medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Marijim, This appears to be a version of the popular exemplum of the monk and the bird. See J.-A. Herbert, "The Monk and the Bird", _Romania_ 151 (1909), pp. 427-429
(online at:
https://www.persee.fr/doc/roma_0035-8029_1909_num_38_151_5075 ).
Also (e.g.): Carolyn Dinshaw, _How Soon is Now?_ (Duke University Press, 2012), pp. 49-53 and, for bibliography, the corresponding notes on pp. 188-189; Richard Firth Green, _Elf Queens and Holy Friars: Fairy Beliefs and the Medieval Church_ (Univ. of Pennsylvania Pr., 2016), pp. 192-193; Carolyn Muessig, "Heaven, Earth and the Angels: Preaching Paradise in the Sermons of Jacques de Vitry", in Muessig and Ad Putter, _Envisaging Heaven in the Middle Ages_ (Routledge, 2006), pp. 37-72, esp. pp. 59-60.
Best,
John Dillon
Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thank you Linda! 300 years is even more amazing than 26!
Marijim
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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Just offhand -- I haven't made a study of this -- but it appears in MS Paris Ste-Genevieve 792, f. 58ra-58va. I transcribed it years ago. I'm pretty sure it's in exampla collections, but I don't remember where. The motif of the monk absent from his monastery & returning 300 or so years later I've seen cited, too. Wish I could be more precise!
Linda
Linda S. Olson, Ph.D., Emerita
Department of World Languages & Literatures
Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent St. New Haven, CT 06515
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Subject: [M-R] asking for help finding source of medieval story of monk who encounters a talking bird
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Dear Scholars,
I hope you are all well! If anyone knows the source of this story and is willing to share it with me, I would be so grateful!
The story appears in an anonymous ms., MS. Douce 134, dated c. 1460 held at the Bodleian, entitled TheLivre de la vigne nostre Seigneur . The story tells of a monk who wondered how there could be joy without trouble in Heaven. He often prayed to God to show him a little of the sweetness of Paradise. One day as he was praying he heard the beautiful singing of a bird in the woods. He followed the bird and stayed in the forest for 26 years listening to the bird. The bird was singing these words: "May man do good as long as he is alive because great is the joy of Paradise.” When the bird flew away the monk, who thought he had been away only a few hours, returned to the convent and no one knew him. When he named the Abbot who was of his time they looked in the books and found he was alive 26 years ago.
There are stories of talking birds who say ominous things in bestiaries, and birds who offer messages from, God in the Bible, but I don’t know the source of any stories quite like this. Any suggestions
would be most welcome.
Thanks and be well!
Marijim Thoene D.M.A.
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