What is "consuetudinary"

Consuetudinary \Con`sue*tu"di*na"ry\, a. [LL. consuetudinarius.] Customary.

Consuetudinary \Con`sue*tu"di*na*ry\, n.; pl. Consuetudinaries. A manual or ritual of customary devotional exercises.

n. a ritual book containing the forms and ceremonies used in the services of a particular monastery, cathedral or religious order.

n. a manual describing the customs of a particular group (especially the ceremonial practices of a monastic order) [syn: consuetudinal]

A consuetudinary (Med. Lat. consuetudinarius) is the name given to a ritual book containing the consuetudines—forms and ceremonies—used in the service of a particular monastery, religious order, or cathedral. Often, over long periods of time, religious orders would develop unique liturgical approaches and such would be reflected in the written consuetudinary.

Notable examples of consuetudinary books include:

• Mabillon's Vetera analecta
• d'Achery's Spicilegium
• Herrgott's Vetus disciplina monastica
• Martène's De antiquis monachorum ritibus.