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Sagenhafte Schatzfunde bei Gregor, Fredegar, Paulus Diaconus und anderen. Narrative von der Entstehung und Rechtfertigung von Schätzen

  • Wolfgang Haubrichs
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Gold in der europäischen Heldensage
This chapter is in the book Gold in der europäischen Heldensage

Abstract

The article deals with four legendary treasure-findings of the Early Middle Ages and their Christian interpretation. The paper tries to show how, following the instructions of the evangelist Matthew (6,20: Thesaurizate vos thesauros in caelo), a Christian legitimation of wealth and treasure is only possible if the finder or owner practices devotion, piety, kindness and generosity. Persons of this profile are Narses, byzantine general and conqueror of Italy, then Tiberius the just emperor of the Eastern realm, and the godfearing Chrodinus, a Frankish magnate, finally the charitable Gunthram, king of the Merovingian regnum Burgundiae. Based on this model the Old High German Song of Saint George (end of the ninth century) fashioned the legendary newly converted queen Elessandria (Alexandria) who in the view of her martyrdom spent her treasures for the salvation of her soul.

Abstract

The article deals with four legendary treasure-findings of the Early Middle Ages and their Christian interpretation. The paper tries to show how, following the instructions of the evangelist Matthew (6,20: Thesaurizate vos thesauros in caelo), a Christian legitimation of wealth and treasure is only possible if the finder or owner practices devotion, piety, kindness and generosity. Persons of this profile are Narses, byzantine general and conqueror of Italy, then Tiberius the just emperor of the Eastern realm, and the godfearing Chrodinus, a Frankish magnate, finally the charitable Gunthram, king of the Merovingian regnum Burgundiae. Based on this model the Old High German Song of Saint George (end of the ninth century) fashioned the legendary newly converted queen Elessandria (Alexandria) who in the view of her martyrdom spent her treasures for the salvation of her soul.

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