In Europe in the
high Middle Ages, monasteries and religious orders were early adopters of the
continuously evolving technology of timepieces and clocks, used to organize
their devotional and productive activities such as agriculture and wine-making.
Of course, it was
way too early for Bulova or Timex to come to the rescue. Even when the
technology started to bloom in the middle of the 13th century,
improvements were found only at a snail’s pace.
The clepsydra (water
clock) had been in use for millennia, and sundials were familiar in Greece and
Rome before the Christian era.
The first mechanical
clocks were constructed in the mid-1200s. Spring-driven clocks showed up in the
beginning of the 15th century. About 75 years later the first
portable, personal timepiece was sold in Europe. The first pendulum clock was
built in 1656. The booming tradecraft grew slowly and steadily.
The monks were
serious about wanting better timekeepers. Some 12th century monks
had bad dreams about sleeping through the bell ringing that summoned them to
first prayers of the day, and their abbots earnestly worried about getting the
bells rung at the prescribed proper times throughout the day.
David Landes, in his
book Revolution in Time: Clocks and the
Making of the Modern World, adds this footnote to clock history:
“…time-consciousness and
discipline had become internalized. Missing matins was a serious matter, so
serious that it has been immortalized for us by perhaps the best known of
children’s songs”:
Frère
Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Sonnez
les matines, sonnez les matines,
Ding,
ding, dong; ding, ding, dong.
Let’s clear up a few
things about “Frère Jacques.”
The endings “ing”
and “ang” are not standard French usage, I prefer the common alternative “din,
din, don” to “ding, ding, dong.”
Another thing is
that the common English translation “Are you sleeping, Brother John?” is not
right. “Jacques” is more properly translated as “Jacob” if we pay attention to
its Latin roots.
Another thing is the
third line of the song: it’s usually translated as “Morning bells are ringing.”
Wrong again. The literal translation is “Ring the matins bells.” The song is an
exhortation to Brother (or Friar) Jacob to get up and ring the bells to get the
morning prayers started on time.
Reliance on the
rooster was very old school by the time the song was introduced.
Source:
David Landes Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of
the Modern World (Cambridge, MA: The
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1983), 66.
Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2015
