Two fragments of the now-lost Latin oldest Life of *Amandus (missionary, monastic founder and bishop of Maastricht, ob. c. 675, S00735) survive in a single 8th-c. manuscript. These describe Amandus' first pilgrimage to Rome, where he visited amongst others the church of *Peter (the Apostle, S00030), whom he saw in a vision; and where he also collected relics to bring back to Gaul. Later, when Amandus was caught in a storm at sea following a second visit, Peter appeared to him again. Written in Gaul, c. 675/750.
E06269
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
The Oldest Life of Amandus (Vita antiqua sancti Amandi)
FRAGMENT 1
[...] episcopo Austrigisilo illius ciuitatis benigne susceptus est, cellolam ei iuxta ecclesiam extruere ordinauit.
Ibidem multo tempore propter amorem uite aeternę in agonia uixit cilicio et cinere indutus, pane azimo ordeacio et sicera suum corpusculum alebat. Quadam die, dum ad quendam orationis locum ire desiderabat, quasi hora VI diei radio clarissimo superfusus per momentum hore totus orbiterrarum quasi a terra in superiora eleuato suo spiritu apparauit. Deinde ad locum distinatum perrexit diuino desiderio anhelans adsumpto uno comite asello sedens per deuias alpium Italiam penetrans ad uisitanda sanctorum apostulorum ac martyrum patrocinia ad urbem Romam peruenit. Ac saciato suo sancto desiderio per loca apostolorum et sanctorum deambulans diebus ad ecclesiam sancti Petri noctibus revertebatur. Sedente eo in gradibus ecclesiae in extasi mentis sanctus Petrus ei apparauit sereno uultu et blando sermone illum transiens appelauit. Gaudebundus de uisione uir Dei Amandus cognouit, quod inuenit gratiam Dei quam quesiuit. Deinde accepta sanctorum patrocinia Galleas remeauit.
Postea coactus ab episcopis et rege episcopus ordinatus est. Gentilibus exemplo bonorum operum coepit euangelizare. Erat uultu serenus, elymosina largus, corpo-[...]
'...He was kindly taken up by Austregisilus, the bishop of that city, who arranged that a small cell was built for him next to the church.
For a long time he lived in that same place, clothed for the love of God in a hairshirt and ashes, and he nourished his little body with unleavened barley-bread and cider. Now, one day, when he desired to travel to a certain place of prayer, at about the sixth hour of the day, the clearest beam of light shone out for an hour over the entire world, and it seemed as if his spirit had risen up from the earth and into the heights. Then, once he had reached his destination, panting with divine longing, he took a single companion, and seated on an little ass, rode through the inaccessible paths of the Alps into Italy, so that he might come to Rome and visit the relics of the holy apostles and martyrs. And so, satiating his holy desire, he walked for days around the places of the apostles and martyrs, returning by night to the church of Saint Peter. As he sat on the steps of that church, Saint Peter appeared to him in the ecstasy of his mind, and with a fair face and pleasing speech, he came over and called to him. Filled with joy, the man of God Amandus understood from this vision that he had found the grace of God which he had sought. Then, taking relics of the holy saints, he made his way back to Gaul.
After this, under the compulsion of the king and bishops, he was ordained bishop. He began to evangelise the gentiles with the example of his good works. He was fair of face, generous of alms, in body...'
***
FRAGMENT 2 (badly damaged: only an approximate translation is possible)
[...]uit. Codices diuinos utriusque testamenti [...] tractatos rediens Galleam secum detulit. [...] dum in pelago Sar[...] nauigasset naut[...] pac[...]ritate predicauit. Illis biben[...] et manducantibus apparuit piscis ingens [...]scatoria captus est. Naute gaudebun[...] orta magna tempestate de [...]ntes omnia quae habebant in mare [...]ta nauis uel [...] illis rem nisi [...] uoce illum s[...] Dei praecaban[...]s illos de mortis periculis liberass[...]solans eos [...] Dei intrepidus [...]di[...]sata fluctibus homines pore[...] res si huc illuc q[...]abant lacun[...]ta ullam s[...] Supradicto beato Amando [...] adhuc uigil[...] Petrus apostolus appar[...] transiens per [...] ad poppim ait: Noli timere. Non peribis tu et [...] cum sunt [...] factum est. Transacta nocte, manefacta tranquillit [...] ad portum incolumes euaserunt. Sic dominus ser[...] natus est ex aullire[...] transacto tempore [..] illius sanctus [...]nimas [...] pastor alen[...] sol [...]
'... Returning to Gaul he brought back with him holy books of both testaments (and) tracts (...) and as he sailed through the sea of Sar(dinia) he preached to the sail(ors) peace (and cha)rity. And while they were drink(ing) and eating, a giant fish appeared, which they caught (by way of fish)ing. The sailors rejoiced (...) a great storm arose from (...) (throwing) everything which they had in the sea (...) ship and (...) unless (...) with a cry they entreated the s(ervant) of God to free them from the peril of death (...) (con)soling them, (he) fearlessly (...) of God (...) by the waves, the men (...) if to and fro (...) pool (...) any (...). The aforesaid blessed Amandus (...) still (kept) watch (...) the blessed Apostle Peter appear(ed)... coming across through (...) at the stern of the ship he said: 'Do not be afraid. You and (those who) are with you will not perish (...).' And so it happened: as the night passed, and dawn came peacefully (...) they came to port unharmed. Thus the Lord (kept them) sa(fe)... there arose from (...). Sometime later, (...) of this the saint (...) (s)ouls (...) pastor (...)...'
Text: Riedmann 1976, 281-2, 286.
Translation: B. Savill.
Cult building - unspecified
Cult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Visiting graves and shrines
Pilgrimage
MiraclesMiracles experienced by the saint
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Assumption/otherworldly journey
Power over elements (fire, earthquakes, floods, weather)
RelicsUnspecified relic
Collections of multiple relics
Transfer, translation and deposition of relics
Transfer/presence of relics from distant countries
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Monarchs and their family
Pagans
Other lay individuals/ people
Source
These fragments, written in a late eighth-century hand, probably in Rhaetia (south-east of Gaul; perhaps at the monastery of Saint-Gall?) were discovered in the manuscript Innsbruck, Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Cod. FB 32.141 by Josef Riedemann in 1976. The fragments correspond to more polished and elaborate passages found in chapters 5-8 and 11-13 of the so-called 'first' Life (Vita prima) of Amandus (BHL 332), roughly datable to c. 750 (Krusch, 1910) or perhaps c. 700 (Moreau, 1949). These more rudimentary fragments have been judged 'manifestly older' (Mériaux, 2006) than the equivalent sections of the Vita prima, and could date to any time between Amandus' death and the early-to-mid eighth century.These segments of the lost Vita antiqua also correspond to passages found only in the later Vita altera of Amandus (BHL 335, from the Speculum sanctorale of Bernard Gui, completed 1329). Presumably, both the Vita prima and Vita altera used this Vita antiqua as their common source.
Discussion
The Austregisilus mentioned at the beginning of the first fragment is the bishop of Bourges (ob. 624), elsewhere the subject of his own seventh-century Life (E06278). Austregisilus' appearance in this passage differs from that in the later Vita prima in that it does not refer to him as a saint (sanctus). In turn, the Life of Austregisilus has nothing to say about Amandus.The section concerning Amandus' trip to Rome and his conveying of relics (patrocinia) back to Gaul provides important evidence for Romano-Frankish relic traffic in its own right. Moreover, it adds some background to the remark in the Life of Gertrude (E06317: probably composed c. 670, perhaps before Amandus' death), that the same Amandus had overseen the foundation of the nunnery of Nivelles, which 'deservedly obtained... envoys, men of good reputation, relics of saints and holy books from Rome' (nuntios, boni testimonii viros sanctorum patrocinia vel sancta volumina de urbe Roma).
Bibliography
Study and transcription of fragmentsJ. Riedemann, 'Unbekannte frühkarolingische Handschriftfragmente in der Bibliothek des Tiroler Landesmuseums Ferdinandeum,' Mitteilungen des Instituts für Österreichische Geshichtsforschung, 84 (1976), 262-89.
Edition of the Vita prima
B. Krusch, MGH scr. mer. V (1910), 395-485.
Further reading
Dierkens, A., 'Notes biographiques sur saint Amand, abbé d'Elnone et éphémère évêque de Maastricht († peu après 676),' in E. Bozoky, Saints d'Aquitaine: missionaires et pèlerins du haut Moyen Âge (Rennes, 2010), 63-80.
Heinzelmann, M., 'L'hagiographie mérovingienne: panorama des documents potentiels', in M. Goullet, M. Heinzelmann, and C. Veyrard-Cosme (eds.), L'hagiographie mérovingienne à travers ses réécritures (Beihefte der Francia 71; Ostfildern, 2010), 27-82.
Mériaux, C., Gallia irradiata. Saints et sanctuaries dans le nord de la Gaule du haut Moyen Âge (Stuttgart, 2006), 347-8.
Moreau, E. de, 'La Vita Amandi prima et les fondations monastiques de s. Amand,' Analecta Bollandiana, 67 (1949), 445-64.
Benjamin Savill
13/09/2022
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | martyres | Certain | S00084 | Apostles, unnamed or name lost | apostoli | Certain | S00518 | Saints, unnamed | sancti | Certain | S00735 | Amandus, missionary, monastic founder and bishop of Maastricht, ob. c. 675 | Amandus | Certain |
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