A confraternity book (, or ''confraternitatis''), also called a ''liber memorialis'' (memorial book) or ''liber vitae'' (book of life), is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

register of the names of people who had entered into a state of spiritual brotherhood (confraternity) with a church or monastery in some way, often by visiting it in the capacity of a pilgrim. Persons named in such a book were actively remembered in the prayers of the priests or monks. In many cases these books were established as early as the 8th century and continued up to the 13th century. So-called '' Jahrtagsbücher'' (year books) are in many ways their successors. Confraternity books are a rich source for

prosopography Prosopography is an investigation of the common characteristics of a group of people, whose individual biographies may be largely untraceable. Research subjects are analysed by means of a collective study of their lives, in multiple career-line a ...

and

historical linguistics Historical linguistics, also known as diachronic linguistics, is the scientific study of how languages change over time. It seeks to understand the nature and causes of linguistic change and to trace the evolution of languages. Historical li ...

of the early Middle Ages.

List of confraternity books

The following is a list of some earlier medieval confraternity books: * Confraternity book of the

Abbey of Saint Gall The Abbey of Saint Gall () is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot where Saint Gall had er ...

* Confraternity book of

Reichenau Abbey Reichenau Abbey was a Benedictine monastery on Reichenau Island (known in Latin as Augia Dives) in southern Germany. It was founded in 724 by the itinerant Saint Pirmin, who is said to have fled Visigothic Spain ahead of the Moorish invaders, w ...

* Confraternity book of

St Peter's Abbey, Salzburg St Peter's Abbey (), or St Peter's Archabbey (German: ''Erzabtei Stift Sankt Peter'', ), is a Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery and former cathedral in the Austrian city of Salzburg. It is considered one of the oldest monasteries in ...

* ''Liber memorialis'' of Remiremont Abbey * ''Liber Vitae'' of the

Imperial Abbey of Corvey The Princely Abbey of Corvey ( or ) is a former Benedictine Order, Benedictine abbey and Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the half-dozen self-ruling ''List of Imperial abbeys, princely ...

* ''Liber Vitae'' of Durham * ''Liber Vitae'' of the

New Minster, Winchester The New Minster in Winchester was a royal Benedictine abbey founded in in Winchester in the England, English county of Hampshire. Alfred the Great had intended to build the monastery, but only got around to buying the land. His son, Edward the ...

and

Hyde Abbey Hyde Abbey was a medieval Benedictine monastery just outside the walls of Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was dissolved and demolished in 1538 following various acts passed under King Henry VIII to dissolve monasteries and abbeys (see Dis ...

* ''Liber Viventium'' of

Pfäfers Abbey Pfäfers Abbey (), also known as St. Pirminsberg from its position on a mountain, was a Benedictine monastery in Pfäfers near Bad Ragaz, in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Situated at the junction of the Tamina and Rhine valleys, it f ...

, Switzerland * Memorial and Liturgiecodex of San Salvatore, Italy

Sources

* {{Citation , last = Geuenich , first = Dieter , editor-last = Rollason , editor-first = David , editor-link= David Rollason , contribution = A Survey of the Early Medieval Confraternity Books from the Continent , title = The Durham Liber Vitae and Its Context , year = 2004 , pages = 141–8 , place = Woodbridge , publisher = Boydell Press , isbn = 1-84383-060-4 * Paulus Piper (Ed.): ''Libri Confraternitatum Sancti Galli Augiensis Fabariensis.'' In: ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica.'' Berlin 1894 (transcription of the Verbrüderungsbuch of St. Gallen with commentary) * Franz Beyerle: ''Die Fratres de Friburch im St. Galler Verbrüderungsbuch.'' In: ''Schau-ins-Land.'' Published by the Breisgau-Verein Schau-ins-Land, Freiburg im Breisgau 1954 Christian genres Christian monasteries in Germany Christian monasticism Documents of the Catholic Church History of Catholicism in Germany Medieval documents of Germany Medieval Christian texts Catholicism in the Middle Ages Confraternities