The discussion of medieval views of the natural world has stirred a memory
of an anecdote about St Bernard failing to notice the beauties of Lake Como
(I think) because he was so deep in contemplation. I don't remember where I
read it, and apparently didn't note it down. I would be grateful for the
reference, if any colleague knows the source. Despite this story, there is
plenty of evidence of monastic appreciation of the glories of nature,
usually but not always in the context of a dichotomy between 'nature' and
'the world' . An obvious example is Walter Daniel's description of Rievaulx
in his Life of Ailred; other Cistercian writers who come to mind are William
of St Denis and Miro of Ripoll. Franciscan writers, e.g. Arnold of Bonneval,
were also attuned to the beauties of creation as a manifestation of God's
greatness.
There is a sensitive and evocative passage on the delights of nature as an
aid to the worship of God in the Ignea Sagitta of the Carmelite Nicholas the
Frenchman (c.1270).
A couple of bibliographical references that I have found helpful on this
theme (and I am sure colleagues can provide many others) are:
E.R. Curtius, 'Rhetorische Naturschilderung im Mittelalter', Romanische
Forschungen 56 (1942), 219-56
G. Penco, 'Il senso della natura nell'agiografia monastica occidentale',
Studia Monastica 11 (1969), 327-42
Giles Constable discusses some examples in 'Renewal and reform in religious
life: concepts and realities', in Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth
Century, ed. G. Constable & R.L. Benson.
Andrew Jotischky
Department of History
Lancaster University
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