At this time of year we think of Nativity plays and other seasonal “happenings”. We think of this as being “normal” but it wasn’t always so…
In medieval times books were all hand written and most were in Latin. Some were highly decorated with gold leaf and other costly materials. Books were very expensive and only the rich could afford to commission a book let alone learn to read and write.
Many families employed a part time “Scribe” to write letters and to keep records. Often the scribe was seconded from a local monastery or convent and received payment for the work. Villeins (peasants) rarely had a chance to get even the rudiments of reading and writing unless they were destined for a life as a religious.
Church services were in Latin. Obviously the parishioners came to know their services and got some idea of what was being said. However, someone somewhere in the early medieval church thought it would be a good idea to “illustrate” certain aspects of the bible story for important festivals such as Christmas and Easter. A simple stage would be set up and “actors” would recite the story from the bible, sticking to the Latin text as there was no “legitimate” translation available. Records indicate that sometimes there was a “Herald” who would summarize the “action” in Anglo Saxon or early English so that the audience could understand what was going on. This all happened in the Nave.
Lay Vicar? In some parishes the duty of organising the maintenance of the fabric of the church was assigned to the people who owned specific buildings such as manors or farms. The duty was assigned to the property owner and would pass from owner to owner as the property changed hands. In the event of a church roof needing repair it was the duty of the Lay Vicar to ensure that the repair was done and paid for and then to try sorting out some re-imbursement for themselves. Fairly recently the Church of England agreed that such charges could be unfair and thankfully the duties were abolished. The owners of the affected buildings gained a very nice increase in the value of their properties!
