The Language of Liturgy: Unintelligibility, Translation, and Performance in English Religious Writing, 1350-1550

Abstract

When late medieval English Christians went to church, they listened to and spoke languages—Latin, Greek, and Hebrew—that most of them did not, in the usual sense, know. Yet even when liturgical participants could not understand the semantic meanings of Latin sentences, they could skillfully use ritual utterances to perform speech-acts and meditate on theological mysteries. In fact, some medieval Christians—including both highly trained clergy and nonliterate, nonlatinate lay people—specifically sought out the experience of unintelligibility, which signifies sacrality and ineffability, invokes divine presence, and opens up possibilities for endless interpretation. This dissertation explores how such practitioners made meaning from sacred language by studying Middle English devotional and literary writings that represent, interpret, and theorize liturgical texts. The chapters examine depictions of ignorant listeners interpreting liturgical utterances in Nativity narratives, especially in the mystery plays; devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus in the writings of Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, and anonymous hymns and lyrics; expansive translations and commentaries on the Lord’s Prayer from the Myroure of Oure Ladye, Reginald Pecock, and John Lydgate; and literary code-switching in Piers Plowman. Such texts model and encourage readers to practice the skill of mentally coordinating multiple modes of signification, enriching liturgical participation for those fluent in Latin and those with no Latin education alike.