Written by Johnny Grandjean Gøgsig Jakobsen, Student at the University of Roskilde
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Written by Johnny Grandjean Gøgsig Jakobsen, student at the University of Roskilde Published by the Vestry of Holbæk St Nikolai 2002 Who were the Black Friars? Sortebrødre is the Danish term for fore not be termed as monks, but as the Black Friars of the Dominican friars. They lived in communities in Order, which began in the early 13th the towns, usually in rather modest century. The order was established by buildings, which officially should not Dominic (c.1170-1221), a Spanish be termed as monasteries, but as canon of the Augustinian Order, after priories; still, in Danish the word for he met with the Catharist heretics of monastery (kloster) is the most Southern France. Dominic realised, common term. Often the most that the existing orders and the priests valuable items of the priory were the of the secular church could no longer books of the Dominican libraries. The meet with the spiritual schools of the needs of the public. Dominican Order He therefore wanted were mainly concen- to start a new trated on the educa- community of theo- tion of preachers, but logically learned they could also clerks, who could produce great theo- travel between towns, logical thinkers such preaching the gospels as Thomas Aquinas and saving souls, (c.1225-1274). Their while establishing an schools were also apostolic alternative open to outside to the Cathars and students, such as the other heretics, by parish priests. living a life of auste- Possibly, it was due to rity and renunciation this combined training of worldly goods. in theology and preaching that the The order of St Dominican students Dominic received the blessing of the became skilled debaters and teachers. pope in 1216, allthough it was only The new order were originally acknowledged as a branch of the directed towards the many kinds of Augustinian Order. The official name heretics of the High and Late Middle was Ordo Predicatorum, “the Order Ages and the Friars Preachers were of Preachers” or the Friars Preachers put in charge of the Inquisition. (in Danish prædikebrødre, “preaching brothers”). Like the other The Dominican Order soon spread regular orders, who followed the Rule out from Southern France to the of St Augustine, the Dominicans did whole of Western Europe. The first not make a vow of stabilitas loci (to friars arrived in Denmark in 1222, stay at one place) and should there- where they received the nickname Black Friars (in Danish sortebrødre, as the poverty made the brethren both “black brothers”) because of the trustworthy and mobile. At the same colour of the cloak that they wore on time, however, the Mendicants top of the white habit whenever they became dependent on the good will served in the church or went outside and generosity of the townspeople, the priory. At about the same time, wherever they came. another Mendicant order of St Francis, the Friars Minor - who in The Mendicant Orders broke from Denmark was to be known as de små traditional monasticism by aban- brødre (“the small brothers”) or doning the seclusion and enclosure of gråbrødre (“grey brothers”) - also the cloister in order to engage in an introduced themselves active pastoral in many European mission to the society towns. Even though of their time. The the two orders had success of the several similarities on Dominicans built, in a the outside, they built matter of speaking, on on rather different good marketing. They concepts. came to the people, where the people was, The common term for and gave to the the brethren of both people, what the orders, Mendicants people wanted: good (i.e. “beggars”, in preaching about how Danish tiggerbrødre), to live the apostolic refered to the fact that life of piety and they refused to own poverty, which the property (individually brethren themselves as well as corporate), were the ultimate and depended upon example of. The organised begging for their support. Mendicants also came to the sick and Among other things, the Mendicant the poor of the town, to bring them Orders came into life as a sign of the words of comfort and perhaps even increasing criticism against the relieving herbal extracts. To many existing orders (especially the Cister- members of the rich bourgeoisie, the cians, who had Zealand monasteries Mendicants appeared to live as close at Sorø and Esrum), who were said to to the apostolic ideal as humanly be more concerned with collecting possible. The Black Friars received and administrating estates, than with still more donations and requests for living the apostolic life. The sincere burial places in the Dominican austerity of the friars was therefore a churches, which many merchant powerful weapon against the heretics, families preferred to the local parish churches. This of course could create some rivalry with the priests of the secular church, but there are far more indications of good relations between the secular priests and the friars. For many parish priests in the rural areas, the travelling friars were their only theological advisors, and several of the secular priests visited the Dominican schools, which were open to them as well as to the friars. The Dominican Order was especially interested in recruiting well-educated youth, whom usually came from the The friars chosen for preaching spent higher urban classes. Also the sons of a lot of their time on their own artisans and farmers would join the studying in the cells of the priory or communities, often as lay brothers practising their skills of preaching (conversi), a lower educated group of and argumentation with the other the brethren, who took care of the preachers, all under careful observa- more practical duties in the priory, tion by the elder friars and the but they too worked in the streets and lecturer in particular. When the friars market places with the preachers. were considered sufficiently educa- ted, they were sent out in the streets (always in pairs) to help the good people of the town to receive the Gospel and repent their sins. While offering these services to the lay people, the friars received small donations of money or goods, which they brought back home to the priory. Another significant part of the life of the Black Friars (just like any other monastic order) was the singing of the Divine Office in the priory church at the canonical hours; 6-7 daily liturgical offices, of which several attracted many lay visitors, who wanted to enjoy the graceful singing of hymns. Besides these daily routines, the Black Friars had to A community had to consist of at perform still more requiem masses least 12 brethren, as this was the for the souls of late brethren and lay number necessary to exercise the benefactors of the community. The Divine Office. Besides the actual services in the church could often friars, the community had a number become a problem, as it was never of lay brothers and novices. The regarded as important for a friar as community itself chose the head of for a monk. On the other hand, the the priory, the prior, among the eldest celebration of the requiem masses and wisest of the friars. He was held and the Divine Office served a rather responsible for the overall condition important part of the “public of the priory and was to give annual relations” of the Black Friars towards reports to the provincial chapter of the people of their town - and the the Dominican Order (in the Nordic potential benefactors. province of Dacia). There were several other important functions in As a result, the Dominican Order the priory, such as the gatekeeper, the always tried to make their com- kitchen master and the gardener. In munities as large as possible, so that connection to many priories, a their friars were given more freedom lodging house (for both travelling to study or work in the streets, Black Friars and lay people) was without the need to worry about the located and perhaps even a small celebrating of the next mass. In ad- hospital; at least there was usually dition, it could be a problem to find one brother of the community who good enough lecturers if there were knew how to treat the most common too many small priories, as every illnesses and how to perform the priory was to have its own lecturer. traditional blood-lettings. The Priory of the Black Friars in medieval Holbæk The Black Friars arrived in Holbæk Finally, in 1323 Bishop Niels of in 1269 or 1275. At least one of Børglum could consecrate the church them - a Friar Nicholas - came from of the Black Friars of Holbæk. The the establishment in Helsingborg. church was to become the northern Other towns in Zealand with wing of a four-wing priory, as it was Dominican priories were Roskilde common with both the Dominicans (1231-34), Vordingborg (1253), and all other orders. At first, the Næstved (1260s) and Ellsinore church was probably only (1441), while a Dominican convent accompanied by an eastern wing, for nuns was founded in Roskilde in presumably a two-storey building, 1263. Also Slagelse may have had a where the friars had their daily community in the 13th century before meeting room (the chapter-house) on the foundation in Holbæk. The the ground floor. Other monastic priory in Holbæk was built on a orders would usually have a vacant area south of the medieval common dormitory on the first floor town. The friars did not get an easy of the eastern wing, but with the start in Holbæk, as a Franciscan Dominicans, this was changed into a chronicle from Roskilde tells us that number of small cells, where the in 1287 »the house of the friars friars could study and sleep burned down together with the entire individually.