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Sainthood and Vilification in the Narrative of William of Norwich

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Sainthood and Vilification in the Narrative of William of Norwich Sainthood and Vilifcation in the Narrative of William of Norwich AUTHOR: Hannah Bennett EDITED BY: Lyndsay-Marie Talon, Esti Azizi, and Marisa Coulton On Easter Sunday 1144, the body of a The translation of relics was an important part of young boy named William was found in Thorpe medieval religion. In translation, a saint’s remains Wood, Norwich. A Christian monk, Thomas of are exhumed and moved to another location to Monmouth, arrived nearly three decades later to become a pilgrimage destination for Christians take up William’s cause by writing about the case who seek out miracles.3 These items are believed in his work entitled The Life and Miracles of St. to have holy mystic powers, and in the medieval William of Norwich, in 1173. Monmouth’s account Church, their acquisition and pilgrimages to them of William falls into a common form of Christian were a part of religious culture.4 William’s relics propaganda used in the medieval period known as were transported from Thorpe Wood, the initial ‘hagiography,’ writings which depict the exalted life burial site, to the Monk’s Cemetery, then to the of saints and martyrs.1 The narrative constructed Chapter House and eventually, to the Chapel of the by Thomas Monmouth details William’s sainthood, Martyrs at the time of the publication of Monmouth’s but also vilifes the local Jewish community when work in 1173.5 Arriving several years after William’s illustrating Christian-Jewish relations, resulting death, Monmouth set out to gather details about in the notion of ritualistic murder known as ‘blood William’s life and the subsequent miracles said libel’ that would further impact the Christian- to have occurred at his resting place to compose Jewish relations in Medieval Europe. Blood libel his hagiography.6 As hagiographies are used to is accusation of ritualistic murders carried out by demonstrate the holiness displayed by chronicled Jews on Christian children. This paper will examine individuals, Monmouth’s hagiography was written Monmouth’s motivations in writing William’s to demonstrate the martyrdom of William, his hagiography, the ways in which Monmouth depicts religious virtue and the miracles that make him William as a holy fgure, the use of testimonies to worthy of sainthood.7 Thus, Monmouth, in his help drive the narrative of the hagiography and efforts to sanctify William, constructs a narrative the lasting effects for those deemed “offenders” in suited for hagiography. William’s martyrdom. In the construction of the hagiographic To understand the narrative presented narrative, Monmouth presents William as an in Monmouth’s account, the motivations for individual who embodied aspects of life and death Monmouth’s documentation of the case must frst similar to Christ. The frst case in the hagiography be understood. Thomas of Monmouth claimed to to demonstrate this similarity to the life of Jesus have had visions which prompted him to become is the way in which William’s mother learns of her an advocate for William’s cause. These visions pregnancy writing, “it was revealed to her how great brought him to the Cathedral in Norwich in 1150 should the sanctity and dignity of him whom she to take up the responsibility of sacrist, caring for bore in her womb.”8 This is akin to Mary’s vision the translation of the relics of William and writing of the Archangel Gabriel and his message of the an account of the miracles associated with them.2 child she was bringing into the world and his role as 79 the Son of God. This parallel allows Monmouth to this draws a parallel between the William’s death demonstrate from the earliest point of William’s life and that of Jesus, not simply by the supposed his importance as a blessed individual. Monmouth way of death, but also in the belief that the Jews also describes William’s devotion as a boy when were responsible for Christ’s death. Monmouth’s writing, “he [William] became so devoted to discussion of the mockery of the Lord’s passion abstinence that, though his older brothers did not indicates that he believed William’s death to be a fast, he himself fasted on three days of the week.”9 symbolic message through repetition of Christ’s Monmouth’s description refects the narrative that shameful death. The dates and events surrounding William demonstrated piety as evidenced by his William’s death, as described by Monmouth, further devotion. To this, Monmouth notes “the signs even the alleged religiosity of William. The events are thus early how great his merits were to be in the noted to have occurred during Holy Week, between days to come.”10 In reference to the “days to come” the Monday after Palm Sunday and the discovery Monmouth alludes to the ensuing death of William of the body on the Saturday before Easter.15 which is central to his martyrdom. Monmouth Through numerous tactics worked into his account, once again draws from the life and death of Jesus Monmouth demonstrates William’s pious and holy when he interjects his opinion that “by the ordering character and predestination. He is depicted as a of the divine providence he [William] had been boy who refects similarities to Christ where he too predestined to martyrdom from the beginning of is meant to fulfl a greater purpose which comes time.”11 This notion of William’s predestination of through his martyrdom. martyrdom, or death for a greater cause, refects the earlier vision William’s mother had before his The efforts of Monmouth to draw birth, which noted the sanctity of William, comes connections in order to enhance the holiness of full circle in William’s martyrdom for the Christian William are derived from his own account, however, faith. much of Monmouth’s account in the hagiography relies on the testimonies of individuals who provide Upon discussion of William’s death, support for the narrative which he seeks to present. Monmouth makes a connection to heighten the Monmouth himself wrote “All which I, Thomas, a notion of William’s holiness, describing William as monk of Norwich, after hearing it from their lips and a lamb and claiming, “then the boy, like an innocent knowing it to be certainly true, have been careful lamb, was led to the slaughter.”12 Monmouth’s to hand down in writing, because I did not think decision to describe William as a lamb has several that the story of so important a truth to be lost or connotations, as a lamb is often a symbol of concealed by silence.”16 The incorporation of many innocence and purity. Jesus himself is often referred testimonies creates a damning case against those to as the ‘Lamb of God,’ thus elevating William accused of the murder while illuminating William’s to a Christ-like level of holiness. Furthermore, martyrdom. There are several witnesses that Monmouth’s description of William as a ‘lamb’ Monmouth uses to fll in gaps in the story. Creating can refer to the biblical notion of a sacrifcial lamb. a sense of reliability in the legitimacy of the William is said to be in possession of the Jews, narrative that he presents while also offering the Monmouth notes that William’s head was “stabbed believed perpetrators of the crime that occurred. with countless thorn points,” which resembled the Monmouth relied on William’s mother to provide thorn of crowns Jesus wore prior to his crucifxion, him with the details of William’s life from conception creating another association between William to his death twelve years later. While her testament and Christ.13 Monmouth believes that William’s offers unique insight, it is the inclusion of several death was an effort made by the Jews to make other witnesses to the events proceeding William’s a mockery of the Lord’s passion; frst by torturing death that provide the bulk of Monmouth’s account. him, and then fxing him to a cross. 14 Once again, While Monmouth uses testimonies to accompany 80 his writing to help develop the chronicle which he the death of William. is presenting in the hagiography, it must be noted that these testimonies were included to aid in the Monmouth also makes mention of the narrative which Monmouth is seeking to develop. reported wounds that had been found on William’s This can be understood to be a literary method body, the details of the wounds helping to illustrate used by Monmouth to further his narrative and the way in which he had been tortured and killed. provide ‘proof.’ While these testimonies—often The evidence used by Monmouth indicates that referring to no one in particular and instead to an William was fastened and bound with chords and elusive source—may have been entirely fabricated had had his left hand and foot pierced by nails as to develop or ft the narrative, some aspects of well as what was believed to be the mortal wound to them may hold some truthfulness. his left side.21 Again, in his account of the aftermath of William’s death, Monmouth makes reference to The bulk of the testimonies Monmouth the testimony of one of the Jews, allegedly a part uses to direct his narrative come from people of the group, which consulted with one another who implicate the Jewish community in the as to how they should dispose of the body of death of William. Monmouth makes mention of William. According to the testimony of this witness, learning from, “certain Jews, who were afterwards it is claimed that there had been discussion of converted to the Christian faith,” that not only had disposing William’s body in the cesspool, however, William been targeted by local Jews who had fear that the body would be discovered when the required the assistance of a man, unknown by sewers were cleaned or new ones built, implicating Monmouth whether he was Jewish or Christian, the Jews in the murder, led to the decision to place to capture William and bring him back to them the body of William in a place distanced from the before Passover.17 The decision of Monmouth to Jews, in an attempt to shift the blame.22 The use of include such testimonies allows for the implication a witness who is said to have been present at this of the local Jewish community in a conspiracy to gathering allows Monmouth to demonstrate two follow through on the planned murder of William.
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