One of the great themes found in the manuscript is the advance towards harmony of the rule, which is to apply to monks and nuns throughout the nation ruled by King Edgar. This section of the document proclaimed that every religious house in the kingdom must follow the rules prescribed in the rest of the manuscript. These include how the monastic “function” was to be exercised; “Office” includes vigils, praises and prayers and is a practice introduced in the fifth century. [4] The rules relating to monastic “offices” are specific; For example, it contains the specific liturgical song that must be performed during the prescribed working hours that have been requested by the monks. The part of the manuscript devoted to the rites of Holy Week and Easter is the most detailed. It is here that the introduction of quaeritis quem is introduced and is today considered the introduction of theatrical ritual. The Regularis also creates the specific pattern and order in which bells should be rung for masses and holidays. [5] The urgency of a monastic reform was triggered by the rule of St. Benedict, which gained popularity in the mid-tenth century. According to his supporters, King Edgar, Æthelwold of Winchester, Dunstan and Oswald von Worcester, monasticism had died in the ninth century and the rule of St. Benedict was the key to revitalization.
They erected this text as an ideal form of monastic culture and uniform way of life. [8] The “Regularis Concordia” begins with a praise of edgars and continues with a discussion of its objectives.