Quinel, Constitutio XIII: De Cimeteriis (1287)
A legislative decree issued during the Synod of Exeter held at the Church of St. Mary Major. Clause XIII (De Cimeteriis) explicitly prohibits secular activities on consecrated ground to prevent “pollution” of holy sites through “dishonest games.” The text provides one of the earliest known ecclesiastical evidence of organised wrestling (“luctamina”) as a popular and disruptive social practice across the Diocese of Exeter.
Transcription (Latin)
“Prohibemus etiam, ne in cimeteriis choree ducantur, vel luctamina fiant, maxime in vigiliis et in festis sanctorum, ne per huiusmodi ludos inhonestos cimeteria, que pro oratoribus sunt deputata, polluantur.”
Translation
“We also prohibit dances to be led in churchyards, or wrestlings to take place, especially on the vigils and feasts of saints, lest by such dishonest games the churchyards, which are set apart for those who pray, should be polluted.”
Sources & References
Reference Code: Exeter Diocesan Records (EDR) / Synodal Statutes 1287
Creator: Peter Quinel (Bishop of Exeter, 1280–1291)
Date(s): 16–22 April 1287
Extent: 1 Latin manuscript entry (codex form)
Language: Latin
Creator: Peter Quinel (Bishop of Exeter, 1280–1291)
Date(s): 16–22 April 1287
Extent: 1 Latin manuscript entry (codex form)
Language: Latin
Primary Printed Source:
- Powicke, F. M. and Cheney, C. R. (Eds). (1964). Councils and Synods: With Other Documents Relating to the English Church, Vol II: A.D. 1205–1313. Oxford: Clarendon Press. (See Part II, p. 1017, Clause 13).
Digital & Online Resources:
- British History Online (BHO): Statutes of the Synod of Exeter (Searchable via Concilia archives).
- The National Archives (UK): Exeter Diocesan Records Guide.