medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Phyllis Jestice wrote: Today (29. March) is the feast day of:
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type="cite">Berthold
(d. c. 1195) Berthold is often regarded as the founder of he Carmelite
order. He became a hermit on Mt. Carmel; the patriarch of Antioch
helped him establish a community of hermits.
The stories about Berthold, dating from the late 14th century, are not reliable. The medieval
sources are very confused, with two dfferent Bertholds and a Brocard
all occupying much the same space. A connection between Aymeric,
patriarch of Antioch, and the Latin hermits of Mt Carmel, is unlikely,
and probably the result of confusion with monks closer to Antioch. The
dating of the origins of the community to the mid-1100s goes back to
Papebroch, who attempted to put some order into the chaos of legends,
but he mistakenly read a text of John Phocas about Greek monks on
Carmel as applying to Latin hermits, who did not come till later and
then to a different location. At any rate, Berthold was not regarded as
the founder of the order.
The early history of the Carmelites is famously obscure. The most
likely scenario is that after the Battle of Hattin in 1189 hermits from
various locations in the Holy Land gathered on Carmel, close to the
last crusader enclave in Acre. If the original community was made up of
experienced hermits, rather than of a charismatic founder who attracted
disciples--the usual pattern of religious foundations--this may explain
the unusual sociology of this group, which did not recognise any
individual member as its founder. Indeed, we do not know with absolute
certainty the name of any Carmelite of the first generation, except
that one of them, the prior mentioned in the Carmelite rule (written between 1206 and 1214), had the initial B.
(traditionally Brocard). This situation would also help to explain the
brevity (1100 words) and simplicity of the rule, which, while austere,
seems concerned to preserve the maximum freedom of spiritual practice
for individual members of the community.
Berthold's feast was removed
from the calendar in 1969.
==========
Paul Chandler, O.Carm. | Carmelite Library
214 Richardson Street | Middle Park Vic 3206 | Australia
tel:: (03) 9682 8553 | fax: (03) 9699 1944 | email:
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