The Function of "O Man Unkynde" in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc. 330, and Trinity College Cambridge, MS 0.2.53

This article examines the function of the fifteenth-century Middle English penitential lyric "O Man Unkynde" in two manuscripts. This lyric, which appears in five manuscripts, asks readers to "see" Christ's wounds. In three cases, this instruction is fulfilled by the presenc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Campion, Louise Gabrielle Elizabeth (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Penn State Univ. Press [2020]
In: Journal of medieval religious cultures
Year: 2020, Volume: 46, Issue: 2, Pages: 162-185
IxTheo Classification:CB Christian life; spirituality
KAF Church history 1300-1500; late Middle Ages
KBF British Isles
NBF Christology
NBP Sacramentology; sacraments
Further subjects:B fifteenth-century religion
B Devotional literature
B Christianity
B religious lyrics
B Manuscripts
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:This article examines the function of the fifteenth-century Middle English penitential lyric "O Man Unkynde" in two manuscripts. This lyric, which appears in five manuscripts, asks readers to "see" Christ's wounds. In three cases, this instruction is fulfilled by the presence of an accompanying image. In the two manuscripts with which I am concerned, the lyric appears without any complementary illustration. It discusses the way in which this absence of a visual referent might have altered the way in which the lyric was read by the readers of these two codices. In both instances, it argues that the interaction between the lyric and the other texts in the manuscripts suggests that it was regarded as a tool that might be used in the preparation of the reader for the sacrament of confession, and that inward visualization was key to the use of the lyric in these contexts.
ISSN:2153-9650
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of medieval religious cultures
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5325/jmedirelicult.46.2.0162