Light from the West Figure: The upper limes germanicus , s. ii CE - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Light from the West

Figure: The upper limes germanicus, s. ii CE (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: The upper limes germanicus, s. ii CE (public domain: source)

Figure: Invasions of the Roman Empire (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: A leaf from the Codex Argenteus (public domain: source)

Figure: Migrations of the Visigoths (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: Kingdom of the Visigoths (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: Frankish Empire 481–814 (CC-BY-SA: source)

Insular Missionaries

▶ Columbanus → Gaul 585 → Germany → Italy 614 ▶ Wilfrid → Frisia 678 ▶ Willibrord → Frisia 690s onwards ▶ Ewald the White and Ewald the Black → Frisia → Saxony c. 690,

martyred 692

▶ Boniface → Frisia, Germany 678–754 (martyred in Frisia)

Figure: Luxeuil Abbey (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: Bobbio Cathedral (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: St Gall Abbey (source)

Figure: St Gall Library (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: Map of St Gall Abbey (c. 800; public domain: source)

Figure: Utrecht Cathedral Cloister (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: Echternach Abbey (CC-BY-SA: source)

Figure: Boniface (s. xi; public domain: source)

Figure: St Peter’s Cathedral, Fritzlar (CC-BY-SA: source)

Politics

▶ Radbod/Frisians vs Charles Martel + Boniface + Rome ▶ Saxons vs Charlemagne + Rome

Missionary Strategies (Generalized Following Russell)

Two phases:

▶ Phase 1: Confrontational: denial of idols’ powers, asserting Christ’s

power over worldly affairs

▶ Phase 2: Advertise eternal salvation; call to moral perfection

By school:

▶ Irish: Used phase 1 on heathens, phase 2 on Arians and already

somewhat converted

▶ Franks: Sometimes a tad too blunt (Wulframm) ▶ Anglo-Saxons: Advertised God’s (secular) power, extolled positive

virtues of Christianity (Willibrord)

The High German Consonant Shift

/p/ after vowels → /ff/ <ff> /t/ after vowels → /ss/ <zz> /k/ after vowels → /xx/ <hh/ch> /p/ initially, after /lmnr/, or geminated → /pf/ <pf> /t/ initially, after /lmnr/, or geminated → /ts/ <z> /k/ initially, after /lmnr/, or geminated → /kx/ <ch/kh> /d/ in some cases/dialects → /t/ /b/ in some cases/dialects → /p/ /g/ in some cases/dialects → /k/ The last series of changes applies especially to High Alemannic and South Bavarian dialects in Switzerland and Austria and cannot have begun before the eighth century.

The High German Consonant Shift

PG OS OE PDE OHG German *apō- apo apa ape affe Affe *etan etan etan eat essen essen *makōn makōn macian make mahhōn machen *apala- appul æppel apple apful Apfel *twai twā twā two zwei zwei *daga- dag dæg day tacg Tag *rebja- ribbi ribb rib rippi/ribbi Rippe

(Proximal) Demonstrative Pronoun

singular Masc Neut Fem Nom dër daẓ diu Acc dën daẓ dea, dia (die) Gen dës dës dëra, (dëru, dëro) Dat dëmu, dëmo dëmu, dëmo dëru, dëro Inst diu plural Masc Neut Fem Nom dē, dea, dia, die diu, (dei) deo, dio Acc dē, dea, dia, die diu, (dei) deo, dio Gen dëro dëro dëro Dat dēm, dēn dēm, dēn dēm, dēn Inst

Muspilli

“ Daz hortih rahhon

dia uueroltrehtuuison, daz sculi der antichristo mit Eliase pagan. der uuarch ist kiuuafanit, denne uuirdit untar in uuic arhapan. khenfun sint so kreftic, diu kosa ist so mihhil. 40 Elias stritit pi den euuigon lip, uuili den rehtkernon daz rihhi kistarkan; pidiu scal imo helfan der himiles kiuualtit. der antichristo stet pi demo altfiante, stet pi demo Satanase, der inan uarsenkan scal: 45 pidiu scal er in deru uuicsteti uunt piuallan enti in demo sinde sigalos uuerdan. doh uuanit des uilo gotmanno, daz Elias in demo uuige aruuartit uuerde.

”

Muspilli

“ so daz Eliases pluot

in erda kitriufit, 50 so inprinnant die perga, poum nikistentit enihc in erdu, aha artruknent, muor uarsuuilhit sih, suilizot lougiu der himil, mano uallit, prinnit mittilagart, sten nikistentit, uerit denne stuatago in lant, 55 uerit mit diu uuiru uiriho uuison. dar nimac denne mak andremo helfan uora demo muspille. denne daz preita uuasal allaz uarprinnit, enti uuir enti luft iz allaz arfurpit, uuar ist denne diu marha, dar man dar eo mit sinen magon piehc? 60 diu marha ist farprunnan, diu sela stet pidungan, niuueiz mit uuiu puaze: so uerit si za uuize.

”

Elias

“

And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kgs 2:11)

” “

And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with

• him. […] And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then do the

scribes say that Elias must come first? But he answering, said to them: Elias indeed shall come, and restore all things. But I say to you, that Elias is already come, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they had a mind. So also the Son of man shall suffer from them. Then the disciples understood, that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist. (Mt 17:1-13)

”

Bibliography

Chatháin, Próinséas Ní and Michael Richter, eds. Irland und die Christenheit / Ireland and Christendom: Bibelstudien und Mission / The Bible and the Missions. Stuttgart: Klett, 1987. Print. Cusack, Carole M. Conversion Among the Germanic Peoples. London and New York: Cassell, 1998. Print. Cassell Religious Studies. Palmer, James T. Anglo-Saxons in a Frankish World, 690–900. Turnhout: Brepols, 2009. Print. Studies in the Early Middle Ages 19. Russell, James C. The Germanization of Early Medieval Christianity: A Sociohistorical Approach to Religious Transformation. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. Print.