Blogum scribo
 Roman de la Rose, British Library, Egerton 881 (France, possibly Paris, c.1380), folio 141v, detail: Vulcan finds his wife Venus in bed with Mars. A couple of weeks ago I asked all you young lovers if you fancied an Anglo-Saxon betrothal ceremony, instead of the more run-of-the-mill engagement stuff. Well, I've found a little something to add to it: a pontifical blessing of your bed!
Ever the romantic, me, I've dug out a mid-tenth-century Anglo-Saxon pontifical (the 'Egbert Pontifical' to be precise), and herewith present you all with its rather sweet words, which by the way are to be uttered by an appropriately sober priest (Anglo-Saxon priests may well have been defrocked for lack of sobriety). Oh, but before I present you with my translation (yes, I had to use my rather dodgy Latin skills to produce this for you), I must explain the accompanying picture. I know it's a tad saucy, especially if you read its caption, but I just wanted to reassure you that you do not need to follow its example by being in the bed when the priest (or whoever you've asked to oblige you) pronounces the blessing. And so as not to mislead you, the man on the right is not a priest. Why would a priest be holding a big club with which to hit you, come on now! The Betrothal Blessing: "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless these young people of yours and sow the seed of eternal life in their minds, in order that whatever for usefulness they consent to, this they may desire to do. Through Jesus Christ, the assessor of men, who is with thee and with thy spirit, bless, O Lord, this bedchamber and all that inhabit it, and in your peace may they remain, and in your favour continue, and may they live in your love, and grow old and be increased in length of days." That was lovely, wasn't it? Let us all know how you get on with the whole thing. We need details. Want to say something? Please do, by leaving a comment.
15 Comments
Carol W
29/10/2014 10:46:17 am
Love the blessing! We had our rings blessed at the altar before the ceremony! Think this is much nicer than the 'bedding' ritual people were put through!
Christopher Monk/Anglo-Saxon Monk
3/9/2016 09:50:00 am
Thank you, Kim. 30/3/2017 07:50:26 pm
I would like bless everyone on the bed chamber. So it is given all the topics with instructions. That every step will give you more knowledge on these all blogs.
Christopher Monk
5/5/2017 06:13:24 am
You're very welcome. 27/9/2017 10:57:46 am
One need to be thankful to God for all the blessings in anyway, great article, loved it. Thanks for sahring it with us 27/9/2017 03:32:37 pm
I'm not quite sure how to address you: Floor Expansion Joint seems an odd name for a Christian. May you be blessed, nonetheless. 31/8/2018 10:56:01 am
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Curious about the bedding ceremony meaning? This traditional practice, rooted in history, symbolized the union of two lives and families—often marking the first night of marriage. While rare today, it offers a fascinating glimpse into cultural customs. Explore how traditions like this still influence modern wedding rituals. 6/5/2025 08:13:14 am
Thank you for your comments. It's definitely worth thinking about and exploring the connections between this early medieval custom and today's practices, though we need to ask how much of it survived unfiltered to the modern period. It's somewhat like thinking about Christmas. We can trace the foundational origins of Christmas customs, but how meaningful the connections are today is questionable. Do you have anymore thoughts yourself? Leave a Reply. |