Sounds, Chants and Discant in Wilbrand von Oldenburg’s Itinerarium: the Embassy in Cilicia (1211-1212)

Wilbrand von Oldenburg was born in the second half of the 12th century into a noble Germanic family and embarked on an ecclesiastical career while still young, becoming canon of the cathedral chapter of Hildesheim in 1211. Linked to the political circles of the empire’s high officials and the religious circles that supported the emperor, he travelled to the Holy Land from 1211 to 1213 for purposes of diplomacy and pilgrimage. The Itinerarium Terrae Sanctae is a significant source of information about the political, military, and ecclesiastical affairs of the recent Christian kingdom of Lesser Armenia, Cyprus, and territories such as Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, characterised by the coexistence of different peoples and religions. Wilbrand also recounts this diversity through the soundscape he encounters. Perhaps the most interesting sound element of the travel account is the description of the music of the kingdom of Cilicia, particularly for the feast of the day of Epiphany, including the procession of the sovereign and clergy. The many musical details in the text testify to ritual practices that can be traced back, in some respects, to Eastern Greek customs and, in others, to Latin ceremonials, particularly the Franco-Ottonian imperial one. Finally, an unexpected account of discantus for the rite of the day of Epiphany in aurora provides an opportunity to reflect on Wilbrand’s terminology in reference to liturgical musical performance for the intonation of the office, the recitation of epistles and gospels, and the rituals of the most solemn ceremonies.