Monastic Musical Fragments from Iceland

Gisela Attinger

doi:10.3390/rel12060416

Abstract

Little has survived from medieval liturgical books in the Nordic countries other than fragments. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to state their exact provenance, but the contents sometimes indicate that they once belonged to a monastic institution. The article presents some of these sources, focusing on two fragments with music for the celebration of St Olav from Iceland and Sweden which show how an already established sequence of songs was adapted to fit the liturgical needs of a monastic community. In addition, it briefly presents two other Icelandic sources that follow monastic use and can shed more light on musical traditions in the Icelandic monasteries in the Middle Ages.

Highlights

The study of liturgical music in monastic institutions in the Nordic countries faces a great challenge: little is left of the medieval liturgical books
Sometimes the difference in order and selection of chants from matins in the Divine Office can help us to distinguish between sources from secular and monastic use
Several fragments in Icelandic collections can be assigned to monastic institutions due to this significant feature

Summary

Introduction

Often the contents are not of much help since many of the liturgical texts and chants were known all over Europe, and we have to look for saints or items that were particular to a certain place or area These specific parts of the liturgy have survived, and we have to rely on other features, such as paleography or marginal notes, when trying to establish the primary provenance of a fragment. Many remains of the liturgical books containing chants from matins are so small that they do not have enough content to indicate whether they represent secular or monastic use. Iceland are described, problematizing the issue of secondary provenance as a more monastic sources from Iceland are described, problematizing the issue of secondary means to identify the original place of production or use of a manuscript.

A Monastic Office for St Olav

Exultabat rex est Justum deduxit V In mortalis est

A Cistercian Source in Sweden

Other Monastic Antiphoners in Iceland

Conclusions