'Om den dienst goeds te vermeerren' - Parish liturgy in Leiden St Peter's church 1398-1512

Abstract

This thesis explores the usefulness of one particular type of source material (foundation deeds of liturgical services) for the study of liturgical history in a local context, in this thesis exemplified for the case of Leiden St Peter's church between 1398 and 1512. It considers the question to what extent and in which manner these foundation deeds of liturgical services can contribute to our knowledge of liturgical history in this context, regarding both 1) the liturgy (intended to be) celebrated in this context and 2) the relationship of lay parishioners to the liturgy. It is argued that foundation deeds can indeed contribute in interesting ways to both aspects of this research field, particularly with regard to the ways in which the liturgy was implemented in the institutional, architectural and material circumstances of this local parish church and with regard to the contributions the laity intended to make to the liturgy in that church. Although other sources need to be included in future research to arrive at a more complete picture of the liturgy in such a local context, liturgical foundation deeds therefore proved to be useful for this type of investigation and it is probable that similar types of investigation might yield interesting results in other local contexts, such as other parish churches, but also collegiate, monastic or cathedral churches. It is suggested that, together with a systematic investigation of the liturgical books of the diocese of Utrecht (which has not yet been undertaken) we might, by making use of this type of sources together with other types of source material, in future be able to come to a synthesis of local liturgies both in its variety and its interrelatedness in several contexts in the medieval diocese of Utrecht.