Benedictine Maledictions: Liturgical Cursing in Romanesque France [Paperback]

Lester K. Little (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 1996

"'May they be cursed in town and cursed in the fields. May their barns be cursed and may their bones be cursed. May the fruit of their loins be cursed as well as the fruit of their lands.' French monks of the Middle Ages hurled curses like these at their enemies, seeking supernatural assistance when no secular judge could help them. In a long-awaited book written with elegance and erudition, Lester Little undertakes the first full-length study of these maledictions. . . . The book's focus is the way that religious communities--especially the monks who followed Benedict's Rule and hence were known by his name--used liturgical cursing to safeguard their integrity and their possessions, against both laymen and other ecclesiastics." --Journal of Social History

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'May they be cursed in town and cursed in the fields. May their barns be cursed and may their bones be cursed. May the fruit of their loins be cursed as well as the fruit of their lands.' French monks of the Middle Ages hurled curses like these at their enemies, seeking supernatural assistance when no secular judge could help them. In a long-awaited book written with elegance and erudition, Lester Little undertakes the first full-length study of these maledictions. . . . The book's focus is the way that religious communities-especially the monks who followed Benedict's Rule and hence were known by his name-used liturgical cursing to safeguard their integrity and their possessions, against both laymen and other ecclesiastics."-Journal of Social History

"Little begins with a custom that may seem quaint; he ends by leading the reader through a series of centrally important historical developments, and in most cases he succeeds in showing their relevance to this extraordinary custom of liturgical cursing."-Richard Kieckhefer, Northwestern University, American Historical Review, December 1995

"Professor Little has carried out in masterly fashion his stated goal, the re-creation of the whole cutlure of medieval clamor, and in the process he has illuminated many other aspects of medieval religious, social, and legal practices. His book, filled with charming personal asides, will be duly appreciated by scholars, admirers, and nonspecialists."-Bede K. Lackner, University of Texas, Arlington, Speculum, October 1995

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (April 18, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801481139
• ISBN-13: 978-0801481130
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,118,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.