Instytut Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk

(On the perceptions of nature in medieval hagiography of St. Adalbert)

Year of publication: 2015
Page range: 18 (5-22)
Keywords: hagiography, St. Adalbert, sanctity, nature
Author: Aleksandra Starowicz (The Pedagogical University of Cracow)

Abstract

The paper attempts to examine nature as a theme in the five oldest hagiographical texts on St. Adalbert: “The First Life of St. Adalbert" (Sancti Adalberti Pragensis episcopi et martyris vita prior), “The Second Life of St. Adalbert" (Vita et passio s. Adalberti altera), “The Martyrdom of St. Adalbert" (Pasio Sancti Adalperti martiris), the life on the “Tempore illo" incipit (De sancto Adalberto episcopo), and “The Miracles of St. Adalbert" (Miracula sancti Adalberti). A short introduction into the topic of the medieval perception of nature is followed by a characteristic of the texts. The core of the paper is an analysis of the fragments of the texts where nature is being described. In approximately 30,000 words, a couple of dozen uses of nature-related motifs are counted. Their metaphorical, symbolic, and rhetorical interpretation is discussed. The conclusion of the paper consists of the observation of the medieval concept of depicting sanctity: from relative realism to idealisation and conventionalisation.

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