medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Some citations from the Brepolis Library of Latin Texts (CLCLT):
Saluianus Massiliensis, _De gubernatione Dei_, lib. : 4, cap. : 4, par. : 20, linea : 9
Venatio leonis onager in heremo; sic pascua sunt diuitum pauperes.
Since an onager is a wild ass, it will live in a wilderness (_in eremo_). There's a similar line of thought in Jerome, _Liber quaestionum hebraicarum in Genesim_ (ed. Lagarde), 26, where, however, the dwellers in the wilderness are Saracens, not hermits:
hic erit rusticus homo: manus eius super omnes, et manus omnium super eum: et contra faciem omnium fratrum suorum habitabit.
pro rustico scriptum habet in hebraeo fara, quod interpretatur onager.
significat autem semen eius habitaturum in heremo, id est sarracenos uagos incertis que sedibus, qui uniuersas gentes, quibus desertum ex latere iungitur, incursant, et inpugnantur ab omnibus et locutus est ei dicens ecce testamentum meum te cum, et eris pater multitudinis gentium, et non uocabitur adhuc nomen tuum abram, sed erit nomen tuum abraham, quia patrem multarum gentium posui te.
Onager = Saracen (or other evil-doer or other heretic) becomes a fairly standard allegory.
BUT, more pertinently:
Eucherius Lugdunensis, _Formulae spiritalis intellegentiae_ (CCSL 66_), cap.: 4, pag.: 30, linea: 489:
Onager heremita; in Iob: Quis dimittet onagrum liberum?
Now the verbal association is explicit.
Isidorus Hispalensis, _Sententiae_ (CCSL 111), 17. 5, says this of monks:
Onager, ut ait Iob, contemnit ciuitatem, et monachi communem saecularium ciuium conuersationem.
Not entirely pertinent. But as this seems to underly a couple of passages in the more-widely-commented-on Abelard, I thought I'd toss it in.
FINALLY:
Isidore again,_Regula monachorum_ (cited from the ed. of J. Campos Ruiz, 1971), cap.: 4, pag. : 96, linea : 97+:
Onager enim liber dimissus monachus est sine dominatu uel sine impedimento saeculi Deo seruiens et a turbis remotus.
Hope this helps a little.
Best, and welcome to the list!
John Dillon
On Wednesday, January 2, 2008, at 11:08 am, Jackie Duff wrote:
> Hello,
> I am new to this list although I have dipped in to it now and again to
> follow some very interesting and lively discussions. I thought it
> about time to make some kind of contribution.
>
> I am currently working on hermits, anchorites and recluses (roughly
> 1050 - 1250 but not exclusively) looking at different aspects of their
> lives, the terminology and symbolism used by contemporary
> writers/hagiographers and relationships between hermits and the
> broader church and society, among other things. My teaching interests
> include heresies of the middle ages and the crusades.
>
> I have recently been reading Monika Otter's translation of Goscelin of
> Bertin's Liber Confortatorius and my curiosity has been raised by the
> following:
> Goscelin, writing to his close friend the recluse Eve, and offering
> encouragement that the Lord has already looked upon her favourably,
> then quotes Job 39:5 "Who has sent out the onager free?"
> Goscelin then says, "An onager is a wild donkey, which signifies the
> anchorite. The Lord sets the onager free when he releases the soul
> from outward worries, calling it to the freedom of contemplating him,
> and saying to those he has freed: 'Free your mind and see that I am
> God'".
>
> I can understand the context in which he uses this quotation but I am
> wondering about the origin of the connection between a donkey (or
> onager) and an anchorite. Has anyone come across this elsewhere or
> suggest any explanation for a donkey signifying an anchorite?
>
> Best wishes,
> Jackie Duff
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