Living With the Dead in the Middle Ages

284 Pages·1995·24.93 MB·English

by  Patrick J. Geary

WITH THE |

IN THE
Living with
the Dead
in the
Middle Ages

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Patrick J. Geary

Cornell University Press

[taaca and London
Cayyright® 1994 by Carnell Taine eity

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Contents

1068

Acknowledgments vif
Introduction +

Reading
Saints, Scholars, and Society: The Elusive Goal 9
The Uses of Archacological Sources for Religious and Cultural
History 30

Representing

Germanic Tradition and Royal Ideology in the Ninth Cenurry:
The Visia Karali Magni 49

Exchange and Interaction berween che Living anel the Dead in
Early Medieval Society 97
Negotiating
Humiliation of Saints 95
Cocrcion of Saints in Medieval Religious Practice rré

Living with Conflicts in Stateless France: A ‘Typology of
Conflict Management Mechanisms, 1050-1200, 125

Reproducing

‘The Saint and the Shrine: The Pilgrim's Goal in che Middle
Ages 163

The Ninth-Century Reli¢ lrade—A Response to Popular
Piety? 1977
vi Contents

ed Commodities: The Circulation of Medieval Relics 194

ng
11 Saint Helen of Achyra and the Cathedral of Troyes in the
Thirteemh Century 221

1 The Magi and Milan 243
Index of Published Somes 257

General Tnrlex 265
Acknowledgments

Wot

1 Grank Suki Lewin and Elaine Lyains for their assistance in prepar
fing the snanuseript, Celeste Newbrough for her work in preparing,

indexes, and the editorial staff of Cornell University Press for
patience and cooperation at every stage of the preparation of
this book

‘The following chapters are revised versions of essays that originally
appeated in vavions North American and European journals and
vetuenes. Thank se een for peiison ous his nerd hers

Chapter 1, “Saints, Scholars, aud’ Sociely: The Elusive Goal.” in
Sunctay Sauctus: Studies in Hagiography, ed, Sandto Sticca (Wingham
ton: CEMERS, in press)

Chapter 2, “Zor Problematik der Interpretation anchdologischer
Quellen fier die Geistcs- und Religionsgeschichte," Archacotogia Aus-
friaca 64 (1gdo): 111-118.

Chapter 3, “Germanic Lradition and Royat Ideology in the Ninth
Century: The Visio Karol Magni,” Fritmititattertiche Studien 20
(987): 274-204.

Chapter 4, “Fehanges et relations entre les vivants et les mortsdans,
la société cn hamt Moyen Age,” Droit ¢ Culterns 12 (986): 3-18.

Chapter 5, “T-humiliation des saints," Annales: BSC 34 (1979k 27—
4a,

Chapter 6, “Ta wercition des stints daus Ta pratique seligieuse
médiévale,” in La exdure populaire aw Mayen Age, ed. Pierre Boglioni
(Mantreal: I’Auroce, 1g7y}, 146-161.

Chapter 7, “Vivre en conflit dans une France sans
des méchanismes de

Typologie
égloinent des conflits, 150-1200," Annals
SC 41 (1g86): 1107-1133,

Chapter 8, "The Saint. and the Shrine: The Pilgrim's Coal in the
viii Acknowledgments

Middle Ages," in Walfjahrt kennt keine Grencen, ed. Lenz Kriss-Retter
beck and Gerda Mahler (Munich: Schnell & Steiner, 1984), 265-271.

Chapter 9, “The Ninth-Centnry Relic Trade—A Response to Pap-
ular Hie?” in Religion aid te People, 800-1 700, ed. James Obel-
keviehi Chapel Lill: University of North Carolina Press, 1979), 8-19.

Chapter 10, "Scored Goromodities: ‘The Gieculation of Medieval
Relics,” in Commodities and Culture, ed. Arjun Appadurai Cambridge:
Cambridge Universily Press, 1986), 16g—1y1.

Chapter 11, “Saint Helen of Athyra and the Cathedral of Troyes in
the Thirteenth Century," fournal of Medieval and Renaissance Sturties 7
fag77): 149-168.

Chapter 12, “T Magi e Milano,” in H miltennin Ambrosian: La ett del
vescove dai carolingt al Barbarosse, ed. Carlo Bertelli (Milan: Elecra,
1988), 274-287.
Living with the Dead
in the Middle Ages

08

Tatroduction

08

Yor all is fascination with violence and killing, death and dying,
modern society is uneasy sith death and still more with the dead.
‘Much has been wrideu, bout serious and Frivolous, about our intense
desite to avoid facing deal Death seems
unnatural, 4 failure of our technological society, of our raedical sys-
tem, of ocr quest for personal fulillnent, Beath is the ubdamate evil,
the supreme indictment of our inability to control the universe or
even oursclves. Perhaps for that reason we (end to look on the dead as
failures in a certain sense, unfortunates to be left bchind as we move
toward our own goal of avoiding the lapses and failures of diet
character, or caution which caused them to falter. The vast literature
‘on death and dying ignores the dead to focus exctusively on the dying
and thenon the survivors. After the hasty fimeral or memorial service
and che brief obituary, the dead slip from our consciousness. fis not
that an infinite gulf separates them frorn the living lo rather that
they simply no longer exist.

‘Thus (he dead are banished from our society, No movement in
suppott of dhe dead’s rights hus joined those demanding greater
women’s rights, children’s rights, minorities rights, and even animals
rights, In “developed” socicties, the tombs of the dead, if they have
them at all, are not usually maintained and cultivated with loving care
by theirsurvivors, nor their personal cffects preserved as mementos,
nor their actions and words studied and learned hy subsequent. gen
ations. Mourning, no longer externalized by dress or activity, is nor
expected lo extend muuch beyond a few weeks, and survivors ho
prolong their grief are rebuked by family, friends, and associates for