medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Kurt Sherry <[log in to unmask]>
[me:]
>>i can't seem to find a pre-lent sermon which fits in with the Mare's Nest i
am trying to construct, so i'm reluctantly coming around to the opinion that
this particular sermon was never "published."
> I'm inclined to suspect that you may well be correct in this. I know from my
own experience that my bishop generally refuses to let his homilies be
"published" because he's a perfectionist and he doesn't think they're every
good enough.
well, Bernie wasn't really bothered by this particular (all-too-human)
restraint, was he?
> For the sake of it, though, I would suggest two other possibilities: 1) the
sermon could have been "published" and lost (intentionally or otherwise)
yes, of course.
but, as an Inspired composition by the Man of God, i should have thought it
would have been preserved, along with his other Droppings.
no particular reason i can think of for "intentionally" loosing them --save
for perhaps the fact that it dealt quite specifically with the upcoming
Crusade.
Which turned out to be something of an Unmitigated Disaster --and one which
neither Bernie nor any of his followers/hagiographers would have been
particularly proud to advertise seminal Bernie's role in originating.
>or 2) there never was any such sermon and Odo needed someone authoritative so
he claimed Bernard preached a rousing sermon (and there weren't any witnesses
to contradict Odo since it was at this council, right?).
Odo is our sole source for any real details about what went on at the council
--some other sources mention the council, and, maybe, say that Suger was
chosen there (Odo was a monk of St. Denis and, ultimately, Suger's sucessor as
abbot), but he is the only one which mentions the precise date of the Shindig,
or the fact that Bernie preached on it's third day (say, why wouldn't he have
preached on Sunday, its first day, i wonder?).
his account only fills a page or three in Berry's ed. (i can find the exact
citation, if needed), and he never mentions the council again --his subject,
after all, is the Crusade itself, it's Painful Progress (and even more Painful
Regress).
>From your description, it would seem that he would have preached this sermon
(if he did, in fact, do so),
sure, Odo *could* have made the whole thing up out of Whole Cloth --but, why
*would* he?
Bernie was the Primum Mobile of the whole ridiculous enterprise (perhaps
ultimately motivated by his eschatological interpretation of the Sibylline
prophesies), even went all the way to Germany to light a fire under Emperor
Conrad, and would *surely* have been at Etampes in Feb. of 1147 (n.s., btw),
had he been in France at that time.
though Odo is the only source i've found which puts him there, i've found
nothing to indicate otherwise, and Odo really doesn't have any reason to lie
about it, that i can see.
(btw, *is* there a decent, detailed Itinerary of Bernie's life, esp. in the
1140s?)
>on the Tuesday following Septuagesima Sunday (any idea what the readings
appointed for that day in 1147 would have been?).
interesting line of inquiry.
if the council indeed opened on Sunday (as Odo says), then the readings for
Tuesday (rather than that Sunday) *might* have been the subject of the
sermon...
or, *would* it have been "liturgical" in that way, on a rather secondary sort
of day, and in view of the over-arching context of the imminent Crusade might
not *that* have been a (more) fitting subject??
thanks for the Thoughts, Kurt.
c
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