Medieval chant for Swedish saints

© Ann-Marie Nilsson(2011), Uppsala University, Sweden

Chants for St. Nicolaus Hermanni, episcopus Lincopensis, Christo sit pia laus

In 1499, eight decades after a canonisation process in 1417, the pope gave admission to
enshrinement of the relics of Nils Hermansson (Nicolaus Hermanni), bishop of Linköping
1375-1391, who is said to have been the author of historie for saints Birgitta of Sweden,
Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, and Ansgar, “apostle of the North”; probably also of the
late additions (two nocturns) to the historia for St. Erik. The translation took place in
Linköping in 1515, and Nils Hermansson’s day was the first Sunday in May. As late as 1523,
his mass and office were printed in Söderköping. The text of his office Christo sit pia laus is
edited in Analecta hymnica (vol. 28, nr. 30, p. 85).

Only one source with notation of this office is known: a handwritten sanctorale from Östra
Eneby church in Östergötland, known as Liber ecclesie Enebyensis, now in Musik- och
teaterbiblioteket (The Music and Theatre Library), Stockholm (Liturgik Rar.; fol. 30v-34r.).
Like in some other early sixteenth-century sources, the verses of the responsories are omitted.
At places, the text underlay is dubious and clefs carelessly written, which can make it
difficult to decide the scribe’s intention.

In his poetry, the anonymous author has aimed at Leonine hexameters, Goliard strophes (2 x
(7pp + 6p).) and – in the responsories – Goliard strophes cum auctoritate, the same strophic
form as the responsories that earlier used to be ascribed to bishop Brynolf Algotsson (cf.
Ann-Marie Nilsson: Sånger till fyra kyrkofester i Skara stift, 2011: Summary, p. 204).

No regular modal order is observed. The antiphons for Matins are in modes 111,222,333.

A number of melodies seem to have been adapted from earlier Swedish saints’ offices, a few,
suitable enough, from Nils’ hystoria for St. Birgitta, Rosa rorans bonitatem. Some examples
below will show such adaptations.

The material was studied by Ann-Marie Nilsson during a research project ”Medieval chant
for Swedish saints”, financed (2006-2008) by the Swedish Research Council.

Remarks to variant tables contains general remarks on the notation in the sources and
the comparative tables as well as abbreviations.