Liturgists and Dance in the Twelfth Century: The Witness of John Beleth and Sicard of Cremona

摘要

DANCING is not often associated with Christian liturgy, at least in modernnexperience. Yet according to the Mitralis de Officio of Sicard, bishop ofnCremona (1185–1215), composed about 1200, the circular dancen(chorea) provides a key metaphor for understanding the liturgy of Easter.n2nSicard here draws together two earlier discussions of the subject, both fromnthe twelfth century and of enormously wide influence, manifesting a morenpositive attitude toward dance than found in many early medievalncommentators on the liturgy: the Gemma animae (Jewel of the soul) ofnHonorius Augustodunensis, composed for a monastic audience in the earlyntwelfth century, probably in Germany, and the De ecclesiasticis officiis ofnJohn Beleth, a secular cleric writing probably in Paris circa 1150–1160.n3nWhile many scholars have observed the renewal of interest in the pagannauthors within a literary context in the twelfth century, the witness ofnliturgical commentaries from the period has been little noticed. Sicardnimplies that the festivities of the pagan Saturnalia and its associated freedom of expression (the so-called “December freedom”) can legitimately be used tonexplain the festivities that take place at Easter:All Christians ought to come together freely at the above mentioned dailynoffices to celebrate the glory of the resurrection, which will be revealed innus. This solemnity is therefore the jubilee of Christians, when quarrels arensettled, offenses forgiven. Let those who had sinned be reconciled, letndebts be canceled. Let work places not be opened, merchandise notndisplayed for sale except for those things without which a meal cannotntake place. Let prisoners be freed, shepherds and servants not forced tonservice so that they are able to enjoy freedom and to delight in thenfestivity of future joy. Thus it is that in the cloisters of certain churchesneven bishops enjoy the December freedom with their clerics, even tondescending to the game of the circular dance or ball (ludum choreaenvel pilae)—although it seems more praiseworthy not to play; thisn“December freedom” is so called in that in the month of December,nshepherds, servants, and maidservants were governed among the gentilesnwith a kind of freedom by their masters, so that they could celebrate withnthem after the harvest was collected. And note that the gentiles establishedncircular dances to honor idols, so that they might praise their gods bynvoice and serve them with their whole body, wanting to foreshadow innthem in their own way something of the mystery. For through the circling,nthey understood the revolution of the firmament; through the joining ofnhands, the interconnection of the elements, through the gestures of bodies,nthe motions of the signs or planets; through the melodies of singers, thenharmonies of the planets; through the clapping of hands and the stampingnof feet, the sounding of thunder; but what those people showed to theirnidols, the worshipers of the one God converted to his praise. For thenpeople who crossed from the Red Sea are said to have led a circularndance, Mary is reported to have sung with the tambourine; and Davidndanced before the ark with all his strength and composed psalms with hisnharp, and Solomon placed singers around the altar, who are said to havencreated sound with voice, trumpet, cymbals, organs, and other musicalninstruments.n4