MESSA

mass

* * *

I)

f.

1) mass; syngja messu, to chant the mass;

2) = messudagr (Jóns messa, Ólafs messa).

II)

(að), v. to say the mass.

* * *

u, f. [eccl. Lat. missa], a mass, from the Roman Catholic times; syngja messu, to chant the mass, Bs. i. 21, K. Þ. K. 56, Hom. 137, passim, Nj. 157; messu bók, a mass book, Vm. 17, 68, Pm. 104; messu brefer, a breviary, Dipl. v. 18; messu söngr, chanting the mass, Bs. i. 823, Stj. 238, K. Á. 116, Vm. 108; messu embætti, mass service, divine service, Fms. xi. 429, Bs. i. 823; messu-föt, messu-fata-lindi, see lindi, Fms. iv. 111; messu klæði, messu skrúð or skrúði, the vestments, K. Þ. K. 56, 57, 72, 74, Fms. ii. 177, viii. 197, Bs. i. 63, 429; messu hökull, a cope, Nj. 279, B. K. 52; messu serkr or messu sloppr or stakkr, a surplice, Fms. iii. 168, B. K. 83, Vm. 29, 52; messu stóll, the. mass desk, Mar.; messu djákn, a deacon, clerk, Nj. 272, Vm. 5, Bs. i. 412, 871:—poët., odda messa, vápna messa, the weapon mass, = battle, Lex. Poët.

COMPDS: messufall, messnfært, messuhald, messumál, messuprestr, messusöngsmaðr, messuvín.

B. A mass-day, holiday, also messu-dagr, K. Þ. K. 44, 104, Bs. passim; messu-nátt, a holiday night, N. G. L. i. 343. The chief mass-days, commonly used as dates or epochs in the Sturlunga S., the Biskupa Sögur, and in similar old writers, are

1. of Norse and Icel. saints, Ólafs-messa, St. Olave’s day = the 29th of July and 3rd of August; Magnús-m., St. Magnus’ day of the Orkneys = the 16th of April and 13th of December; Hallvarðs-m., St. Halvard’s day = the 15th of May; Þorláks-m., St. Thorlac’s day of Skalholt = the 20th of July and 23rd of December; Jóns-m. (the bishop of Hólar) = the 3rd of March and 23rd of April; Eldbjargar-m. = the 7th of January.

2. other saints’ days of the Roman Catholic church, Máríu-messa = the 25th of March; Þing-Máríu-m. = the 2nd of July, i. e. ‘Thing Mary’s mass,’ for the alþing was to meet about that time; Máríu-m. (Siðari) = the 8th of September; Kross-m. = the 3rd of May and 14th of September; Lafranz-m. = the 11th of August; Bræðra-m. = the 20th of January; Pétrs-m. = the 22nd of February; Páls-m. = the 25th of January; Pétrs messa ok Páls = the 29th of June; Jakobs-m. = the 25th of July: Kyndil-m. = Candlemas; Allra-Heilagra-m. = All Souls’ day; Mikkjals-m. = Michaelmas day; Tveggja Postula-m. = the 1st of May; Seljumanna-m., the Saints’-day of Selja = the 8th of July (for the interesting record see Fms. i, headed Þáttr Albani ok Sunnifu); Kolumba-m., St. Columba’s day = the 9th of June; Sviftúns-m. = the 3rd of July; Blasius-m. = the 3rd of February; Kolnismeyja-m. = the 21st of October; Thomas-m. = the 21st of December; Egidius-m. = the 1st of September; Tiburtius-m. = the 14th of April; Bótólfs-m. = the 17th of June, etc.

3. Hlaupárs-messa, Leap-year mass = the 24th of February. These and some others are frequent in the Bs. and writers of that kind. The time about the end of June and beginning of July is in Icel. called messur (f. pl.), κατ ἐξ.; fram undir messur, til messna, and the like.