Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1968, Page 23
We will now turn to some general aspects of the sequences of the
Archbishopric of Nidaros.
At once, a significant difference between the Norwegian and the Ice-
landic sequence MSS. strikes the eye, which is in accordance with the
different ecclesiastical histories of the two countries stated above.
The sequences of Norway speak strongly of a connection with France
and England, from where probably the majority of them were borrowed,
while those of Iceland mainly show a similar dependence on Germany.
It ought, however, to be emphasized that not all the respective MSS.
testify to this difference.
As to those of Norwegian provenance, there are some which show
German (or Roman Catholic) hall-marks; they probably have been
imported or redacted relatively late.
Inversely, not a few of the Icelandic MSS. have features character-
istic of the Norwegian ones, i. e. of those which seem to have been of
French or English origin. But apart from the possibility that some of
these may have been imported directly, the great probability speaks for
their having reached Iceland via Norway, which was the main landing
stage for ships sailing from Iceland to the continent.
But on the whole the main characteristic of the respective MS. groups
holds good.
Here a few instances. The French, English, and Norwegian Sequence
Books (sequentiaria, libri sequentiarum) contain sequences for all the
4 sundays of Advent, and afterwards the Christmas sequence “Nato
canunt omnia .. .”. But German, Danish, Swedish and Icelandic se-
quence collections contain neither Advent sequences nor “Nato canunt“
[an Icelandic MS. of ”Nato canunt” is mentioned p. L].
A similar case is the sequence for the Trinity. The English Church
used exclusively the one beginning with “Benedicta sit beata trini-
tas . . and this sequence is found in 3 Norwegian manuscripts. Ger-
man, Danish, and Swedish manuscripts, on the other hånd, exclusively
contain another one, beginning with “Benedicta semper sancta sit beata
trinitas”. And this one is found in 2 Icelandic manuscripts, whereas
“Benedicta sit .. .” appears in one. And vice versa: one Norwegian
manuscript contains “Benedicta semper ...”.
In this latter example we see a result of the Roman Catholic influence
for which the establishment of the Archbishop’s See in Norway opened
the gate. And in the Missale Nidrosiense it is even more apparent; for
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