True to their emphasis on purity, the Cistercians simplified their communal
liturgy, pruning the many additions that had been tacked on in the houses of the black
monks. Only the liturgy as prescribed in the Benedictine Rule and one daily Mass
were allowed. Even the music for the chant was modified: the Cistercians rigorously
suppressed the B flat, even though doing so made the melody discordant, because of
their insistence on strict simplicity.
On the other hand, the Benedictine Rule did not prevent the Cistercians from
creating a new class of monks—the lay brothers—who were illiterate and unable to
participate in the liturgy. These men did the necessary labor—field work, stock
raising—to support the community at large. Compare Figure 5.3 on p. 191 with
Figure 5.1 on p. 180: the Cistercian monastery was in fact a house divided. The
eastern half was for the “choir” monks, the western half for the lay brethren. Each
half had its own dining room, latrines, dormitories, and infirmaries. The monks were
strictly segregated, even in the church, where a rood screen kept them apart.
