Medieval Marriage shows how marriage symbolism emerged from the world of texts to become a social force affecting ordinary people. Building on d'Avray's Medieval Marriage Sermons, it broadens the scope of the argument and works from a wide range of manuscript sources of different genres Medieval Marriage shows how marriage symbolism emerged from the world of texts to become a social force affecting ordinary people. Building on d'Avray's Medieval Marriage Sermons, it broadens the scope of the argument and works from a wide range of manuscript sources of different genres. Note on Transcriptions xii Abbreviations xii Introduction 1 1. Mass Communication 19 (a) Preliminaries 19 (b) The Early Middle Ages 20 (c) Mass Communication in the Age of the Friars 37 (d) The Message about Marriage 58 2. Indissolubility 74 (a) From the Roman Empire to the Carolingian Empire 74 (b) C.800-C.1200 82 (c) The Age of Innocent III 99 (d) Indissolubility in Practice 108 3. Bigamy 131 (a) Bigamy and Becoming a Priest 131 (b) The Marriage Ceremony 141 (c) Clerics in Minor Orders 157 4. Consummation i i68 (a) Consummation and the Medieval Church's Idea of Sex 168 (b) The Dissolution of the Unconsummated Marriage: From Hincmar to Alexander III 176 (c) The Social Effects of Alexander III's Decision 180 (d) Long-Term Developments 188 Conclusion 200 DOCUMENTS Chapter 1 1.1. Marriage symbolism in the Bavarian Homiliary 208 1.2. Homily on the text 'Nuptiae factae sunt' (John 2:1) in the Bavarian Homiliary 211 1.3. Marriage symbolism in the Beaune Homiliary 214 1.4. Nonconformist variants in Hugues de Saint-Cher 217 1.5. Nonconformist variants in Jean de la Rochelle 217 1.6. Nonconformist variants in Pierre de Saint-Benoit 218 1.7. Nonconformist variants in Gerard de Mailly 218 1.8. Nonconformist variants in Guibert de Tournai 219 1.9. A sermon on marriage by Jean Halgrin d'Abbeville 219 1.10. A sermon on marriage by Konrad Holtnicker 223 1.11. A sermon on marriage by Servasanto da Faenza 226 1.12. A sermon on marriage by Aldobrandino da Toscanella Schneyer no. 404) 232 1.13. A sermon on marriage by Aldobrandino da Toscanella Schneyer no. 48) 238 Chapter 2 2.1. Proof in 'forbidden degrees' cases: Hostiensis attacks laxity 242 2.2. Proof in 'forbidden degrees' cases: the rigorism of Hostiensis 246 Chapter 3 3.1. Johannes de Deo, De dispensationibus, on bigamy 249 3.2. Innocent IV (Sinibaldo dei Fieschi) on Decretals of Gregory IX, X. 5.9.1: bigamy and loss of clerical status 250 3.3. Innocent IV (Sinibaldo dei Fieschi) on Decretals of Gregory IX, X. 1.21.5: the symbolic understanding of bigamy 251 3.4. Bull of Pope Alexander IV to the prelates of France 253 3.5. Bull of Pope Gregory X to King Philip III of France 254 3.6. Bull of Pope John XXII to King Philip V of France 254 3.7. Bull of Pope John XXII to King Charles IV of France 255 3.8. Questions on marriage in MS London, BL Royal II. A. XIV 256 3.9. Passage on bigamy in the Pupilla oculi of Johannes de Burgo 262 3.10. A 'bigamy' case from the gaol delivery rolls (6 June 1320) 265 3.11. The case of Five-Wife Francis, from the archive of the Apostolic Penitentiary 267 3.12. The case of Petrus Martorel, from the archive of the Apostolic Penitentiary 269 Chapter 4 4.1. Consummation and its consequences in a canon-law commentary: a link to late medieval papal dissolutions of Tatum non consummatum marriages 270 4.2. Ricardus de Mediavilla: marriage and entry into a religious order before consummation 273 4.3. Ricardus de Mediavilla on the marriage of Mary and Joseph 275 4.4. A consummation case in the papal registers (John XXII) 276 4.5. Consummation and indissolubility in the Oculus sacerdotis of William of Pagula 282 4.6. Johannes de Burgo on the marriage of Mary and Joseph 283 4.7. A case from the archive of the Apostolic Penitentiary: Constance of Padilla 285 4.8. Another non-consummation case from the archive of the Apostolic Penitentiary 286 Bibliography 288 Index of Manuscripts 310 General Index 312