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IMC 2013: Sessions

Session 1304: Re-Reading Carolingian Hagiographical Texts

Wednesday 3 July 2013, 16.30-18.00

Moderator/Chair:Anne-Marie Helvétius, amhelvetius@univ-paris8.fr
Paper 1304-aDanger Around Every Corner?: Travel in the Carolingian World
(Language: English)
Amy Bosworth, Department of History, Muskingum University, Ohio
Index terms: Daily Life, Hagiography, Social History
Paper 1304-bGuntram of Ermanrich's Vita Sualonis
(Language: English)
Sukanya Rai-Sharma, Department of History, University College London
Index terms: Hagiography, Social History
Paper 1304-cHagiographic Traditions about St Maximinus (Mesmin) in the Early Middle Ages
(Language: English)
Satoshi Tada, School of International Liberal Studies, Chukyo University
Index terms: Ecclesiastical History, Hagiography, Local History, Monasticism
Abstract

Paper -a:
Journeying outside your front door always presents risks whether one intends to travel hundreds of miles or just down the street. This was especially true of the Carolingian kingdom/s, at least according to the 9th-century hagiography. Saints often miraculously assisted the faithful who encountered inclement weather, feral beasts, or unscrupulous humans. The medieval world was a scary place. Yet, men and women continued to leave their homes. This paper will explore travel in the 9th century, paying particular attention to gender, social status, and the nature of these voyages. Did danger really lurk around every bend in the road?

Paper -b:
This paper will be a short study of the mid-9th century hagiographical text by Ermanrich of Ellwangen, Ermanrici Sermo de Vita Sancti Sualonis dicta soli. In the text, Ermanrich claims that Guntram, nephew of Hrabanus Maurus, was not pleased about his forced appointment as the praepositus of Solnhofen (a dependent house of Fulda) by a rex. Far from being displeased, historical evidence shows that Guntram was safeguarding his family's property in the region as well as helping his uncle in a thriving relic translation during his time at Solnhofen (c. 838/839 - c. 842). Thus, I will try to examine the place of Guntram in history by studying the text of Vita Sualonis and looking at land records from the region.

Paper -c:
Maximinus, also called Mesmin in French, was the saint of the Orléanais. His legends seem to contain contradictory elements. For example, the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, revised about 600, indicates that he was 'the priest and confessor in the city of Orléans'. On the other hand, according to the First Life of St Maximinus, written in the first half of the 9th century, he came from Verdun and founded the abbey of Micy, located 6 km from Orléans, with his uncle. Then he became the first abbot of Micy. The contradiction has bothered historians. This paper examines how his legends evolved and clarifies the contradiction.