Making History in High Medieval Styria (1185-1202)—The Vorau Manuscript in Its Secular and Spiritual Context
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Making History in High Medieval Styria (1185-1202)—The Vorau Manuscript in its Secular and Spiritual Context by Jacob Wakelin A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto © Copyright by Jacob Wakelin 2018 Making History in High Medieval Styria (1185-1202)—The Vorau Manuscript in its Secular and Spiritual Context Jacob Wakelin Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto 2018 Abstract This dissertation focuses on the historical, social, and political context of the Vorau manuscript (Stiftsarchiv Vorau Codex 276), a collection of more than a dozen Middle High German poems from the late eleventh to the mid-twelfth century in addition to Otto of Freising’s Gesta Friderici I. imperatoris. When taken together, the manuscript’s disparate assortment of texts creates a roughly coherent history of the world from Genesis down to about 1160. Compiled by the Augustinian canons of the Styrian house towards the end of the twelfth century under the provost Bernard I, the manuscript references local historical events and individuals that were intimately tied to the region’s monastic houses. The Otakars (1055-1192) and Babenbergs (1192-1246) were the founders and advocates of a large number of the monastic communities, and this dissertation argues that the interplay of interests between the Styrian court and its religious houses forms the backdrop to the Vorau manuscript’s creation. These interests centred on the political legitimacy, social relevance, and stability of both parties that resulted from a monastery’s role in creating a history of a dynasty through commemorative practices and historical writing. This emphasis on dynasty and heritage was also a key aspect of crusading ii movement of the twelfth century, playing up the importance of dynasty and heritage in the context of salvation history and increasing demand for the commemorative services offered by canons and monks. The spiritual and secular importance of dynastically driven historical consciousness at Styria’s monasteries and its court constitute the context which imbued the texts of the Vorau manuscript with relevance for its composers and subsequent users. iii Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge all of those who have contributed in innumerable, unquantifiable, and indispensible ways to the completion of this endeavour. In particular I would like to thank Markus Stock for always showing me the way forward, for his steady hand on the tiller, and his ability to extract the best from any situation. All my committee members current and former— Bert Roest, Shami Ghosh, and Lawrin Armstrong—likewise deserve acknowledgement and my gratitude for their hard work and ingenuity in shaping this project and guiding it to its successful end. I am especially indebted to Professor John B. Freed for his generous insights and thorough feedback. To my family and friends with whom I have shared the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the past few years: thank you for patience in this, and all things. Herrn Stefan Reiter, Stiftsarchivar zu Vorau, danke ich darüber hinaus sehr herzlich. Ohne seine freundliche Unterstützung bei meinem Forschungsaufenthalt in Vorau und seine Bereitschaft meine Arbeit mit seiner Hilfsbereitschaft zu fördern, wäre der Abschluss der vorliegenden Dissertation vollkommen unmöglich gewesen. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents..........................................................................................................................v List of Abbreviations....................................................................................................................ix List of Figures...............................................................................................................................x Introduction...................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. At the Crossroads of Court and Cloister: The Growth of Styria and its Monastic and Canonical Communities 1.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................13 1.2 The Growth of Styria in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries..............................19 1.3 The Styrian Succession Crisis and the Union of 1192.........................................24 1.4 The Creation and Maintenance of Secular Identity and Legitimacy in the Monastery.............................................................................................................28 1.4.1 Historical Writing in Vorau......................................................................29 1.4.2 Life After Death: Memoria and the Creation of Dynastic Identity..........33 1.4.3 Necrologies and Anniversarial Books......................................................36 1.4.4 Babenberg Memoria in the Styrian Monasteries.......................................40 1.4.5 Vorau’s Role in Creating Memoria...........................................................42 1.4.6 The Burial of Otakar III.............................................................................43 1.4.7 Charters and the Creation of Memoria.......................................................47 1.4.8 The Role of Otakarian Memoria after 1192: the Foundations..................54 of Babenberg Legitimacy in Styria 1.4.9 The Grave Monument of Otakar IV.........................................................59 1.5 The Dietrich of Bern Episode in the Vorau Kaiserchronik...................................62 v 1.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................77 Chapter 2. Ruler, Christian, Crusader: Lay Religiosity and the Monastery During the Crusading Movement of the Twelfth Century 2.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................79 2.2 Crusading Propaganda in the Twelfth Century....................................................83 2.3 Crusade Preaching and Propaganda in the March of Styria.................................94 2.4 The Impact of the Preaching: Styrians on Crusade..............................................96 2.4.1 Otakar III on Crusade................................................................................102 2.4.2 Otakar IV’s Abortive Crusade...................................................................108 2.4.3 A Continued Tradition of Crusading in Styria...........................................113 2.5 Crusading and the Styrian Monasteries...............................................................119 2.6 Vorau’s Historiographical Interest and the Crusades..........................................123 2.7 The Interplay of Power, Piety, and Salvation in the Iconographic Program of the Johannes-Kapelle in Pürgg..................................................................................130 2.8 Conclusion...........................................................................................................140 Chapter 3. Kaiserchronik, Alexander, and Ezzolied. Texts for a Styrian Context. 3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................142 3.2 Crusade Propaganda and the Vorau Manuscript................................................145 3.3 The Kaiserchronik 3.3.1 Introduction...............................................................................................147 3.3.2 The Kaiserchronik and the Presentation of Historical Time......................153 3.3.3 The German Emperors and their Heritage.................................................156 3.3.4 The Kaiserchronik and the Crusades.........................................................166 vi 3.3.5 The Imperial-Papal Paradigm and the Crusades........................................169 3.3.6 The First Crusade vv. 16,618-16,790.........................................................170 3.3.7 The Second Crusade 17,248-17,283...........................................................173 3.3.8 Conclusion..................................................................................................175 3.4. The Vorau Alexander 3.4.1 Introduction................................................................................................177 3.4.2 Dynasty and Heritage in the Vorau Alexander...........................................181 3.4.3 Some crusading elements in the Vorau Alexander.....................................191 3.5. The Ezzolied 3.5.1 Introduction...............................................................................................194 3.5.2 The Ezzolied and Crusader Piety................................................................201 3.6 Conclusion..........................................................................................................208 Chapter 4. Personal Salvation and the Treatment of Crusader Violence in the Vorau Manuscript 4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................210 4.2 Dissenting Voices or Reserved Acceptance? The Milstätter Exodus and the Vorauer Bücher Mosis....................................................................................216 4.3 The Place of Violence in Twelfth-Century