The General History of Africa (ed. J. Ki-Zerbo & D.T. Niane) has a
fascinating little section on the vigorous revival of the Ethiopian church
in the 13th-16th cent's. The author of that section mentions that in the
14th to 16th cent. Ethiopian monks created a chain of small communities
that reached as far as Rome, Florence, and Venice---and that these
communities' tales about their rulers is the source of the Prester John
legend. Does anybody on the list know anything more about these
communities? (This is another example of the joys of teaching world
civ.---I had never heard of this monastic tradition until a few months ago,
while cramming for a lecture.)
I think Lekai discusses the Cistercian white habit as a reaction against
the ostentation of the traditional "Benedictines" of the late 11th cent.,
who by that time were wearing habits dyed with expensive "true" black
(rather than the grayish black that comes naturally from black sheep)---the
Cistercian purists used undyed wool. It seems to be part of the same
ideology that made early Cistercians use plain, monochromatic altar linens
and vestments, rather than an effort to set themselves off by a special
color code for their order.
Phyllis
>The references to Black and White monks as in orders are to do
>with the colour of their robes.
>
>re- whether such 'racial' terms were in use by the time the of the
>setting of the name of the rose: Do you mean what europeans call
>'racist' when you say ''racial'? William of Baskerville is not meant to
>be being racist - the terms black and white are not neccessarily
>prejorative in Europe (though they can be). I guess what he calls
>the 'Moon-faced monk' (the one who dies in the bath) might be a bit
>more upset by his description though (he is meant to be being
>slightly insulting here, indirectly, as the monk is gay)!
>
>But as to whther there could have black (skinned) monks in Italy at
>that time - what about the north African monastic tradition? There
>is also a tradition that an Arabic Islamic convert (John after
>conversion, name before not known) who entered the monastery of
>Conques in Rouergue in eleventh century, who travelled via
>Constantinople (Book of Saint Faith).
>
>Claire Taylor
Phyllis G. Jestice
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