The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Life of Audoin, Bishop of Rouen (Vita Audoini episcopi Rotomagensis, BHL 750, CPL 2088)

Summary:

(Prologue) The author seeks divine guidance in his writing of the Life.

(1) Audoin/Dado's background at Soissons: his father Audecharius, mother Aiga, and brothers Ado and Rado, who respectively became a monk and the palace treasurer. How they were instructed in letters from a young age, and were beloved by the king. (2) How Audoin 'served militarily in the world' under King Dagobert (II), and 'received the signet ring of the king.' (3) How he would keep vigils, give alms, and wear a hairshirt while still a layman.

(4) How he 'joined' his fellow palace courtier *Eligius (bishop of Noyon, ob. 660, S02032), 'a man acknowledged for his miracles' (virtutibus comprobatum), and was given the see of Rouen. How he was an 'exemplary priest,' who 'turned the most savage ferocity of the Franks into gentleness' and persuaded many to abandon pagan rites (relicto rito gentilium). (5) His monastic foundations for both men and women, and his own ascetic lifestyle. (6) How he sought to emulate the martyrs through self-mortification.

(7) On his miracles. How, when arriving in 'Spain' (Spania) during his year's exile before his enthronement as bishop, he brought about a 'wonderful downpour' and ended a drought. (8) How his disciples observed that he 'conversed very often with the saints (saepius sermonicinabat cum sanctis), causing light to radiate out from his bed. (9) How he healed a poor man (pauperculus) who had almost lost his thumb while working at a mill on a Sunday.

(10) How he journeyed to Rome 'to worship at the portals of the Apostles' (i.e. *Peter, S00036 and *Paul, S00008) (ad sanctorum apostolorum limina adoranda). There, he 'visited the monuments of the saints, and, having prostrated his body on their pavements, he affixed his kisses' (monumenta sanctorum visitans et eorum pavimenta corpore prostratus oscula figens). 'Supported by the approval of the saints, [he] wandered through all the places of the saints (sanctorum loca perlustrans) seeking the benefit of the their prayers.' Having acquired the relics of many saints (reliquias sanctorum multorum), he returned to Gaul. (11) How, on his return, he was met at the 'borders of his own diocese' with great rejoicing, and the news of homecoming was brought to the king, queen and nobles of the palace.

(12) How he prayed and fasted so that there might be peace in the royal palace, since the devil had sown discord among its principes; and how it would be tedious to tell of all the miracles God performed through him in Spain, Italy and Gaul. (13) How, when discord arose between the Neustrians (Franci) and Austrasians, he went to Cologne as a 'son of peace' (filius pacis), visited its monuments to its martyrs, and took away their relics, which he brought to his own city 'with the greatest honour' (explorandorum gratia civitatem ingrediens martyrum multitudinem, monumenta perlustrans, reliquias eorum secum adtollens, quas in sua civitate cum maxima honore recondens). How he restored the speech of a man in Cologne. (14) How, returning to Neustria with the peace treaties, he exorcised a woman in Verdun; he then left for the palace, and brought about peace between Neustria and Austrasia.

(15) His death at the royal villa of Clichy-la-Garenne, while there 'on the business of the king and the peoples.' (16) How the king, queen, assembly of bishops, mayor and nobles of the palace gathered outside and carried his body on a bier to Pontoise, where 'both the king and queen as well as all the people celebrated vigils and spent the whole night in praise of the Lord.' (17) How his body was then brought to the opidum of le Vexin by a great number of bishops, abbots, priests, clerics, nobles and a crowd of people, singing praises and weeping. Arriving at Rouen, they buried his body in the basilica of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) - many miracles (signa multa virtutum) now occur there, as they do at all the places 'where the holy man lay in the body': e.g. healings of the blind, of the lame, of lepers, and of demoniacs. 'It would be tedious to relate the great miracles which there the Lord deigned to demonstrate through the merit of blessed Audoin... He who would wish to know this clearly, let him travel through Gaul, Aquitaine, Spain and Italy and he will discover that, as we recounted, we told the truth. He will never prove our words false.'

(18) How after three years and nine months, his successor as bishop decided 'that the blessed man should be translated to a higher position behind the altar of St Peter the Apostle' (ut beatum corpus transferret in excelsiore gradu post altare sancti Petri apostoli): the bishop summoned an 'army' (agmina) of monks, who were joined by the church clergy and the people of the town and province, who celebrated vigils all night, before the translation itself, after matins on the feast of the Lord's Ascension. (19) How the bishop was healed of tertian fever while celebrating mass on that very day: 'Hale and healthy, he hastened off to his own quarters. And therefore with faith (cum fide) the bishop took away with his own hand the sudary, which was on the head of the blessed Audoin as an offering for the relics (sudarium, quod pro munere reliquiarum desuper caput beati Audoini) and, through the largesse of the Lord, he earned health for himself and for many others with the same affliction.'


Text: Levison 1910, 553-567.
Translation: Fouracre and Gerberding 1996, 152-65.
Summary: B. Savill.

Chant and religious singing
Procession

Cult building - independent (church)
Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Altar

Pilgrimage
Visiting graves and shrines
Vigils
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Ceremonies at burial of a saint
Demoniacs at the site

Miracle during lifetime
Miracle after death
Power over elements (fire, earthquakes, floods, weather)
Healing diseases and disabilities
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Exorcism

Contact relic - cloth
Unspecified relic
Transfer, translation and deposition of relics
Transfer/presence of relics from distant countries
Theft/appropriation of relics

Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Ecclesiastics - abbots
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Pagans
Relatives of the saint
Monarchs and their family
Aristocrats
Peasants
Crowds
Angels

Source

Discussion

Bibliography