In Samuel's Image: Child Oblation in the Early Medieval WestEarly medieval religious communities were filled with monks and nuns who spent almost their entire lives within the monastic confines. Many had arrived in childhood, through an irrevocable act of parental sacrifice (oblatio). According to Benedict's Rule, parents were to donate their sons 'to God in the monastery', following the biblical example of Hannah offering her son Samuel at the Temple. From the twelfth century onwards, this once widespread practice became increasingly controversial. Why did parents give away their children? Were they driven by economic necessity? This book argues that child oblation was anything but a religious disguise for abandoning superfluous offspring. Instead, it was a sacrifice, and should be viewed within the context of gift-giving, religious and otherwise, which assumed such a central importance in early medieval societies. |
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In Samuel's Image: Child Oblation in the Early Medieval West Mayke De Jong,Mayke Brechtje Jong No preview available - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
Aachen abbot adult novices Alcuin altar aristocratic Arles atque autem become Benedict of Aniane Benedict's Rule Benedictine bishops Bruno Krusch Caesarius Caesarius of Arles canonical capitularies Carolingian charters child oblation church cloister Columbanus commendatio consecration conversio Corvey council debet Domino donation donors early medieval ecclesiae ecclesiastical eius enim entered entry into monastic Epistolae Expositio father Frankish Fulda gifts girls Gottschalk Gregory Gregory of Tours hagiographical hand Hildemar holocaustum Hrabanus Hrabanus Maurus Ibid illi irrevocable Jong king Liudger Louis the Pious mass Merovingian MGH Capit MGH SRM monastery monastic monasticism ninth century oblatio oblation ritual offered Old Testament parental vow penance petitio prayer priests profession quae quam quia quod Regula ad virgines religious remained Rheims royal Rule of Benedict sacred sacrifice saint sancti Semmler Smaragdus spiritual St Gall sunt suum tonsure vero Vita young