Mary sequence from Seckau

When Marie sequence from Seckau (Seckau Marie sequence) is a fragmentary traditional rhyming Marie price from the 12th century , known as Middle High German translation of the Latin sequence Ave praeclara Maris Stella in the Augustinian Monastery Seckau in Styria , Austria has arisen and served as accompaniment to the festive liturgy . It is considered to be the earliest surviving sequence in the German language . The central theme is the veneration of Mary in her role as virgin and mother as well as the importance of the proclamation to Mary for the message of salvation of the Christian faith.

Origin and tradition

Tradition situation

The Seckau Mary sequence was created around the middle of the 12th century as a translation of the Latin sequence Ave praeclara maris stella , a poem by the Benedictine monk Hermann von Reichenau ( Hermannus Contractus , 1013-1054). The Seckau Mary sequence on sheet 8v of the Graz manuscript UB Ms. 287, which was made in the first half of the 13th century and is now in the Graz University Library, has survived . It is the fascicle of a German-Latin nun's prayer book of the Seckau choir women - in addition to the Seckau Mary sequence, it also contains a calendar with monthly rules (Graz monthly rules), time tables for calculating the Easter date and several illuminations depicting themes of salvation history. Only part of the sequence is preserved in the manuscript, a total of 38 verses to the end of the page - the following sheet, which presumably contained the rest of the poem, has been cut out and is lost. Since earlier research assumed an origin from the St. Lambrecht Abbey , older text editions also use the term 'Mary sequence from St. Lambrecht' - but this thesis has been refuted, and the term 'Seckau Mary sequence' has been in use ever since . There are no precise indications as to the question of authorship: the author of the Seckau Mary sequence is not known. The dating, like the place of origin, is also not undisputedly proven: Due to the style, the origin of the sequence is determined by some researchers to be in the first half of the 12th century, before 1140, while others place content-related criteria in the foreground and appeal on the tendency towards the humanization of the image of Mary, recognizable in the sequence (see background), from which the dating to the second half of the 12th century, around 1150/70, is derived. Despite disagreement about the dating, the Seckau Mary Sequence is generally considered to be the oldest German-speaking Mary sequence and is therefore one of the most important achievements of Middle High German Marian poetry in Styria.

Origin background

The classification of the poem in the genus 'Sequence' is determined by the rubricated title 'sequentia' on the right side of the first line in the manuscript itself. Form and metrics , the allegories used , the hymn 'you' and the designation 'sequentia' and, last but not least, the clear connections to the original Ave praeclara maris stella show the closeness to the Latin Marian poetry. In the Seckau Mary sequence , the expansion of the veneration of Mary into the area of the vernacular and thus an advance of Mariology up to the illiterate layman becomes visible: Mary is gaining more and more importance as a reference point of popular piety. Also from the 2nd half of the 11th century the incarnation of God became an important topic of the liturgy, so that the relationship between Mary and God / Jesus is presented on the level of a relationship between mother and child and the miracle of God's human birth through Mary is emphasized has been. In connection with this, another new concept emerges in the independent part of the Seckau Mary sequence : the idea of Mary's participation in salvation. The conceptual and content-related differences that are found when comparing with the Latin model can largely be explained by the changes in the tradition of Marian piety in the 12th century. Due to the position of the Mary sequence in the nuns' breviary of the Seckau choir women and the strong focus on Mary and the feminine aspect of salvation, the content of the prayer book and the entire history of salvation are given a mariological accent that can be seen in direct relation to the group of users, the Seckau choir women .

Structure and content

Digitized from sheet 8v of the Graz manuscript Ms 287, 13th century

In terms of form and content, the Seckau Mary sequence initially follows the pattern of the Latin model. Direct parallels can be seen through a clear reference to the stanza structure of the Latin sequence and the partial adoption of Latin rhyming words in the Middle High German text. However, there is an increasing deviation from the pattern of the Latin original, especially with regard to the main content.

Formal structure

38 lines of verse of the Mary sequence have been preserved, which are written down consecutively and can be divided into seven stanzas / verses by the rubricated initials in the manuscript . The scheme of short lines tied in pairs is not used in an entirely uniform manner - the first stanza consists of only three lines, which are connected by a triple end rhyme . In contrast to the Latin model, the short lines are also rhymed in pairs by end rhymes - apart from small irregularities. The form of the short line rhymed in pairs is not used in every edition, for example, in Friedrich Maurer the sequence is reproduced in long line stanzas. Some text editions (such as Maurer's) show a further deviation: Since the first three lines of verse in stanza 6 are also connected by a common rhyme and this is accompanied by a substantive incision, in some editions these first three lines of verse of the 6th stanza are separate Verse calculated so that the text is divided into a total of eight stanzas. Another assumption is that the sequence - with the exception of the three-rhymed initial verses - is made up of double stanzas: Accordingly, verses 2 and 3, 4 and 5 or 7 and 8 are to be regarded as parallel verses and to be sung according to the same melody. Maurer, among others, expressed doubts about this theory, citing the irregularities in the construction of the cadences as a counter-argument for direct connections between the individual stanzas.

Content classification

The stanzas 1–5 follow the pattern of the sequence Ave praeclara maris stella, with a few differences . In the course of the Seckau Mary sequence , however, the content increasingly moves away from the original and develops independently so that accents of meaning are shifted and in some cases entirely new elements are added. The focus is on the veneration of Mary in her special role as Virgin and Mother of God and the message of salvation of the Annunciation. Close parallels to the original can be seen especially in the first two stanzas through the direct use of the Latin words: The first line of verse ( Ave, du vil schoniu maris stella ) opens the sequence with the greeting to Maria and is an almost unchanged takeover of the Latin Opening verse Ave praeclara maris stella . The rhyming words (ex-) orta and porta in the following verses are also taken from Latin . What is striking here is the address of Mary as god mother, which emphasizes Mary's role as mother and thus brings her closer to people - this attribute is not found in the Latin original. The typological connection between Eva and Maria (stanza 5) is new compared to the Latin model, as is the description of Mary's descent from Aarones gerte instead of stirpis Jesse (stanza 4). These changes in content seem to be directly related to the complete deviation from the original from verse 6: Here the Annunciation to Mary and the miracle of the immaculate conception move into the central focus, with Mary being venerated as the Virgin Mother of God and the abolition of Eve's original sin . How the content-related discrepancy will develop cannot be foreseen, since the text breaks off at verse 38 in the middle of the preaching scene.

1 Ave, you vil schoniu maris stella,
ce saelden aller diet exorta, gotes mother
Maria.

2 Frou dich, gotes porta,
diu verslozzen give birth to
the sun of truth
with maidelicher cleanliness,
with mennesque nature
got ce dirre werlte braehte.

3 Maget aller magede,
schone als diu sunne,
himelischiu chuniginne,
dirre werlte gimme,
erchenne all who respect you
and with right glouben ce dinen graces things.

4 You signify yourself: ot diu Aarones whip,
diu in the dinchuse alle verte
brahte bluode and usury:
as whimsical you were muter.
the old
fathers din e wished and the prophecies.

5 You are a tribe
of life,
when Eva is raffled off in the paradysis,
you echo her dead.
gotes command she ubergie,
from then ir afterchumfte michel sere lie.

6 Do the schephaere sin grace ermante,
that he erchante the male bread,
the angel Gabriel sent to you with little messages.
he said: 'Ave Maria,
you to genaden plena.
mait you get swanger,
iz is got the same that you give birth. '

7 Be these words,
himilischiu porte,
enpfinge in your pure love,
that you never became ce wi <be>
[...]

Hail, beautiful sea star, risen for the salvation of all people, (Mother of God Mary). Rejoice, Gate of God, who barred the sun of truth in virgin purity and brought God into this world in human nature. Virgin of all virgins, beautiful as the sun, heavenly queen, gem of this world, recognize all who love you and hope in your grace in right faith. You are referred to by Aaron's staff, which bore flowers and fruit on all sides in the federal hut: You became a mother just as miraculously. The old fathers wished and prophesied you beforehand. You alone are the trunk of the life that Eve lost in Paradise when she chose death. She broke God's command, causing great pain to her descendants. When his grace admonished the Creator to recognize human weakness (forgiving), he sent the angel Gabriel to you with a new message. He said: “Hail Mary, you are full of graces. You will get pregnant as a virgin. It is God himself, whom you will give birth. "With this word, heavenly gate, you received in your pure body so that you did not become a woman after all [...]

Typology, allegory and symbolism

Most of the allegories from the Latin original are taken over up to verse 4, with verse 5 the Seckau Mary sequence goes over into a non-allegorical, narrative section by taking over the biblical scene of the Annunciation from the Gospel of Luke . The sequence begins with the invocation of Mary (verses 1-3), whereby Mary is designated with numerous praising attributes with allegorical meaning: vil schoniu maris stella, gotes muter, gotes porta, sunne of truth, maget aller magede, himelischiu chuniginne , etc. The salutation as vil schoniu maris stella, / ce saelden aller diet exorta ('beautiful sea star, risen for the salvation of all people') is an image for the light that brings salvation to people and is shown in the sequence Mary as Mother of God and her related redeeming function. The term Mary as gotes porta / diu verslozzen give birth (God gate, the sealed bare ') is designed to allegorisch virginal conception and is closely related to the attribute of purity ( reinecheit ) and the wonder of the incarnation of God. An allusion to the Pauline triad of faith, love and hope can be found in stanza 3: erchenne all who minnent you / and with right glouben ce dinen gnaden dingent . This is followed by a section in which Mary's chosen position and the miracle of her motherhood are described: Through typological links between the Old Testament and the New Testament , Mary is portrayed as the one who cancels Eve's original sin (verse 5) and thus the prophecies and wishes of the old fathers fulfilled (verse 4). As is common in medieval word magic , the connection is clarified by referring to the words Eve and Ave , in that the greeting to Mary (' Ave ') is the reverse of the name Eve , just as Mary is supposed to bring the abolition of Eve's original sin.

Singability

Sequences were part of liturgical practice from an early age, they were used to accompany masses and were closely related to certain feast days. Their function was on the one hand the praise of God, on the other hand, the education of the community - for this purpose also were hymns written in German, so that the non-Latin experienced users could be involved in the liturgy. The Seckau Mary sequence is one of these early liturgical poems in the vernacular. As the content suggests, it was written on the occasion of the Annunciation celebrations and recorded in a nun's prayer book as part of the festive choir singing. Despite the great freedom of the Mary sequence in terms of rhythms, cadences and rhymes and although no notes have survived for the Seckau Mary sequence , it must not be assumed that it was not sung, because in general, complete melodies for the sequences are rarely transmitted. The hymnology research therefore assumes a vocal performance: It has been proven that the then common melodies of the sequences developed from the melody of the alleluia and that the sequences were thus part of the sung liturgy.

Continue to work

The Seckau Mary Sequence was created at a time when the piety of Mary was widespread and therefore expanded to include the vernacular. The Latin sequence Ave praeclara maris stella from the 11th century was demonstrably not only used as a model for the Seckau Mary sequence , but also inspired several renderings in German - for example the Mary sequence from Muri , which also has an intertextual reference to the Seckau Mary sequence ; the author of the Mary sequence from Muri must therefore have known the version from Seckau. The Seckauer Marie sequence is not only the first recorded sequence in the German language, it is also one of the early manifestations of vernacular Marie poetry, whose tradition not only regionally, but also in time shows a far-reaching influence throughout the Middle Ages and beyond (see. The Marie corpse of Frauenlob or Walthers von der Vogelweide ; Mary symbolism in Minnesang ; Mary poetry in spiritual literature).

literature

Text output

Hans Joachim Gernentz (ed.): Smaller German poems of the 11th and 12th centuries. After the edition by Albert Waag. 4th edition Leipzig: VEB Bibliographisches Institut 1982.

Fritz Peter Knapp: History of literature in Austria. From the beginning to the present , ed. by Herbert Zeman. Volume 1: The literature of the early and high Middle Ages in the dioceses of Passau, Salzburg, Brixen and Trient from the beginning up to the year 1273. Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Publishing House 1994, pp. 458f.

Friedrich Maurer (ed.): The religious poems of the 11th and 12th centuries. Discussed and edited according to their forms. Volume 1. Tübingen: Niemeyer 1964.

Individual evidence

↑ Cf. Brunner, Horst: History of German literature of the Middle Ages and the early modern times at a glance. Stuttgart: Reclam 2010, p. 92f. (= RUB 17680)

↑ http://143.50.26.142/digbib/handschriften/Ms.0200-0399/Ms.0287/index.html

↑ Cf. Kunze, Konrad: Mariensesequence from Seckau. In: Ruh, Kurt; Wedge, Gundolf; Schröder, Werner; Wachinger, Burghart; Worstbrock, Franz Josef (ed.): The German literature of the Middle Ages. Author Lexicon. Volume 6. Berlin / New York: De Gruyter 1978, p. 54.

↑ See Kunze, author's lexicon, vol. 6, pp. 54f.

↑ Cf. Maurer, Friedrich (ed.): The religious poems of the 11th and 12th centuries. Volume 1. Tübingen: Niemeyer 1964, p. 462.

↑ See also Freytag, Hartmut: The early Middle High German spiritual poetry in Austria. In: Zeman, Herbert (ed.): The Austrian literature. Your profile from the beginnings in the Middle Ages to the 18th century (1050-1750) with the assistance of Fritz Peter Knapp. Part 1. Graz: Academic printing and printing Publishing House 1986, p. 145.

↑ For other German-language versions such as the Mary sequence from Muri or the sequence I like to greet you meres sterne lucerna from the monk of Salzburg see Walther Lipphardt: 'Ave praeclara maris stella' (German). In: Author's Lexicon . Volume I, Col. 568-570.

↑ See Kunze, author's dictionary, vol. 6, p. 54.

↑ See Freytag, p. 145.

↑ Cf. Brinkmann, Hennig: 'Ave praeclara maris stella' in German rendering. In: Besch, Werner; Jungbluth, Günther; Meissburger, Gerhard; Nellmann, Eberhard (ed.): Studies on German literature and language of the Middle Ages. Festschrift for Hugo Moser on his 65th birthday. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag 1974, p. 15.

↑ See Brinkmann, p. 13.

↑ See Hellgart, Ernst: Seckauer manuscripts as carriers of early Middle High German texts. In: Ebenbauer, Alfred; Knapp, Fritz Peter; Schwob, Anton (ed.): The medieval literature in Styria. Files of the International Symposium Seggau Castle near Leibnitz 1984. Yearbook for International German Studies. Row A. Congress Reports. Volume 23. Bern / Frankfurt am Main / New York / Paris: Peter Lang 1988, p. 122.; Knapp, Fritz Peter: History of literature in Austria. From the beginning to the present, ed. by Herbert Zeman. Volume 1: The literature of the early and high Middle Ages in the dioceses of Passau, Salzburg, Brixen and Trient from the beginning up to the year 1273. Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Publishing House 1994, p. 158.

↑ See Maurer, p. 462.

↑ See also Kraß, Andreas: "I like to greet you". Aspects of historical intertextuality using the example of rhymed German translations of the Mary sequence 'Ave praeclara maris stella' in the Middle Ages and early modern times. In: Bentzinger, Rudolf; Oppitz, Ulrich-Dieter; Wolf, Jürgen (ed.): Basics. Research, editions and materials on German literature and language from the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ZfdA supplement 18. Stuttgart: S. Hirzel 2013, p. 304.

↑ See Brinkmann, p. 12.

↑ See also: Knapp, p. 460.

^ Text and translation from: Knapp, pp. 458f.

↑ See Knapp, p. 460.

↑ See Knapp, p. 459.

↑ See Kraß, p. 305.

↑ See Praßl, Franz Karl: Sequenzen in Seckauer Manschriften. Studies on the sequence repertoire of the Proprium de Tempore in the Seckauer liturgical manuscripts of the Graz University Library , diploma thesis, Graz 1979, p. 3 u. 120.

↑ See Praßl, p. 3 and 126.

↑ See Knapp, p. 460; Freytag, p. 145.

↑ See Praßl, p. 47.

↑ See Praßl, p. 118.

↑ See Kraß, pp. 305-307.

[1] Cf. Brunner, Horst: History of German literature of the Middle Ages and the early modern times at a glance. Stuttgart: Reclam 2010, p. 92f. (= RUB 17680)

[2] ttp://143.50.26.142/digbib/handschriften/Ms.0200-0399/Ms.0287/index.html

[3] Cf. Kunze, Konrad: Mariensesequence from Seckau. In: Ruh, Kurt; Wedge, Gundolf; Schröder, Werner; Wachinger, Burghart; Worstbrock, Franz Josef (ed.): The German literature of the Middle Ages. Author Lexicon. Volume 6. Berlin / New York: De Gruyter 1978, p. 54.

[4] See Kunze, author's lexicon, vol. 6, pp. 54f.

[5] Cf. Maurer, Friedrich (ed.): The religious poems of the 11th and 12th centuries. Volume 1. Tübingen: Niemeyer 1964, p. 462.

[6] See also Freytag, Hartmut: The early Middle High German spiritual poetry in Austria. In: Zeman, Herbert (ed.): The Austrian literature. Your profile from the beginnings in the Middle Ages to the 18th century (1050-1750) with the assistance of Fritz Peter Knapp. Part 1. Graz: Academic printing and printing Publishing House 1986, p. 145.

[7] For other German-language versions such as the Mary sequence from Muri or the sequence I like to greet you meres sterne lucerna from the monk of Salzburg see Walther Lipphardt: 'Ave praeclara maris stella' (German). In: Author's Lexicon . Volume I, Col. 568-570.

[8] See Kunze, author's dictionary, vol. 6, p. 54.

[9] See Freytag, p. 145.

[10] See Freytag, p. 145.

[11] Cf. Brinkmann, Hennig: 'Ave praeclara maris stella' in German rendering. In: Besch, Werner; Jungbluth, Günther; Meissburger, Gerhard; Nellmann, Eberhard (ed.): Studies on German literature and language of the Middle Ages. Festschrift for Hugo Moser on his 65th birthday. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag 1974, p. 15.

[12] See Brinkmann, p. 13.