturgical Latin could also evince a natural development of the language rather than a sign of corruption. Furthermore, the self-aware, even deliberate use of this Latin calls for a reassessment of Carolingian activity in Latin and broader attitudes towards Carolingian reform practices. Through the analysis of morphology, orthography, and vocabulary, particularly the enhanced vocabulary of prayer and chant, the study reveals how these texts were adapted to Frankish concerns and how the authors dialogued with Roman tradition.