“Emotional rituals and/or ritual emotions -

Studies in the 14th century Chronica Terre

Prussie of Peter of Dusburg”

Torben Kjersgaard Nielsen, Aalborg University29 August 2014 – Dansk Historikermøde, Odense

Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, 1502Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1510

All the ordinary people followed the banners out of the city in pious devotion, every last man and woman. Some were barefoot, others were dressed as penitents. Many were carrying burning candles. So the Christian troop went out pure in heart and with great solemnity to meet the holy relic. When they were close to it they prostrated themselves in the grass, praying out loud to the holy head. Afterwards the clerics lifted their voices in a sweet hymn and went back towards the city with the tender relic. People pushed all around and made a wondrous sound. The churchmen sang sweetly, the bells rang loudly and the lay people sang pilgrims’ hymns, and to put it simply, much joy was heard among the crowd of Christians, in which mingled a great many tears, caused by the intensity of feeling. [Nicholas von Jeroschin, III, l. 637-647]

Emotions are bodily sensations that – for different reasons and because of different stimuli (impulses, influences, impacts) - occur in human beings and which result in external responses; emotions manifest themselves in physical actions/reactions that are (often) comprehensible (if not always appreciated) by others; emotions are often brief, but may (easily) be repeated.

Physical weapon

Spiritual weapon

’Emotion’ ’Action’

Shield Faith/virtues Safety Read the Gospel

Sword Good deeds Joy Strike fear, kill pagans

Spear Good intentions Attentiveness/devotion

Honour God

Buckler God’s word Persistency, fierceness

Read/listen to Gospel

Breastplate Righteousness Humility/compassion

Control flesh

Bow/QuiverArrow

Obedience/poverty/chastity

Equanimity/desire for God

Train endurance

Staff/sling Without sin Courage/persistency

Meditate/repent

Helmet Salvation Vengeance (?) Prepare (?)