The international workshop focused on the interplay of prophetic and political dimensions in medieval sources. The multifaceted nature with which the topic was approached on several levels was particularly appealing. Researchers from various fields of medieval history presented in six thematically aligned panels a wide range of medieval sources from different genres and cultural provenances. The workshop, thus, aimed at taking innovative approaches for further research on prophecies and politics in a comparative perspective.
After a brief introduction by Klaus Herbers (Erlangen) as one of the Directors of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities (ICRH) “Faith, Freedom and Prognostication”, the workshop organisers RIKE SZILL (Kiel) and MANUEL KAMENZIN (Bochum/Erlangen) identified both English and German research traditions and emerging knowledge gaps. Offering a starting point for further discussion, they pointed out the political nature of prophetic texts which consisted in their instructive intentions and related socio-political reactions. In particular, they referred to the ambivalent character of the texts, which – in the perception of the recipients – oscillated between fear and interest. They further outlined five guiding questions: (1) What links internal text contents with contemporary politics? (2) (How) Are those strategies related to specific types of text? (3) How are these sources to be assessed in terms of innovation and tradition? (4) Can these sources provide information on how people dealt with prophetic texts? (5) (How) Are these sources to be localised within prophetic texts genres? Does there even exist a prophetic text genre as such?
The first panel focused on otherworld journeys. KAROLIN KÜNZEL (Kiel) presented an account in the “Libellus de Exordio” by Symeon of Durham which dealt with the otherworld journey of the layman Boso in 12th-century England. Künzel showed that this episode was integrated in the historiographical work so well that it corresponded with the death of bishop William of Saint-Calais at the end of the narration. Demonstrating that the journey provided revelations to the layman regarding the near future of the diocese and the author’s design of the bishop who was especially emphasised by his spiritual function, she illustrated the connection between prophetic elements and political intentions.
PATRICK NEHR-BASELER (Kiel) discussed two late medieval and both Early New High German accounts of an otherworld journey: “The miraculous sign in Sicily” and an excerpt from its réécriture “The pastor in the hole”. In comparison of both texts, he illustrated the increased socio-critical and political undertone of the latter considering political change. He also stressed the importance of media aspects such as the dissemination of texts through manuscripts and incunables in monastic and urban milieus. In the discussion, the constitutive elements of both prophetic texts and otherworld journeys were highlighted with regard to prognostication: visionary texts combine elements of prophetic literature without being necessarily placed within the genre.
In the second panel, the perspective shifted from the Christian to the Islamic World. DELIA CORTESE (London) illustrated synergies of political intentions and prognostic text elements through a dream of the founder of the Sulayhid dynasty, ‘Ali b. Muhammad al-Sulayhi, in 11th-century Yemen. Understanding the account as being intended to legitimise rulership and religious leadership – especially towards the Egyptian Fatimids –, she emphasised that the connection of dreams with higher social position is crucial to gain authority. In this case, she continued that the prophetic dream would have been used as a device for a temporary legitimisation.
PETRA SCHMIDL (Erlangen) provided insights into the horoscope of the prophet Muḥammad in the “Book on conjunctions, on religions and peoples”, an early medieval Arabic compilation written by Māshāˀ Allāh b. Atharī in the late 8th, early 9th century comprising astrological and astronomical sources. Although the understanding of astrological texts depended on strong personal influence and specific knowledge, which are similar to the understanding of prophetic texts, she pointed out that the horoscope should neither be read nor interpreted in a prophetic way. The further discussion highlighted transcultural aspects of astrological prognostics.
The third panel was dedicated to the Crusades, which took place in the Levante during the 13th century. Both contributions referred to the so-called ¬“Liber Clementis”, an originally lost Egypt source collecting, rewriting and adopting several prophetic texts, which became known to a Christian audience during the 13th century. Therefore, comparative questions were raised in a narrow contextual range: GION WALLMEYER (Essen) examined a passage taken from the “Liber recuperationis Terre Sancte”, a Franciscan tract to reconquer the Holy Land written by Fidenzio of Padua on behalf of the Pope in the 13th century. He emphasised that the prophetic text elements were unusual for tracts dealing with reconquest but referred to its specific motivating character in order to achieve the reconquest of the Holy Land.
JAN VANDEBURIE (Leicester) complemented the panel by presenting a passage from the “Historia Damiatina” by Oliver of Paderborn. Emphasising that the prophetic part of the “Historia” was addressed to soldiers in order to encourage them, he concisely explained how prophetic texts can efficiently induce politically intended reactions within a specific group. Issues of a prospective original manuscript of the “Liber Clementis” were jointly discussed. The means of increasing authority mentioned before were extended by the appearance of literary topoi such as the finding history (“Fundgeschichte”) of the “Liber”, its proximity to Arabic astrology and the use of biblical names.
The fourth panel addressed developments in Central Europe in the late Middle Ages. It was particularly delightful that FRANCES KNEUPPER (Mississippi/Budapest) presented a widely unknown text which has not received a critical edition so far: a Middle High/Early Modern German transcript of the prophetic “Visio Gigebaldi” from the 15th century. She illustrated not only oppositional positions against the church but also depictions of the conflict between the Latin West and the Greek East.
MANUEL KAMENZIN (Bochum/Erlangen) discussed a text called “Regnabit Menfridus Bastardus”, a prophecy handed down in the 13th century’s “Cronica S. Petri Erfordensis moderna”. He concisely showed that the prophecy was meant to motivate Frederick the Brave, a nephew of Emperor Frederick II, to claim himself rightful king of Sicily. Furthermore, parts of this prophecy also reappeared in the popular “Veniet Aquila” prophecy in the 15th century. During the discussion, aspects of transmission and its ambivalent character were highlighted: on the one hand, smaller prophetic texts are more easily to get lost. On the other hand, precisely because of their brevity, there was a good chance of handing them down by fitting them into gaps on manuscript parchment.
The fifth panel focused on prophecies and animal symbolism in the Byzantine Empire. The text passages presented by TRISTAN SCHMIDT (Katowice/Istanbul) centred around established symbols and motifs with a long tradition in the field of prophetic and apocalyptic Byzantine writing such as the Byzantine Emperor as lion king. Schmidt demonstrated their continuity and development in the context of political actions and asked about their perception in the Latin West.
RIKE SZILL (Kiel) illustrated the significance of prophetic texts in the context of the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. She compared passages taken from the history written by the late Byzantine author Doucas in the 15th century with the so-called “Oracula Leonis”, a compilation of very different prophetic texts which were updated after the conquest of Constantinople to centre them around the Ottoman sultans. Taking the bee motif as example, Szill discussed different possibilities of adapting animal symbolism in order to create meaning to recent developments. The discussion pointed out the role of the correspondence of animal symbolism with rulership ideology.
The sixth and last panel dealt with clerical action as well as papal and social reactions regarding the legitimacy of prophets. HANS-CHRISTIAN LEHNER (Erlangen) led the discussion towards an examination of the interaction between text and illustrations using the example of the “Vaticinia de summis pontificibus”, a Latin translation of the oracles presented by Szill in the fifth panel. He, therefore, not only demonstrated the wide acceptance of the prophecies transmitted in the “Vaticinia” but also showed that these prophecies were balanced with the knowledge about popes afterwards.
CHRISTIAN HOFFARTH (Kiel) presented sources concerning the socio-religious movement led by Hans Behem in the 15th century. Hoffarth understood them as not conforming to typical traditions of prophetic texts: for Hans Behem, as a prophet, was neither educated nor wealthy and, thus, not able to access knowledge traditions. Therefore, Hoffarth suggested that Behem must have been a credible prophet. In the discussion, it was stressed again that the status of a prophetic text depends on its social reception. In this regard, its acceptance by the people and its credibility would have brought potential for conflict since church and people not always necessarily agreed on authority.
The workshop explored a variety of genres of different cultural, geographical, and religious provenances as well as well-known and lesser-known source material. The participants not only elaborated individual political dimensions of the discussed prophetic texts and located them within the genre but also linked their results with each other. On the one hand, there was an intensive discussion about textual details, about questions of genre as well as about motivic traditions and innovations. On the other hand, the participants stringently focused on concepts such as authority, credibility and symbolism.
Conference overview:
Klaus Herbers (Erlangen): Welcome
Manuel Kamenzin (Bochum/Erlangen) and Rike Szill (Kiel): Introduction
Karolin Künzel (Kiel): Symeon of Durham and the otherworld journey of Boso
Patrick Nehr-Baseler (Kiel): „Das Wunderzeichen auf Sizilien“ and „Der Pfarrer im Loch“
Delia Cortese (London): Recounting a dream to legitimise leadership: the case of its use within a religious-political Muslim minority in medieval Yemen
Petra G. Schmidl (Erlangen): Muḥammad’s horoscope in the “Kitāb fī l-qiranāt wa-l-adyān wa-al-milal” (“Book on conjunctions, on religions and peoples”) by Māshāˀ Allāh (d. ca. 815)
Gion Wallmeyer (Essen): Fidenzio of Padua: “Book of the Recovery of the Holy Land” (c. 1290/91)
Jan Vandeburie (Leicester): The “Book of Clement” from Oliver of Paderborn’s “Historia Damiatina” (late 1220s)
Frances Kneupper (Mississippi/Budapest): The “Visio Gigebaldi” or “Prophecy for 1460”
Manuel Kamenzin (Bochum/Erlangen): “Manfred the bastard will rule …”
Tristan Schmidt (Katowice/Istanbul): Lions of the apocalypse? – Byzantine emperors, crusader kings, and the prophecy of the last emperor
Rike Szill (Kiel): The history of Doucas and the “Oracles of Leo the Wise”
Hans-Christian Lehner (Erlangen): “Vaticinia de summis pontificibus”’
Christian Hoffarth (Kiel): Hans Behem