medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Brenda,
wherever it ultimately comes from, it is an interesting inversion
of a miracle from (I think) Gregorys dialogues in which some naked
dancing women outside the window disturb the monks of (I think) St Benedict!
Meg
>Dear Friendly Experts -
>A year or more ago I heard this story in a sermon. Now I want to make use of it and wonder if any of you can tell me where it comes from. I esp would like to know if it is a genuine piece of mediaeval myth-making or a later (Romantique ?) fabrication ...
>I am re-telling what I remember in my own words. (Thus are legends perpetuated .)
>"Saint Scholastica, sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia, was the abbess of the first nunnery of Benedictine nuns. One cold winter's night she woke in her cell to hear strange music and see a strange light coming through the bars of the shutters. She got u
>"St Scholastica closed her shutter, knelt by her bedside and prayed. She prayed firstly, that if those she had seen were mortal men, they would speedily find shelter and warm clothing; but secondly if, as she feared they were demons sent to annoy her, th
>"In the morning, remembering her disturbed night, she went out into the cloister-garth, and there, in spite of it being mid-winter, all her rose tress were in bloom. Then she realised that what she had seen was a vision of the Holy Trinity."
>OK, folks. Where does this come from ? I must say I warm to Scolastica's aplomb in the face of a disconcerting experience ....
>BTW, I have checked Med-Rel Archives before posting this and found nothing, nor does my Dictionary of the Saints give any clues.
>Brenda M.C.
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear Friendly Experts -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A year or more ago I heard this story in a sermon.
Now I want to make use of it and wonder if any of you can tell me where it comes
from. I esp would like to know if it is a genuine piece of mediaeval myth-making
or a later (Romantique ?) fabrication ... [Or even - let's not be narrow-minded!
- the unvarnished truth.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I am re-telling what I remember in my own words.
(Thus are legends perpetuated .)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Saint Scholastica, sister of Saint Benedict of
Nursia, was the abbess of the first nunnery of Benedictine nuns. One cold
winter's night she woke in her cell to hear strange music and see a strange
light coming through the bars of the shutters. She got up, opened her shutter
and looked out into the cloister-garth. In the bright (moon ?) light she saw
three beautiful but naked men dancing in the cloister, and one of them was
singing like a bird.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"St Scholastica closed her shutter, knelt by her
bedside and prayed. She prayed firstly, that if those she had seen were mortal
men, they would speedily find shelter and warm clothing; but secondly if, as she
feared they were demons sent to annoy her, that they would just as speedily go
back where they belonged. Then she went back to be with a clear conscience and
fell asleep.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"In the morning, remembering her disturbed night,
she went out into the cloister-garth, and there, in spite of it being
mid-winter, all her rose tress were in bloom. Then she realised that what she
had seen was a vision of the Holy Trinity."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>OK, folks. Where does this come from ? I must say I
warm to Scolastica's aplomb in the face of a disconcerting experience
....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BTW, I have checked Med-Rel Archives before posting
this and found nothing, nor does my Dictionary of the Saints give any
clues.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Brenda M.C.</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
Margaret Cormack [log in to unmask]
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion fax: 843-953-6388
College of Charleston tel: 843-953-8033
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
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