BritLit1 Reading: Canons of the Fourth Lateran Council on confession

The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) ruled on a number of issues related to canon law (rules of the church's order and operation). Among these was a firm affirmation of the importance of regular confession by the laity to the parish priest. Though sacramental confession was practiced before this council, the Fourth Lateran Council lent this strong (but not always consistent) practice the weight of the Church's full authority.

CANON 21

SUMMARY: Everyone who has attained the age of reason is bound to confess his sins at least once a year to his own parish pastor with his permission to another, and to receive the Eucharist at least at Easter. A priest who reveals a sin confided to him in confession is to be deposed and relegated to a monastery for the remainder of his life.

Text. All the faithful of both sexes shall after they have reached the age of discretion faithfully confess all their sins at least once a year to their own (parish) priest and perform to the best of their ability the penance imposed, receiving reverently at least at Easter the sacrament of the Eucharist, unless perchance at the advice of their own priest they may for a good reason abstain for a time from its reception; otherwise they shall be cut off from the Church (excommunicated) during life and deprived of Christian burial in death. Wherefore, let this salutary decree be published frequently in the churches, that no one may find in the plea of ignorance a shadow of excuse. But if anyone for a good reason should wish to confess his sins to another priest, let him first seek and obtain permission from his own (parish) priest, since otherwise he (the other priest) cannot loose or bind him.

Let the priest be discreet and cautious that he may pour wine and oil into the wounds of the one injured after the manner of a skilful physician, carefully inquiring into the circumstances of the sinner and the sin, from the nature of which he may understand what kind of advice to give and what remedy to apply, making use of different experiments to heal the sick one. But let him exercise the greatest precaution that he does not in any degree by word, sign, or any other manner make known the sinner, but should he need more prudent counsel, let him seek it cautiously without any mention of the person. He who dares to reveal a sin confided to him in the tribunal of penance, we decree that he be not only deposed from the sacerdotal office but also relegated to a monastery of strict observance to do penance for the remainder of his life.

 

Source: Twelfth Ecumenical Council: Lateran IV 1215. Trans. H. J. Schroeder. St. Louis: B. Herder, 1937. Internet Medieval Sourcebook online edition.

BritLit1 Reading: The Book of the Order of Chivalry on the duties of knighthood

Ramon Lull (1232-1315) wrote his Book of the Order of Chivalry as a manual for knighthood. Written fairly late in the Middle Ages, this Spanish work nonetheless can be helpful in understanding earlier works of chivalric romance such as Gawain and the Green Knight.

BritLit1 Context: Beowulf on video!

This is a pretty good rendition of Beowulf--not perfect, but well executed, with some insightful touches that show the producers are conversant with some of the common tropes and themes in Beowulf scholarship.

(This is just the first of six videos: you'll need to follow the link through to YouTube to get the rest of the playlist.)

BritLit1 Context: Illustrations of Grendel

As one of the first and most vivid monsters of English literature, Grendel has understandably inspired many artistic representations. Here are some of my favorites!

This is from The Stories of Beowulf (1908), illustrated by J.R. Skelton. Note Grendel's satchel: this is probably an interpretation of the dragon-skin "glove" Beowulf mentions as part of Grendel's equipage when telling of his exploit to Hygelac. Sadly, this is the only picture of Grendel in the book, so we get no sense of scale between Beowulf and Grendel.

These three are from Maud Ebbutt's Hero Myths and Legends of the British Race (1910); I'm not sure who the illustrator is. What's fascinating about these images is not only Grendel's emphatic monstrousness, but also the unflinching gore. This Grendel seems only slightly bigger than a human.

These are some of Lynd Ward's amazing illustrations for a 1939 edition of Beowulf. I love the emphasis on Grendel's eyes and talons--his two most prominent features--in the first picture. The second picture gives us a sense of scale: this Grendel is HUGE.

Grendel from the first issue of the DC Beowulf comics (1975). I love Grendel's inner dialogue: "Kill the light!" This Grendel went on to be a recurrent Wonder Woman villain, of all things.

Another 1975 Grendel by Brian Froud (the genius behind the art design of Labyrinth). This was my first Grendel, an illustration in a Childcraft supplement, The Magic of Words. Pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel and immensely cool.

A Grendel from Alan Lee, better known for his copious illustration of Middle-earth. This is from Castles (1984). This may be the biggest Grendel I've ever seen. Also, he looks like Gollum, but, hey, it's Alan Lee.

The cover of the 1989 edition of Grendel. This is Grendel as teddy bear/sasquatch, I guess. He looks sad and cuddly.

This may be the closest we have to a period Anglo-Saxon illustration of Grendel. It is, in fact, a demon lurking at a hellmouth, waiting for foolish mortals to wander too close. This comes from the 11th century Wonders of the East, a book of exotic marvels apparently designed to suppress travel abroad. (That's a joke. Mostly.)

This is William Blake's Ghost of a Flea (ca. 1820). It's not meant to be Grendel, but there's something about it that's distinctly Grendel-ish.

Last, one of Goya's "Black Paintings," commonly called Saturn Devouring His Son (ca. 1820). Again, this isn't an illustration of Grendel, but it is a depiction of a myth of cannibalism that Anglo-Saxons were aware of. (Aelfric calls this an "unfatherly" act.) It could very easily be the devouring of poor Hondscioh.

BritLit1 Reading: "The Dedication of Saint Michael's Church" from the Blickling Homilies

The Blickling Homilies are a collection of anonymous Anglo-Saxon sermons; they survive in only one manuscript from the 900s. The Blickling Homilies are notable especially for the window they provide into Anglo-Saxon popular religion.

[...]

As St. Paul was looking towards the northern region of the earth, from whence all waters pass down, he saw above the water a hoary stone ; and north of the stone had grown woods very rimy. And there were dark mists; and under the stone was the dwelling place of monsters and execrable creatures. And he saw hanging on the cliff opposite to the woods, many black souls with their hands bound; and the devils in likeness of monsters were seizing them like greedy wolves; and the water under the cliff beneath was black. And between the cliff and the water there were about twelve miles, and when the twigs brake, then down went the souls who hung on the twigs and the monsters seized them. These were the souls of those who in this world wickedly sinned and would not cease from it before their life's end. But let us now bid St. Michael earnestly to bring our souls into bliss, where they may rejoice without end in eternity. Amen.

Source: The Blickling Homilies of the Tenth Century. Trans. R. Morris. London: EETS, 1880. Archive.org online edition.

BritLit1 Context: Original Pronunciation of Shakespeare

A scholar and an actor explain and perform OP Elizabethan English. The payoff: those half-rhymes in renaissance Brit Lit aren't half-rhymes.