Petroff, Valery V. (Author)
The paper examines John Scottus’ poem «The Starry Temple» (c. 869/77), supposedly written in response to Charles the Bald’s plans to construct at Compiègne a new church which could rival Aachen’s Palatine Chapel. By means of sophisticated poetical imagery John Scottus proposes multilayer vision of the harmonic universe the hearth of which constitutes an ideal temple. It is shown that arithmology, the sacred history, and eschatology are interwoven in Aulae sidereae’s worldview. The poem’s sources are under consideration. It is stated that John Scottus deliberately draws parallels between Charles’ church and the Biblical temple of Solomon. Among his sources are Bede’s "De tabernaculo" and "De templo," as also Alcuin’s verse inscriptions for the altars and churches dedicated to Virgin Mary. Affinity between Aulae sidereae’s prologue and philosophical hymns of Late Antiquity is indicated: Proclus’ Hymn to Helios, Synesius’ Letter to Paeonius and Hymn IX are observed here. Insular traits of Eriugena’s vocabulary appear in a set expression titania lampas, which might have been borrowed from Aldhelm of Malmesbury. Close lexical parallels between Aulae sidereae’s astronomical prologue and Martianus Capella’s "De nuptiis" are poined out. It is suggested also that verses 82-92 of the "Aulae Sidereae" may allude to Lucretius’ prologue to the "De Rerum Natura." Among topics discussed is the cosmic harmony manifest in the order of things, which sings along ("concinit") to what is told by Scripture ("mundus gestans symbola Christi"); as also the harmony of the octaves ("octonus numerus divinos symfonat actus") which is symbolized by the harp of King David ("nabla sonorum"). It is argued that the templum ("aedes," "domus"), dedicated to the Mother of God ("dei genitrix") and consecrated on Christmas Day, becomes in John Scottus’ poetical masterpiece a symbol and image of harmonically structured universe and emblematizes at once the starry temple of the Sun ("aula sidera"), the transcendent House of the Wisdom of God ("aula superna," "remota domus"), the Bethleem’s manger ("sancta domus"), and the Heavenly Jerusalem as "visio pacis." The figure of King Charles seated on his lofty throne is loaded with symbolism too: he is presented as an ideal ruler and a personification of the visible Sun, Kings David and Solomon, Christ, and Charlemagne.
...More
Book
Stuckrad, Kocku von;
(2010)
Locations of Knowledge in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Esoteric Discourse and Western Identities
(/isis/citation/CBB001201627/)
Article
Peter Andersen;
(2014)
De la devise de Bruno à la mort de Tycho Brahe
(/isis/citation/CBB757868142/)
Article
Laurence Wuidar;
(2009)
L'interdetto della conoscenza: segreti celesti e arcani musicali nel Cinquecento e Seicento
(/isis/citation/CBB386803290/)
Article
Ovanes Akopyan;
(2015)
The Architecture of the Sky: Giovanni Pico della Mirandola on Celestial Spheres
(/isis/citation/CBB625324396/)
Article
Miguel Granada;
(2020)
Conflagración en el Renacimiento
(/isis/citation/CBB254176492/)
Article
Giuliano Gasparri;
(2019)
La messa all’Indice delle opere di Henry More (1695-1697)
(/isis/citation/CBB173169434/)
Book
Lorenzo Bianchi;
Antonella Sannino;
(2018)
La magia naturale tra Medioevo e prima età moderna
(/isis/citation/CBB431343501/)
Article
Nicolas Weill-Parot;
(2017)
Nature universelle et harmonie du monde (XIIIe-XIVe siècle)
(/isis/citation/CBB720102197/)
Book
Von Stuckrad, Kocku;
(2010)
Locations of Knowledge in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Esoteric Discourse and Western Identities
(/isis/citation/CBB001200922/)
Article
Shank, Michael H.;
(2009)
Setting Up Copernicus? Astronomy and Natural Philosophy in Giambattista Capuano da Manfredonia's Expositio on the Sphere
(/isis/citation/CBB000932581/)
Thesis
Mary Suzanna Kelly;
(1964)
Celestial Motors, 1543-1632
(/isis/citation/CBB833314677/)
Book
Finocchiaro, Maurice A;
(2010)
Defending Copernicus and Galileo: Critical Reasoning in the Two Affairs
(/isis/citation/CBB001023120/)
Book
Dhombres, Jean;
Radelet-de Grave, Patricia;
(2008)
Une mécanique donnée à voir: Les thèses illustrées: défendues à Louvain en julliet 1624 par Grégoire de Saint-Vincent S.J.
(/isis/citation/CBB000952760/)
Book
Bucciantini, Massimo;
Camerota, Michele;
Roux, Sophie;
(2007)
Mechanics and Cosmology in the Medieval and Early Modern Period
(/isis/citation/CBB001032037/)
Book
Niccolò Guicciardini;
(2021)
Isaac Newton: Filosofo della Natura, interprete della Scrittura, cronologo degli Antichi Regni
(/isis/citation/CBB698089545/)
Article
Kosso, Peter;
(2013)
Void Points, Rosettes, and a Brief History of Planetary Astronomy
(/isis/citation/CBB001320578/)
Article
Schaffer, Simon;
(2014)
Swedenborg's Lunars
(/isis/citation/CBB001320980/)
Book
Stefano Caroti;
Vittoria Perrone Compagni;
(2012)
Nuovi maestri e antichi testi: umanesimo e Rinascimento alle origini del pensiero moderno
(/isis/citation/CBB873381482/)
Article
Marta Moiso;
(2007)
John Pell e la polemica sulle presunte osservazioni astronomiche di Tommaso Campanella
(/isis/citation/CBB947410227/)
Article
Nunzio Allocca;
(2014)
La luna e il libro della natura. Su Italo Calvino e l’eredità di Galileo
(/isis/citation/CBB365165189/)
Be the first to comment!