Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision		 Previous revision
saint_francis [2008-10-16 15:48] – theunkarelsesaint_francis [2011-10-08 10:21] (current) – theunkarelse
Line 3: Line 3:
   * [[reading notes]]: //The Garden of Saint Francis; plants, landscape and economy in 13-th century Italy//   * [[reading notes]]: //The Garden of Saint Francis; plants, landscape and economy in 13-th century Italy//
  
-Many of the Early Desert Hermit Saints had a small simple garden-patch next to their caves, as symbols of self-sufficiency and their escape from secular society.  +Many of the Early Desert Hermit Saints had a small simple garden-patch next to their caves.
 <blockquote> <blockquote>
 In addition to the suggestion that monks with gardens had escaped from  In addition to the suggestion that monks with gardens had escaped from 
Line 11: Line 11:
 </blockquote> </blockquote>
  
-Monasteries followed in this tradition with very practical and humble crops.+Monasteries followed in this tradition with very practical and straightforward crops.
 <blockquote> <blockquote>
 ...the typical vegetables, generally associated with humility, included cabbage, leeks, beans, garlic, onions, turnips, and radishes, with whatever else might be necessary in the infirmary. ...the typical vegetables, generally associated with humility, included cabbage, leeks, beans, garlic, onions, turnips, and radishes, with whatever else might be necessary in the infirmary.
 </blockquote> </blockquote>
  
-The garden as a concept seems to contradict the Franciscan notions of ownership. Thomas of Celano, writer of the first biography of the saint explains: Saint Francis had very unusual gardening advice. He thought there should be no ditches or fences around a garden, because this denotes private ownership. There should be nothing to mark the difference between the garden and surroundings. Poeple, animals and plants were free to pass through the garden.+The garden as a concept seems to contradict the Franciscan notions of ownership. Thomas of Celano, writer of the first biography of the saint explains: Saint Francis had very unusual gardening advice. He thought there should be no ditches or fences around a garden, because this denotes private ownership. There should be nothing to mark the difference between the garden and surroundings. People, animals and plants were free to pass through the garden.
 <blockquote> <blockquote>
 In addition, the unditched borders diminish the sense that the garden is a private possession being managed by a proprietary overseer. It is instructive to note here that one of the most common garden motifs in hagiographical literature relates to saints and holy men who, by supernatural means, prevent intruders from entering their enclosed gardens and stealing their vegetables. For example, St. Felix's garden is violated by thieves, but through his miraculous powers, the thieves end up tilling it for him all night as a form of divine punishment. St. Godric scolds wild deer for stealing from his elaborately enclosed orchard-garden, and they obey him. A monastic gardener in Gregory's Dialogues orders a snake to guard his hedged vegetable patch, and it succeeds in scaring away thieves. St. Antony, bothered by the wild animals in the desert which trample his garden in search of water, commands them to stop, and they do. In addition, the unditched borders diminish the sense that the garden is a private possession being managed by a proprietary overseer. It is instructive to note here that one of the most common garden motifs in hagiographical literature relates to saints and holy men who, by supernatural means, prevent intruders from entering their enclosed gardens and stealing their vegetables. For example, St. Felix's garden is violated by thieves, but through his miraculous powers, the thieves end up tilling it for him all night as a form of divine punishment. St. Godric scolds wild deer for stealing from his elaborately enclosed orchard-garden, and they obey him. A monastic gardener in Gregory's Dialogues orders a snake to guard his hedged vegetable patch, and it succeeds in scaring away thieves. St. Antony, bothered by the wild animals in the desert which trample his garden in search of water, commands them to stop, and they do.
Line 35: Line 35:
  
  
-=== about Saint Francis of Assisi ===+===== Saint Francis as a performance artist =====
  
-When brother Francis wanted to say the name of Jesus, his biographer Thomas de Celano recounts, he would sometimes use the phrase 'child of Bethlehem' and when he said Bethlehem, the pure joy of saying it would make him bleat like a sheep: 'Beeeeeeeethleheeeeeeem'. And he would lick his lips as if  he was tasting some sweet thing.+<blockquote> 
 +When brother Francis wanted to say the name of Jesus, his biographer Thomas de Celano recounts, he would sometimes use the phrase 'child of Bethlehem' and when he said Bethlehem, the pure joy of saying it would make him bleat like a sheep: 'Beeeeeeeethleheeeeeeem'. And he would lick his lips as if  he was tasting some sweet thing.</blockquote>
  
-In the time of Francis Europe was going through a massive commercial revolution. Business was challenging the state and the religious system. People were Catholics but they just went through the motions. Somehow Francis succeeded to convert people who already thought they were Christians, to sort-of renew their faith. He did not just succeed, he is generally recognized as the biggest religious genius Europe has ever produced. Also he successfully showed people the harmful side of business by demonstrating the virtue of poverty in such a manner that the locals viewed him with astonishment and laughter. How did he do it? He tapped into peoples direct experience by inventing the Christmas-stable, taking live animals into church. Also he did jackass-like challenges and stunts, he had himself dragged through town behind a wagon because he ate a piece of chicken. He threw rocks at other holy-men. Could be seen talking or praying to rocks, birds, flowers etc. He was a show-man,  singer songwriter, performance artist, Jesus-impersonator[1], dancer, poet, fake-instrument player, animal-trainer and village-idiot. He never told people what to do he just showed them relying completely on his intuition, and he was extremely successful.+In the time of Francis Europe was going through a first wave of raw capitalism. Business was challenging the state and the religious system. So that's the setting. Francis is recognized as the biggest religious genius Europe has ever produced. He has a great sense of PR. Francis went around the Italian countryside with an odd bunch of followers re-enacting the life of Jesus and his disciples. He had a vast media campaign including vast amounts of printed portraits, live animals and most powerful of all perhaps his Jack-Ass like stunts and controversial live events. These would include being dragged through the city behind a wagon, bringing live animals to mass, stripping naked on the market in front of high officials, swearing and throwing rocks at other holy-men and talking or praying to rocks, birds, flowers etc. He was a stunt-man, singer songwriter, performance artist, Jesus-impersonator[1], dancer, poet, air-guitarist, animal-trainer and village-idiot.  
  
  
-[1]The view of brother Francis as a hilarious Jesus impersonator and performance artist, has been put forward by the dutch writer Kees 't Hart, in a booklet about what he calls 'the disease that is admiration'. (or translated as veneration perhaps)+[1]The view of brother Francis as a hilarious Jesus impersonator and performance artist, has been put forward by the dutch writer Kees 't Hart, in a booklet on 'the disease that is admiration'. (or translated as veneration perhaps)
  
-More on Saint Francis as a patron saint of ecology, in the last paragraph on this page: 
-http://www.siena.edu/ellard/historical_roots_of_our_ecologic.htm) 
  • saint_francis.1224172105.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2008-10-16 15:48
  • by theunkarelse