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A miracle book, prayers and hymns inspired by Simon de Montfort provide rare evidence of an unusual aspect of popular religion.Simon de Montfort led the barons' rebellion against Henry III in 1265, and was killed at the battle of Evesham. The rebellion had attempted to force changes in central and local government on the king, and was to some degree a popular protest movement. Earl Simon was immediately the object of an unofficial miracle cult, which lasted until c.1280. In England no other layman had attracted a miracle cult since Earl Waltheof (d.1076). It centred on Montfort's grave in Evesham abbey, and it had to be practised in secret for at least two years. Earl Simon was never officially canonized. The Evesham miracle book records some two hundred alleged events, and the contemporary laments, prayers, and hymns reflect the bitterness, despair and longing that animated the cult.
The only previous edition of the miracle book appeared in 1840; most of the verses and prayers also appeared in print long ago, but in scattered publications and to no uniform standard. The documents are mostly in Latin, with a few in French. Only some of the items have hitherto been translated into English prose. Collectively, the documents illustrate local and social history, popular religion, and contemporary opinion across a range of social ranks at a time of crisis.
List of contents
List of Figures
Preface and Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
INTRODUCTION
The miracle book
The miracles
The laments, prayers and hymns
Saint Simon
Legacy and rediscovery
CATALOGUE OF THE TEXTS AND MANUSCRIPTS
The miracles
The laments, prayers and hymns
EDITORIAL PROCEDURE
TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
The Evesham abbey miracle book (1-197)
Miracles from the Melrose chronicle (198-201)
A miracle from the Lanercost chronicle (202)
Anno milleno (203)
Chaunter mestoit (204)
Chaunter mestut (205)
Illos saluauit (206)
Vbi fuit mons (207)
Vulneratur karitas (208)
Calendar entries (209-14)
Salue Symon: antiphon, versicle and response (215)
Salue Symon: motet (216)
Rumpe celos (217)
Mater Syon (218)
Nequit stare (219)
O decus militie (Cambridge MS) (220)
O decus militie (Cologne MS) (221)
Miles Christi (222)
Select Bibliography
Index of Persons and Places
About the author
Edited and Translated by David Cox
Summary
A miracle book, prayers and hymns inspired by Simon de Montfort provide rare evidence of an unusual aspect of popular religion.
