THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY BY L. M. SMITH SOMERVILLE COLLEGE, OXFORD HUMPHREY MIL-FORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE CAPE TOWN BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS SHANGHAI PEKING COPENHAGEN 1920 — PREFACE Although the importance of the monks of Cluny in the social, political and religious life of the tenth and eleventh centuries has been universally acknowledged, there has been no book in English dealing with the history of the monastery Furthermore, in general histories, English, French, German and Italian, two misconceptions on the subject of Gluny had grown up: (1) that the Cluniacs were highly ascetic and uncompromising members of the Benedictine order; (2) that the Gregorian tenets originated at Cluny, and were pro- mulgated by the Cluniacs who thus prepared the way for Gregory VII. From that standpoint the present writer began her work on Cluny, but on going to the original sources could find no evidence in support of either theory a conclusion she put forward in an article published in the English Historical Review. The theory that Gregory VII. was a monk at Cluny is no longer tenable ; while Martens in his remarkable book on Gregory VII. maintains that the theocratic doctrine originated with Hildebrand himself, and was developed, not by the monks, but by a small group of ecclesiastics within the secular Church. The fallacy of the first theory was exposed by Sackur in his Cluniacenser in Hirer Mrchlichen unci allgemeingeschlichtlichen TVirksamkeit. Sackur, however, is in- terested in tracing the work of the monastic groups which emanated from or were influenced by Cluny, rather than in the history of the monastery itself. It therefore seemed to vi THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY the present writer that there was room for original work on the subject ; for that work the storehouse of facts is the Mecueil des chartes de Cluny published in Bruel's five volumes, which, as far as she knows, have not hitherto been worked over in detail. As grantee, scholar and fellow, she wishes to acknowledge her indebtedness to the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and to express her thanks to Miss Duffy and the Rev. J. Richards for having read the proofs of this book. L. M. S. BIBLIOGRAPHY Original Authorities Adalberonis Carmen. Annales Benedicts, iii. Baldze, ii. Benedicti Chron. Beiiedicti Regula. Boll. AA.SS. April II., May II., Sept. III. Bouquet, ix., x. Bruel. Recueil des chartes de C'luny, i.-iv. Deatr. Farf. Flodoardi chron., iii. Gall. Christ, ii. Gesta abb. Gernblac. Gesta episc. Tull. Havet. Lettres de Gerbert. Joannis XIX. papae epist. Labbe. Concilia, viii., ix. Mabillon. Ann., v. Mabillon. AA.SS., v. Mabillon. Vetera Analecta, ii. Mansi. Concilia, xix. Marrier. Bibl. Clun. MlGNE. Pat. Lat, 103, 132, 133, 139, 141, 142, 159. Miracula sci Mansueti. Miracula sci Benedicti. Miracula sci Gorgonii. Mon. Germ. Script. Pt-rtz, vii., viii., xiii. Mon. Germ. Hist. Sickel, i., ii. Udalricus Consuet. Clun. Vita anonyma Odonis, Bibl. Nat. Paris, 5560. Vita Halinardi. Vita Joh. Gorz. viii THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY Modern Authorities Butler. Benedictine MouacMsm. Drerdner. Kultur und Sittengesehichte der ital. Geistlichkeit. Grutzmacher. Die Bedeutung Benedict von Nursia und seiner Regel. Grandidier. Histoire d'Alsace. Huberti. Studien zur Rechtsgeschichte der Gottesi'rieden. KiucKHOLM. Gescliichte der Gottesfrieden. Lavisse. Histoire de France, ii. 2. Neues Archiv, vii., xv. Pignot. Histoire de Cluni. Pfister. Etudes sur le regne de Robert le Pieux. Sackur. Die Cluniacenser in ihrer kircblichen und allgemeingeschlicht- liehen Wirksamkeit. 7 CONTENTS CHAP. ,. A0E I. — Introduction Early Western Monasticism . 1 II. — Origins of Cluny Berno, first Abbot . 9 III. Odo, second Abbot of Cluny—Early Life — Customs at the Monastery of Baume—Building of Cluny 1 IV. Fleury . 39 V Papal and Royal Charters granted to Cluny— Gifts to Cluny . 47 VI. Odo's reforming Activity — Reform in Upper Lorraine 56 VII. Odo's last Years and Death— His Writings 68 VIII. Odo's Character . 78 IX. Aymardus, third Abbot of Cluny— His Blindness and Death—Gifts to Cluny . 68 X. Maiolus, fourth Abbot of Cluny— Early Life — Rela- tions with the Saxon Emperors— Refusal of the Papal Chair—Maiolus and Fleuhy— Death 100 XI. Maiolus' reforming Activity—Gifts to Cluny 114 XII. Maiolus' Character— Miracles 130 XIII. Odilo, fifth Abbot of Cluny—Early Life — Relations with Popes and Emperors— Royal Charters to Cluny . 143 XIV. Attack on Ci.uny by feudal Lords— Strife with the Episcopate — Satire of Adalbero of Rheims . 155 ix x THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY CHAP. PAGE XV. Cluny and the Peace Movement— Pax Dm and Treuga Dei—Alt, Souls' Day . 170 XVI. Increase op Cluniao Influence—Cluniacs in Spain — Gifts to Cldny . 185 — XVII. Odilo's Dbath Character and Miraci.es . 199 INDEX . 221 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION—EARLY WESTERN MONASTICISM More than a thousand years ago, on the site of duke William of Aquitaine's hunting-lodge, the little monastery of Cluny was founded, an event that seemed of such small importance that the founder hesitated to turn out his hunting dogs in order to make room for the monks. Yet in less than two hundred years the name of that small monastery had become famous throughout Europe, and Cluny head of an international system ; where once the monks had built their wooden houses ' according to their skill and knowledge ' arose a new and famous school of architecture ; where once the modest building had been retarded through lack of funds, rose the church of St. Peter, the admiration and wonder of the world ; where once the dogs had barked, echoed the stately ritual of the most famous musical centre of Europe ; and on the site of the former hunting-lodge rose a monastery so extensive in size, that St. Louis of France and his courtiers could stay there without one of the monks having to leave his cell. Cluny, once a tiny vill, hidden in the black valley, had by then become an international meeting-place better known than Paris itself. But all these things had been added unto her. Cluny's chief work, a work which made her known as the spiritual head of Europe and her monks renowned as the savers of souls, lay in the reform she inaugurated, the spiritual enthusiasm she reawakened in monastic life, and the establishment of one uniform and universal rule in the monasteries of the West. This was no mean achievement, for society had been overturned by the invasions of the barbarians, and the monasteries, defence- 2 THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY less and rich, had been one of the chief objects of attack. There were monasteries to be rebuilt, restored, refounded, and, above all, to be brought under one rule. It is very fitting that the pied-d-terre of the Cluniac abbots at Paris should have been built next the ruins of the thermae and palace of the Roman Emperors, for Cluny stood for the con- tinuance of the old Roman tradition in the regular church, as against the Teutonic element. The Roman monastery had been a community possessing certain rights. The monasteries built or organised under Teutonic influence were rather the appanages or possessions of the founder and his relatives, the Roman idea being too abstract for the ignorant feudal baron to grasp. To the latter the monastery was another form of property which might be inherited, given away, split up, and divided according to the founder's wish, monasteries being held by seven or eight owners much in the same way as a fief. It followed from this that the right of electing an abbot was often claimed by the founder, and delegated by him to his descendants and relatives. St. Benedict, on the contrary, had laid down that freedom of election belonged to the monks. In consequence of the feudal- ising tendency the monk regarded his abbot somewhat in the light of a feudal chief. The vows he made on entering the monastery he made in the presence of the abbot, on whose death he felt himself free to leave the house. 1 Having dedicated his life voluntarily, the monk of the Teutonic school still felt that he remained an individual, with a right to his individual will and judgement. This was against the Roman principle strenuously upheld by the Cluniaes, i.e. the monk once a monk was a monk for life and one of a permanent community. His will had passed into his abbot's keeping. In the Teutonised system, no one rule was accepted as the standard for the Empire. The founder could exercise his indi- vidual preference among the many rules, i.e. from the more 1 It was quite usual for u, monk to pass from one house to another. St. Benedict put an end to this by introducing the vow of stability. THE MONASTERY OF CLUNY 3 ascetic Eastern to the more moderate Western. 1 Nor when a rule was once adopted were its tenets rigorously adhered to, again a consequence of Teutonic individualism. To the free Teutonic spirit, to the rough feudal lord, who at the end of a life of hard fighting founded or retired to a monastery, the monotony of regular discipline, however moderate, must have proved very irksome, and voluntarily to follow that discipline an idea almost beyond his comprehension. Hence abuses crept in, such as are mentioned in the Vita Odonis, e.g. change in the hour of matins that the night's rest should not be broken, richer and warmer clothing, 2 occasional changes from fish and vege- tarian diet, holiday visits to friend and family, no fixed rules as regards fasting—the zealot being allowed to fast more, the indifferent less.