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Chapter 1. Narrating the Saint’s Works: Conversations, Personal Stories, and the Making of Cults

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Wonderful to Relate
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chapter oneNarrating the Saint’s Works:Conversations, Personal Stories,and the Making of CultsIn the early1170s, a judge in Bedford sentenced Eilward of Westoningto blinding and castration for petty thievery. Eilward, a pauper, was dulyblinded—a jailor stabbed his eyes with a knife—and castrated. Some dayslater, however, after asking Thomas Becket for help, Eilward discovered thathe could see again. Benedict of Peterborough, one of the two monks at Can-terbury who recorded this story in a miracle collection, describes how peoplecame to see Eilward in Bedford and hear his tale: ‘‘Word of this went outamong the vicinity, and the new thing attracted no small multitude of peo-ple.’’1As Eilward traveled to Canterbury to give thanks at Becket’s tomb, hetold his story to crowds along the road, a scene later pictured in an earlythirteenth-century glass panel in Canterbury Cathedral (Figure1). The origi-nal inscription to this panel read, ‘‘The people stand by as he narrates themighty works of the saint’’ (ASTAT NARRANTI POPULUS MAGNALIASANCTI).2Eilward’s story caused such a buzz and was picked up and retoldso often that it beat him to Canterbury. The Christ Church monks, Benedictcomments, had heard about Eilward’s miracle from many others before hearrived.3While the extent of the oral circulation of Eilward’s story was clearlyextraordinary, the references to conversation, speech, and oral storytelling inthe written accounts of his miracle are not. Medieval miracle collections arefull of such references: as John McNamara has pointed out, the analysis ofhagiographic texts often ‘‘reveals surprising amounts of information aboutthe tellings of these legends in their own contexts.’’4Simon Yarrow writes ofPAGE 9.................17798$$CH1 09-13-10 08:51:14 PS

chapter oneNarrating the Saint’s Works:Conversations, Personal Stories,and the Making of CultsIn the early1170s, a judge in Bedford sentenced Eilward of Westoningto blinding and castration for petty thievery. Eilward, a pauper, was dulyblinded—a jailor stabbed his eyes with a knife—and castrated. Some dayslater, however, after asking Thomas Becket for help, Eilward discovered thathe could see again. Benedict of Peterborough, one of the two monks at Can-terbury who recorded this story in a miracle collection, describes how peoplecame to see Eilward in Bedford and hear his tale: ‘‘Word of this went outamong the vicinity, and the new thing attracted no small multitude of peo-ple.’’1As Eilward traveled to Canterbury to give thanks at Becket’s tomb, hetold his story to crowds along the road, a scene later pictured in an earlythirteenth-century glass panel in Canterbury Cathedral (Figure1). The origi-nal inscription to this panel read, ‘‘The people stand by as he narrates themighty works of the saint’’ (ASTAT NARRANTI POPULUS MAGNALIASANCTI).2Eilward’s story caused such a buzz and was picked up and retoldso often that it beat him to Canterbury. The Christ Church monks, Benedictcomments, had heard about Eilward’s miracle from many others before hearrived.3While the extent of the oral circulation of Eilward’s story was clearlyextraordinary, the references to conversation, speech, and oral storytelling inthe written accounts of his miracle are not. Medieval miracle collections arefull of such references: as John McNamara has pointed out, the analysis ofhagiographic texts often ‘‘reveals surprising amounts of information aboutthe tellings of these legends in their own contexts.’’4Simon Yarrow writes ofPAGE 9.................17798$$CH1 09-13-10 08:51:14 PS

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Illustrations ix
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 1. Narrating the Saint’s Works: Conversations, Personal Stories, and the Making of Cults 9
  6. Chapter 2. To Experience What I Have Heard: Plotlines and Patterning of Oral Miracle Stories 28
  7. Chapter 3. A Drop from the Ocean’s Waters: Lantfred of Fleury and the Cult of Swithun at Winchester 47
  8. Chapter 4. Fruitful in the House of the Lord: The Early Miracle Collections of Goscelin of St.-Bertin 60
  9. Chapter 5. They Ought to be Written: Osbern of Canterbury and the First English Miracle Collectors 79
  10. Chapter 6. Obvious Material for Writing: Eadmer of Canterbury and the Miracle-Collecting Boom 92
  11. Chapter 7. What the People Bring: Miracle Collecting in the Mid- to Late Twelfth Century 112
  12. Chapter 8. Most Blessed Martyr: Thomas Becket’s Murder and the Christ Church Collections 139
  13. Chapter 9. I Take Up the Burden: Benedict of Peterborough’s Examination of Becket’s Miracles 159
  14. Chapter 10. Choose What You Will: William of Canterbury and the Heavenly Doctor 181
  15. Conclusion: The End of Miracle Collecting 201
  16. Appendix 1: Manuscripts of the Christ Church Miracle Collections for Thomas Becket 211
  17. Appendix 2: The Construction of Benedict of Peterborough’s Miracula S. Thomae 215
  18. Appendix 3: The Construction of William of Canterbury’s Miracula S. Thomae 221
  19. List of Abbreviations 225
  20. Notes 229
  21. Selected Bibliography 297
  22. Index 321
  23. Acknowledgments 335
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https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812206999.9

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Illustrations ix
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 1. Narrating the Saint’s Works: Conversations, Personal Stories, and the Making of Cults 9
  6. Chapter 2. To Experience What I Have Heard: Plotlines and Patterning of Oral Miracle Stories 28
  7. Chapter 3. A Drop from the Ocean’s Waters: Lantfred of Fleury and the Cult of Swithun at Winchester 47
  8. Chapter 4. Fruitful in the House of the Lord: The Early Miracle Collections of Goscelin of St.-Bertin 60
  9. Chapter 5. They Ought to be Written: Osbern of Canterbury and the First English Miracle Collectors 79
  10. Chapter 6. Obvious Material for Writing: Eadmer of Canterbury and the Miracle-Collecting Boom 92
  11. Chapter 7. What the People Bring: Miracle Collecting in the Mid- to Late Twelfth Century 112
  12. Chapter 8. Most Blessed Martyr: Thomas Becket’s Murder and the Christ Church Collections 139
  13. Chapter 9. I Take Up the Burden: Benedict of Peterborough’s Examination of Becket’s Miracles 159
  14. Chapter 10. Choose What You Will: William of Canterbury and the Heavenly Doctor 181
  15. Conclusion: The End of Miracle Collecting 201
  16. Appendix 1: Manuscripts of the Christ Church Miracle Collections for Thomas Becket 211
  17. Appendix 2: The Construction of Benedict of Peterborough’s Miracula S. Thomae 215
  18. Appendix 3: The Construction of William of Canterbury’s Miracula S. Thomae 221
  19. List of Abbreviations 225
  20. Notes 229
  21. Selected Bibliography 297
  22. Index 321
  23. Acknowledgments 335
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