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Anglo-Saxon

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mæsse-preóst

  • noun [ masculine ]
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Grammar
mæsse-preóst, es; m.
A priest not of the Christian church
Show examples

  • Melchisedec wæs cyningc and mæssepreóst,

    • Prud. 53.

  • Ðá cwǽdon ða ealdras and ða mæssepreóstas tó Pilate,

    • Nicod. 10
      • ;
    • Thw. 5, 22: 11
      • ;
    • Thw. 6, 2.
a priest of the Christian church, who had attained the last of the seven appointed orders, and might celebrate the mass. His orders were the same as those of the bishop, but the latter alone could ordain priests, confirm children, and consecrate churches. He might be a regular or not. There is the mæssepreóst ðe regollíce libbe or the folcisc mæssepreóst ðe regollíf næbbe,
  • L. Eth. ix. 19, 21
    • ;
  • Th. i. 344, 11. 21
    • ;
but he was forbidden to marry. As compared with the laity his oath was equal to that of a thane, and he was worthy of thane-right,
Similar entries
[v. mæsse-þegen.]
His presence was necessary at a wedding, and he was one of those who were proper witnesses when property was exchanged. For manslaughter and other crimes he might be deprived of his orders. See the passages below taken from the Laws.
Show examples

  • Mæssepreóst

    presbiter,

    • Wrt. Voc. 42, 21: 71, 75.

  • Swá hwæðer ðú sý swá mæssepreóst swá munuc.

    • Coll. Monast. Th. 31, 35.

  • Ǽlc mæssepreóst sceal beón swá hé geháten is sacerdos, ðæt is on Léden sacrum dans . . Hé sceal syllan hálignysse ðam folce ðe hé tó láreówe biþ geset,

    • L. Ecg. P. iii. 16
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 202, 16.

  • Presbiter is mæssepreóst oððe ealdwita; ná ðæt ǽlc eald sý, ac ðæt hé eald sý on wísdóm. Se hálgaþ Godes húsel,

    • L. Ælfc. C. 17
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 348, 20.

  • Beggen sind on ánum háde, se biscop and se mæssepreóst, ðæt is on ðam seofoþan ciricháde,

    • L. Ælfc. P. 35
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 378, 14.

  • Nis ná máre betwyx mæssepreóste and bisceop búton se bisceop biþ gesett tó hádigenne preóstas, and tó bisceopgenne cild, and tó hálgyenne cyrcan, and tó gýmenne

    Godes gerihta,
    • L. Ælfc. C. 17
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 348, 25.

  • Mæssepreóstes áþ and woruldþegenes is on Engla lage geteald efendýre; and for ðám seofon cirichádan ðe se mæssepreóst geþeáh ðæt hé hæfde, hé biþ þegenrihtes wyrðe,

    • L. O. 12
      • ;
    • Th. i. 182, 14.
  • For the books necessary for the mæssepreóst and for rules to be observed by him in celebrating mass see passages given under mæsse-bóc, mæssian respectively.

    Æt ðám giftan sceal mæssepreóst beón mid rihte,

    • L. Edm. B. 8
      • ;
    • Th. i. 256, 6.

  • Nán man ne hwyrfe nánes yrfes bútan ðæs geréfan gewitnesse, oððe ðæs mæssepreóstes, oððe ðæs landhláfordes oððe ðæs horderes, oððe óðres ungelygenes mannes,

    • L. Ath. i. 10
      • ;
    • Th. i. 204, 18.

  • Gif hwá ðonne ða teóþunge gelǽstan nelle, fare ðæs cynges geréfa and ðæs bisceopes, and ðæs mynstres mæssepreóst,

    • L. Edg. i. 3 Th. i. 262, 25.

  • Mæssepreóstum and diáconum is eallunge forboden ǽlc hǽmed. Þreó hund biscopa and eahtatýne gesetton canon, ðæt nán mæssepreóst oððe diácon on his wununge wífhádes mann næbbe, búton hit sý his móder, oððe sweoster, oððe faðu, oððe módrie; and gif hé dearnunge oððe eáwunge wífes brúce, ðæt hé his hádes þolige,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 94, 27-33: L. Ecg. P. iii. 1
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 196, 12: iii. 6
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 198, 7.
  • But the rule is still stricter in
    • L. E. I. 12
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 410, 7.

    Nis hyt ryht ðæt ǽnig wífmon mid mæssepreóste on húsum wunige.

  • Other regulations which concern the mæssepreóst follow q.v.

    Gif mæssepreóst manslaga wurðe oððe elles mánweorc tó swíðe gewurce, ðonne þolige hé ǽgðres ge hádes ge eardes,

    • L. Eth. ix. 26
      • ;
    • Th. i. 346, 4: L. Ecg. P. iii. 3
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 196, 23: iv. 2
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 204, 10.
    For other crimes and their punishment see
    • L. Eth. ix. 27
      • ;
    • Th. i. 346, 8-16 : L. Ecg. P. iv. 7
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 206, 1.

  • Ic Ælfríc munuc and mæssepreóst,

    • oml. Th. i. 2, 12.

  • Arrius se mæsse*-*preóst

    Arias presbyter,

    • Ors. 6, 30
      • ;
    • Swt. 282, 33.

  • Mamméa sende æfter Origenise ðæm gelǽredestan mæssepreóste,

    • 6, 18
      • ;
    • Swt. 270, 27.
Etymology
[
Icel. messu-prestr
.]
Similar entries
v. efen-mæssepreóst.
Linked entries
v.  mæsse-þegen.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “mæsse-preóst.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/22214.

Checked: 1
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  • mæsse-preóst, n.

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