Carmen Gratulatorium - Ex te lux oritur o dulcis Scocia (Anonymous)

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•  Posted on 2024-05-07(Posted 2024-05-07)  CPDL #80532:   

Editor: Geir Olav Rød (submitted 2024-05-07).   Score information: A4, 2 pages   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Carmen Gratulatorium - Ex te lux oritur o dulcis Scocia
Composer: Anonymous
Lyricist: Medival wedding song from 1281^{create page}
Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: Unknown
Genre: Sacred, Hymn

Language: Latin
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1281
Description: The song is addressed to Scotland (o dulcis Scocia), where the light, the king’s daughter, came from, now illuminating Norway, while Scotland is sad that she is gone. Thanks to her, it says, peace is announced and all countries rejoice, especially England. The virgin is brought to King Eirik and the people sing and dance from joy, the clerics, and all members of society come forward to celebrate. In the fifth strophe the king takes the virgin as his wife, and God is called upon to bless the union and provide them with offspring. The coronation ceremony on the day of the wedding is referred to in the sixth strophe, where the queen has her crown after being joined to the king, and dignified presides in worship. In the last strophes the bride is praised as mild, friendly and wise, humble and eloquent. She should be amiable like Rachel, pleasing like Ester, fertile like Lea and faithful like Susanna. Before the last line, which is echoing the first line in praise of Scotland, is a wish that the married couple may have a long and happy life as servants of God.

Carmen gratulatorium has been characterized as a hymn, a trouvère song and a sequence.

Carmen gratulatorium was probably written for the wedding of the Norwegian king Eirik Magnusson and Margareta, daughter of the Scottish king Alexander III. The wedding was celebrated in Bergen some time between 30 August and 8 September 1281. KOLSRUD & REISS assume that the song was written in Norway, possibly by the author of Itinerarium in terram sanctam, the Franciscan frater Mauritius de Dacia. Frater Mauritius was a co-signer of the marriage contract between Eirik and Margareta in Roxburgh, Scotland, in July 1281, and was part of the Norwegian delegation who afterwards escorted the bride to Bergen (KOLSRUD & REISS 1913, 28, DE GEER 1985, 146). However, Scotland is also a possible place of origin, along with England (DE GEER 1985, 146).

Original text and translations

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