medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I have been examining the Life of Maurus (a young disciple of Benedict of
Nursia, mentioned in Pope Gregory's Life of Benedict) by Abbot Odo of
Glanfeuil. The scholarly consensus is that this Vita Mauri is a forgery by
Odo from about 865. It purports to be a document of the late 6th century. My
problem is one very circumstantial episode.
The Vita states that St. Benedict sent Maurus to France to found a monastery
at the request of the bishop of Le Mans. On Maurus's arrival, however, he
found that the bishop had died. The bishop's successor said that he did not
wish to honor his predecessor's promise of land for a monastery. The author
states that this was providential, since the land allotted was too rocky for
a monastery. Then, a pious lay noble, hearing of Maurus's plight, donated a
large tract of land on which the famous monastery of Glanfeuil was built (on
the Loire close to LeMans).
My question to the learned list members: if this is a whole cloth forgery,
what purpose can this circumstantial episode serve: showing as it does,
episcopal default on a promise to a saintly monk that is made good by a
pious layman? I am aware that pious lay foundations on monasteries were
common in both the 6th and 9th century France. But is there some sort of
point being made regarding episcopal-monastic-lay patron relations in 9th
century France?
John B. Wickstrom
Kalamazoo College
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