The office of the translation of Saint Indaletius: Contextual framework and liturgical-musical analysis

Abstract

According to the legendary tradition, Saint Indaletius was one of the Seven Apostolic Men sent from Rome to evangelise Spain. Initially buried in Andalusia, his body was solemnly received at the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña on 28 March 1084, where he was considered as protector and patron saint. Two versions are known of the liturgical office of the translation of his relics, one based on the repertory of the common of a confessor while the other is a new composition in verse. The first version, which is a priori the oldest, is found only in an early 12th-century antiphonary de Sanctis from the Convent of Santa Cruz de la Serós, while the second version is located in four sources: in addition to the aforementioned antiphonary, it is also to be found in three breviaries of San Juan de la Peña, now kept in the Royal Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (manuscripts L.III.3 [12th c. ex.], P.III.12 [14th c.] and f.IV.26 [ca. 1400]). The office has previously been studied from the hagiographic and historic perspectives and its texts have even been published. The aim of this paper is to present the heretofore unknown liturgical-musical criteria which guided its composition.