Canons of Edgar

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The Canons of Edgar are a set of early eleventh-century ecclesiastical regulations produced in Anglo-Saxon England by Wulfstan, Archbishop of York. [1] They were in fact not written by King Edgar; but his good governance was inspirational for Wulfstan, and thus "they hark[ed] back to better times." [2] "The comparative success of King Edgar's reign" was a reason for Wulfstan to use the past laws for his canon laws in the early 11th century. [3]

Contents

According to Roger Fowler, the Canons of Edgar "was central in Wulfstan's programme of reform; it also demonstrates better than any other of his works the deliberateness with which he familiarized himself with the best canonical writings to provide a basis of accepted authority for [these] reforms." [4]

The Canons of Edgar have been called "a synthesis of church doctrine on pastoral care and clerical behaviour for use by parish priests." [5] In the broader context, "it provides perhaps Wulfstan's most detailed account of the Church's role in English society." [5] Proof of its importance is shown by the many revisions to it made by Wulfstan from 1004 to c. 1018. [5]

Sources

Wulfstan's sources included the writings of Ælfric of Eynsham, Theodulf of Orleans, Amalarius of Metz, and Pope Leo IV, [5] as well as the Canons of Chalcedon. [6]

Specific content and canons

The canons primarily dealt with "instruction on proper conduct and training for secular clergy and detailed instructions on their duties, including how to conduct the mass." [2] They dealt with varied issues concerning "pastoral care and clerical behaviour [of] parish priests." [5]

Canons 1 and 2 concern general behaviour of respect for priests to each other, while Canons 3 and 4 concern a priest's duties to prepare for a synod. [5]

The 8th Canon forbade priests to abandon their parish; it was based upon Canon V of the Canons of Chalcedon. [6]

Canons 17 through 25 include but also go beyond priests, to deal with every Christian man's obligations. [5] Canons 26 through 28, and 58, 59, and 66, are admonitions that priests act soberly. [5] Canons 29 to 43 are specific rules about the order and holiness of the Mass. [5] Canon 44 forbade women from serving at the altar. [5] Canons 55 through 57 concerned the procedures for alms. [5] Canons 60 through 64 regulated oaths and testimony by priests. [5]

Manuscripts

One version of the Canons — labelled version "D" — can be found in an eleventh-century manuscript, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS. 201, where it has been copied out by hand on pages 97 to 101. [7]

Wulfstan's writing style in Latin is known for a complex rhyming scheme, which is evident in this and other manuscripts. [2]

Editions and translations

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fowler 1972, p. v.
  2. 1 2 3 Emmerson, Richard K. (2013). Key Figures in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia (ebook). Taylor & Francis. pp. 681–682. ISBN   9781136775185 . Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  3. ↑ O'Camb, Brian T.; Gates, Jay Paul (2019). Remembering the Medieval Present: Generative Uses of England's Pre-Conquest Past, 10th to 15th Centuries (ebook). Brill. ISBN   9789004408333 . Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  4. ↑ Fowler 1972, p. xlvi.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rabin, Andrew; Horrox, Rosemary; Maclean, Simon (2016). The Political Writings of Archbishop Wulfstan of York (ebook). Manchester University. pp. 86–100. ISBN   9781847799678 . Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  6. 1 2 Bright, William (1882). Notes on the Canons of the First Four General Councils. Clarendon Press. pp. 145–146. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Fowler 1972, p. xi.
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