medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Friday, November 12, 2004, at 2:28 pm, christopher crockett wrote:
> i presume that you don't find such "struggles" to be all that
> common, among
> the works of middlevil hagiographers?
>
> i wonder why?
>
> what does that tell us about *their* point of view --rather than
> our own?
But one does find such struggles at least occasionally, esp. when the
hagiographer has been personally acquainted with the saint and/or has
taken the trouble to be informed by others with such acquaintance.
Another example is the anonymous Life of Nilus of Rossano (BHG 1370),
written by one of Bruno's contemporaries. An impressive vehicle of
Italo-Greek monastic ideals, this Life portrays in personal rather than
generalizing or stereotyped terms Nilus' lengthy struggle with
concupiscence in the form of lust for a German woman whom he had seen
only once, and then briefly, while on one of his early journeys to
Rome. An early version of the Unattainable Blonde, I suppose (though
we are not actually told that this woman _was_ blonde).
Medieval saint's lives were written for varying purposes and are always
selective in their portrayals. It's probably not safe to infer points
of view from their silences.
[quoting Phyllis]:
> > and of course, as in Bruno's acquaintance, actual acquaintance with
> the saints being described is a real plus
>
> would you discard the lives of all of these "mythical" saints
> which you kindly
> regale us with day after day (and, thank you very much for that),
> then ?
A valid point. Distance from the saint can also be a plus. A case in
point: "Eusebius"' probably later ninth-century Life of Philip of Agira
(BHG 1531). It's hard to imagine someone actually acquainted with
Philip describing with such gusto the latter's defeat of the demons of
Mt. Etna.
Best,
John Dillon
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