Book Review: Medieval Latin Liturgy in English Translation

Edited by Matthew Cheung Salisbury

The book introduces the latin liturgy, explaining the basics before translating the Mass from 3 different manuscripts (showing local variations to the ceremony) . There are also translations of selected Mass Propers (that is, additions to Mass for specific holy days), of the Divine Office for select occasions (ex: Epiphany, Matins of St Thomas Becket), Votive Services (ex: Vespers of the dead), and Occasional Services & Private Prayers (ex: Dedication of a Church, vocation of a Nun).

The Liturgy is such an important aspect of medieval Catholic life and I’ve been trying for years to better understand it. So this book was a wonderful find. I appreciated the variety of texts that were included, showing how things varied by place as well as date (that is, changes occurred over time to the liturgy and the day to day liturgy itself changed depending on the calendar, feast days, etc).

Given how much medieval literature uses the first words of certain prayers as shorthand for those prayers, I kind of wish the author had included the latin next to the english. But it’s wonderful having so many medieval prayers and texts translated into English in an easy to read format.

I expect this is a book I will reread often, to better grasp the ceremony & the meaning behind the words.

Video: Dark Ballad of a Warrior on Hurdy-Gurdy

I've found that some medieval instruments can be rather... shrill. So it's with real delight that I discovered the hurdy-gurdy, which when played well - as here - is a true joy to listen to.

This video is by Andrey Vinogradov. He's got a good number of videos on his channel if you like what you hear.

Book Review: Chronicle of the Czechs by Cosmas of Prague

Translated by: Lisa Wolverton

This is meant to be a history of the Czech people, from its origins (via legend about the land’s native inhabitants, the Lucane) until Cosmas’s death. It’s broken up into 3 ‘books’. The first deals with the “deeds of antiquity”, that is, information Cosmas got from outside sources to tell of events he wasn’t alive for. Book 2 begins with the reign of Duke Bretislav in 1038 and ends with the crowning of Duke Bretislav the Younger in 1092. The last book goes until the death of Cosmas in 1125, and tells more detailed stories of deception as brothers and cousins fight for the Dukedom. It also mentions several notable weather events (eclipses, floods, heavy snows, etc).

It’s an interesting chronicle, especially after reading the introduction and with the explanatory notes. There were times when I thought it was a really interesting piece of history only to learn that the author inserted a story from a Chronicle of earlier times, simply changing the names to fit the current protagonists. That is, a decent amount of the 1st book is made up or recycled stories rather than an attempt to tell legitimate history as we understand the term. There were also sections that got confusing, so if you’re not paying close attention you can get very lost regarding who’s who and what people are fighting over.

The entries vary from being dry and frankly boring to being lively and interesting. It also goes from in depth stories with dialogue and description to a single line saying someone previously unmentioned has died.

For the most part the page notes were very helpful. There were times when I wanted more information from them. They generally gave clarifying information (this is king ‘x’ of country, who lived date to date) or give a citation of what text Cosmas is quoting. Sometimes the text mentioned interesting side information that I wanted to know more about. A few times I looked up people mentioned to learn more about them, like Matilda of Tuscany.

Cosmas’s view of heroic and villainous is often not what I would have expected for a cleric. He praises the goodness of one man who abducts a noblewoman from a convent and marries her. He has a real disregard for the land’s original inhabitants and the Poles, who come up a lot. Sometimes he calls men using deception to gain power wolves among sheep. Other people who do similar things get praised for being clever. There are a few anti-semitic passages.

It’s always interesting to see what people in the middle ages thought worth preserving in terms of history - especially when it comes to nation building. While this won’t be for everyone, it’s great to have such resources translated into English to learn more about the history of the Czech region.

Shout-Out: Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy rooted in Slavic folklore, from an assured new voice in genre fiction

As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice taming rusalkas, fighting kikimoras, and brewing lycanthrope repellent. There’s only one monster Kosara can’t defeat: her ex the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times, and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed to him by someone close to her, Kosara’s only hope is to trade her shadow—the source of her powers—for illegal passage across the Wall to Belograd, where monsters can’t follow.

Life in Belograd should be sweet, but Kosara soon develops a fast-acting version of the deadly wasting sickness that stalks shadowless witches—and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To trace her shadow, she’ll have to team up with the suspiciously honorable detective investigating the death of the smuggler who brought her across the Wall.

Even worse than working with the cops is that all the clues point in a single direction: one of the Zmey’s monsters has found a crack in the Wall, and Kosara’s magic is now in the Zmey’s hands.

The clock is ticking, the hunt is on, and Kosara’s priorities should be clear—but is she the hunter or the hunted? And in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the man—the Monster—she’s never been able to escape alone?

Movie Review: Boss Level

Directed by Joe Carnahan
IMDb listing

A washed up former special ops agent must figure out why he keeps reliving the same day over again, pursued by a group of assassins.

This is an enjoyable action movie. Don’t think about the plot too hard, just watch the bullets fly.

The special effects are very well done and the acting good. There are some great stunts. There are even a few laughs (especially with Guan Yin, the swordswoman).

Personally, I enjoy ‘repeat day’ stories. It’s still nice to see new twists on the old formula, and this movie has a few.

If you’re looking for a fun time waster, give this a try.

 

Book Review: Eloquent Bodies: Movement, Expression, and the Human Figure in Gothic Sculpture by Jacqueline Jung

The book has 6 chapters in addition to its introduction and conclusion:
1 Encountering the Gothic Sculpture: Mimesis, Kinetics, Haptic Engagement
2 Moving Bodies, Dynamic Perception: The Slowscapes of the Strasbourg South Transept Portal
3 Movement, Media & the Quest for Salvation: A Pillar for Thinking in the Strasbourg South Transept
4 From Motion to Emotion: Encounters with the Wise and Foolish Virgins
5 The Donor Figures of Naumburg Cathedral, Part I: Presence
6 The Donor Figures of Naumburg Cathedral, Part II: Meaning

This is a very focused discussion on sculpture in the round, specifically as used in the cathedrals in Strasbourg and Naumburg. The author does branch out to show other examples demonstrating the historical progression of the Wise & Foolish Virgin sculptures in the former Holy Roman Empire’s lands.

It’s wonderful to see a book that emphasizes the dimensionality of sculpture. Books on gothic sculpture often only show a single image from a single viewpoint (in fact, you’ll often see basically the same image/viewpoint of a particular sculpture in all books). The author’s done an excellent job of photographing the examples in the round, from various angles, showing how standing in different spots to view the sculpture changes what you see and sometimes even the meaning of the piece (the South transept tympanum at Strasbourg are a great example of this, with characters coming in and out of view as you move to the opposite sides).

The author is meticulous in her descriptions of the sculptures: their facial expressions, hand gestures, clothing. I was impressed with the level of detail. For example, Uta of Ballenstedt’s statue in Naumburg is wearing a crown with a hinge, indicating that it was meant to fold.

Chapter 6 didn’t interest me as much as the others. It’s an imagined Sic et Non wherein she tries to guess why the medieval planners of the cathedral chose to place the donor’s statues in the west choir. While it’s an interesting exercise, ultimately unless they’ve written their motivations down, it’s simply guesswork.

If you’re interested in medieval gothic sculpture or visiting one of the cathedrals discussed, it’s a great read. I took a ton of notes for my trip.

Video: Every Major Crusader Order Explained in under 14 minutes

Found this interesting video by the Based Plato talking about the medieval Crusader Orders. The video mentions a few I'd never heard of.