Medieval Sourcebook:
Peter Damian:
The Relics of St. Romuald of Ravenna, 11th Century CE
[Thomas Head] Romuald of Ravenna was one of the most influential figures in the revival of eremitic monasticism which occurred in the eleventh century. His biographer, Peter Damian, was also a famous hermit, but even more importantly was a key member of the reforming circles which focused on Pope Gregory VII during the early stages of the Investiture Controversy. This brief anecdote betrays many of the basic attitudes toward relics current in eleventh-century Christianity. Source: Peter Damian, Vita s. Romualdi, 70-72 in Patrologia latina, ed. Jean-Paul Migne, 221 vols. (Paris, 1844-1864), 144:1006-1008.
(70) After the most holy death of the venerable man [Romuald], God showed forth many signs of the miraculous through him. But who would wish to read about such events as have already happened, when anyone may frequently witness new miracles. Since so many miracles occur at [Romuald's] tomb, we deem it better to pass most over in silence and to relate only a few. . . A certain brother, who had been a disciple of the holy man, donated a small church to the monastery for the repose of his own soul. The brother sent a piece taken from the sleeves of the hair shirt worn by the blessed man to this church and instructed that it be placed with honor under the altar. The messenger, however, neglected to place it under the altar as he had been ordered, but left it incautiously in a crack in the wall. After this had been done a certain demon came to this same church. Standing in its midst he turned his head here and there, looking over everything. He began in a dreadful manner to fasten his wild eyes with hostile intent on that very wall where the fragments of the holy hair shirt lay. Then he could not keep himself from repeatedly yelling, "He is casting me out, he is casting me out!" So exclaiming he was straightaway expelled. From this it can be concluded that there is almost nothing which cannot be brought about through the intercession of this man [Romuald] before God, since the demon was not even able to stand before the smallest fragment of his clothing. If he exhibits such marvels when he is absent, what would not be possible in the presence of his body? . . .
(71) Five years after the death of the holy man, permission was given to the monks by the Holy See to construct an altar above his venerable body. A certain Brother Azo went into the forest in order to fashion a small coffin which would be sufficient to contain the bones and the dust of the holy confessor. When night had fallen a venerable old man appeared to another of the brother in his sleep and, interrogating him on the spot, said, "Where is the prior of this monastery?" When the monk replied that he did not know, the old man quickly responded, saying, "He has decided to go into the forest in order to fashion a coffin, but the body of the blessed man will not fit into so small a space." The next day the prior, having finished the coffin, returned. He was asked by the brother who had seen the vision for what reason he had gone into the forest. Tired by his labor, the prior did not wish to respond. The brother, however, related to the prior both the reason for his trip and the vision which he himself had seen, narrating them in order.
(72) Therefore they opened the tomb and found that almost the entire body of the holy man was intact and preserved, just as it had been when they had originally placed it in the tomb, except that a thin sheen of liquid had appeared on certain parts of the body. Throwing away the small coffin which had already been prepared, they immediately prepared a container suited to the size of the blessed body. Placing the holy relics of their patron inside, they solemnly consecrated the altar above it.
Source. See intruduction above.
This translation by Thomas Head was made available to fellow students and researchers for private or classroom use. All other rights are reserved. Duplication for any other purpose, including publication, is prohibited. This translation was last updated on June 10, 1997.
The document was part of the now moribund ORB project and online at http://urban.hunter.cuny.edu/~thead/guibert.htm. Professor Head died in November 2014. ORB was intended as a permanent resource but its dispersed location of files proved to be unstable as various repositories of files were deleted. Although this document is available through the Internet Archive Wayback Machine after 2014 it was not easily available to the students, teachers or researchers for whom Prof Head intended it. This file is made available here under the original terms and intent by which Prof Head published it online.
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