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Benedictine Maledictions: Liturgical Cursing in Romanesque France,Used
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'May they be cursed in the chest and the heart, cursed in the stomach, cursed in the blood, cursed in the hands and feet and each of their members.' Monks in medieval France lay flat before the altar as they intoned these maledictions laced with biblical quotations or paraphrases: 'May their children be made orphans and their wives widows' (Psalm 108:9).In this longawaited book, the result of more than a decade of research, Lester K. Little reconstructs and explores the phenomenon of officially sanctioned religious cursing in medieval Europe. He focuses on a church service, called in Latin either clamor or maledictio, used by monastic communities (primarily in Francia) between approximately 990 and 1250.Threatened by bands of heavily armed knights in a period of incessant civil strife, communities of monks, nuns, and cathedral clerics retaliated by cursing their enemies in a formal religious ceremony. After presenting the formulas the monks used in such cursing, Little explores the social, political, and juridical contexts in which these curses were used and explains how Christian authorities who condemned cursing could also authorize it. He demonstrates that these Benedictine maledictions often played a decisive role in resolving the monks' frequent property disputes wit local notables, especially knights.Little's approach to his subject is topical. After determining the clamor's sources, he takes up its kinship with such related liturgy as the humiliation of saints and then shows where and to what end it was used. By the conclusion of his work, he has recreated the whole culture of the medieval clamor, and in the process he has illuminated many other aspects of medieval social and legal culture.
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- Q: What is the main focus of 'Benedictine Maledictions: Liturgical Cursing in Romanesque France'? A: The book explores the phenomenon of officially sanctioned religious cursing in medieval Europe, particularly focusing on a church service used by monastic communities between 990 and 1250.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author is Lester K. Little, who conducted over a decade of research to compile the findings presented in the book.
- Q: What is the publication date of this book? A: The book was published on November 18, 1993.
- Q: What is the condition of the book? A: The book is listed as a 'Used Book in Good Condition'.
- Q: How many pages does the book have? A: The book contains 312 pages.
- Q: What edition of the book is available? A: The available edition is illustrated.
- Q: What type of binding does the book have? A: The book has a hardcover binding.
- Q: What themes does the book address regarding cursing? A: The book discusses the social, political, and juridical contexts of cursing used by monks in retaliation against enemies during periods of civil strife.
- Q: Is this book suitable for academic study? A: Yes, the book is well-researched and provides substantial insights into medieval social and legal culture, making it suitable for academic study.
- Q: Are there any specific religious texts referenced in the book? A: Yes, the maledictions are often laced with biblical quotations or paraphrases, illustrating their religious significance.