medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Sorry, that was it: Notker, not Ekkehard ...
b.k.
Am Freitag, 14.03.03 um 00:25 Uhr schrieb Stacy Kerr:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> culture
>
> Another fun spider tale. Enjoy!
>
> Notker, the anecdotal biographer of Charlemagne, tells a tale of
> Charlemagne
> and a deacon:
>
>
> (from the medieval sourcebook
> http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/stgall-charlemagne.html)
>
> "Now I must speak of two things which happened in that same place.
> There
> was a deacon who followed the Italian custom and resisted the course of
> nature. For he went to the baths and had himself closely shaved,
> polished
> his skin, cleaned his nails, and had his hair cut as short as if it
> had been
> done by a lathe. Then he put on linen and a white robe, and then,
> because he
> must not miss his turn, or rather desiring to make a fine show, he
> proceeded
> to read the gospel before God and His holy angels, and in the presence
> of
> the most watchful king; his hear in the meantime being unclean, as
> events
> were to show. For while he was reading, a spider came down from the
> ceiling
> by a thread, hooked itself on to the deacon's head, and then ran up
> again.
> The most observant Charles saw this happen a second and a third time,
> but
> pretended not to notice it, and the clerk, because of the emperor's
> presence, dare not keep of the spider with his hand, and moreover did
> not
> know that it was a spider attacking him, but thought that it was
> merely the
> tickling of a fly. So he finished the reading of the gospel, and also
> went
> through the rest of the office. But when he left the cathedral he soon
> began
> to swell up, and [101] died within an hour. But the most scrupulous
> Charles,
> inasmuch as he had seen his danger and had not prevented it, thought
> himself
> guilty of manslaughter and did public penance."
>
>
> Stacy Kerr
> USC
>
>
>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>> Just another little medieval spider ditty...
>>
>> On his way to see the dying Innocent III, St. Francis (I think he was
>> the
>> one) dilly-dallied along, taking his own sweet time to talk to a
>> muslim,
>> feed a teaspoon of soup to a beggar, and help a spider.
>>
>> I can just see them in Innocent's death chamber...the cardinals
>> standing
>> around, tapping their feet in impatience, arms folded, checking their
>> watches every few minutes..."Where the heck is he???"
>>
>> Okay so they didn't have watches then but it makes for an amusing
>> scene in
>> my little head.
>>
>> wendy reardon
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Theresa Gross-Diaz" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 10:05 AM
>> Subject: Re: [M-R] miracle motifs-spiders & steaks
>>
>>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>>>>> [log in to unmask] 03/13/03 08:21AM >>>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>> Perhaps these could be shared with the list? Best, John Dillon
>>
>> Sure thing, John!
>>
>> Both from Alfonso X "El Sabio", Cantigas de Santa Maria:
>>
>> Cantiga # 201 Tells the story of a girl who promises Mary that she
>> will
>> remain a virgin; she breaks that promise (and how!), has three
>> babies whom
>> she kills one after another, and then suffering remorse she tries to
>> kill
>> herself by eating a poisonous spider. When that doesn't work she
>> eats a
>> larger one... Not yet dead but in agony (obviously) she prays to Mary
>> to
>> forgive her; Mary "restores her innocence" and heals her.
>> - - - This one is particularly interesting because of the restored
>> [sexual]
>> innocence motif which one finds elsewhere in Marian miracles (like the
>> naughty abbess of Soissons), and the suicide (or here, attempted
>> suicide)
>> motif. Despite (or because of?) the horror in which suicide was held
>> - (it
>> is after all the worst of the deadly sins, that of Judas : despair) -
>> suicides (prevented or restored to life) are not uncommon among
>> miracle
>> stories (there is a great one connected to pilgrimage to Santiago, in
>> which
>> James shares the stage with Mary).
>>
>> Another Cantiga from Alfonso's collection - sorry I've misplaced the
>> number,
>> but it begins "non sofre Santa Maria":
>> It concerns pilgrims to Mary's shrine at Rocamadour; nine pilgrims
>> check
>> into their motel, order dinner, and go off to pray at the shrine
>> before
>> eating. When they return, someone has stolen one of their steaks!
>> The
>> bereft and hungry pilgrims ask Mary for aid, and they hear "something"
>> thumping around inside a trunk... turns out to be their very rare
>> steak.
>> They don't eat it (well, would you!?) but rather return to the shrine
>> and
>> hang the steak up as an offering.
>>
>> The Cantigas are a great teaching resource! There are several
>> wonderful
>> performances available: I like the Martin Best Ensemble, "Cantigas de
>> Santa
>> Maria" (Nimbus Records, 1987).
>> Cheers
>> Theresa
>>
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>
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