HIB035b Saints and their Cult in the Middle Ages

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Libor Zajíc, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Libor Zajíc, Ph.D.
Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 16:00–17:40 D33, except Mon 13. 11.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of medieval history of the Czech lands.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 16/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
  • History (programme FF, B-HI_) (2)
Course objectives
Understanding the issue of the cult of saints in the Middle Ages and related phenomena - the origin and development of temple patrons, pilgrimages to the tombs of saints, celebrations of holidays and holy relics. Deepening the basic facts about the history of the church in the Middle Ages, especially in the Czech lands. Work with sources and their interpretation. Legend as a specific type of source. The difference between working with hagiographic texts and common narrative sources. Liturgical calendar and its significance in the life of medieval man.
Learning outcomes
The graduate of the course will be able to define and use basic terminology and will be familiar with basic sources. They will deepen their knowledge of the history of the Church in the Middle Ages with an emphasis on the Czech lands.
Syllabus
  • Getting acquainted with the basic sources and literature on the issue. Definition of basic terms.
  • History of the cult of saints. Saints in the Old and New Testaments. Apostles, martyrs, confessors.
  • Czech and Moravian saints and their cults. Legends about Czech provincial patrons.
  • Holy patrons. Saints as protectors against evil and intercessors for a kind of help. Iconography of saints. Temple patronage.
  • Pilgrimages to the tombs of saints. Pilgrimage as an important European phenomenon of the Middle Ages. Trips to the Holy Land, Rome, Santiago and other places.
  • The cult of holy relics.
  • Celebration of the feasts of the saints as part of the church year. Liturgical calendar and its purpose.
  • Field trip. Observation of iconographic depictions of saints in selected Brno churches.
Literature
    required literature
  • BROWN, Peter. The cult of the saints : its rise and function in Latin Christianity. Second edition, enlarged edi. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2015, xxxv, 187. ISBN 9780226175263. info
  • KALHOUS, David. Legenda Christiani and Modern Historiography. Leiden - New York: Brill, 2015, 166 pp. East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450-1450. ISBN 978-90-04-28490-6. URL info
    recommended literature
  • Bohemia sancta : životopisy českých světců a přátel Božích. Edited by Jaroslav Kadlec. 2. vyd. Praha: Česká katolická charita, 1989, 293 s. ISBN 807113032X. info
  • ŘÍČAN, Rudolf and Amedeo MOLNÁR. 12 století církevních dějin. 3. vyd. Praha: Kalich, 2008, 415 s. ISBN 9788070170649. info
  • ANGENENDT, Arnold. Heilige und Reliquien : die Geschichte ihres Kultes vom frühen Christentum bis zur Gegenwart. 2., überarbeitete Auflage. Hamburg: Nikol, 2007, 470 stran. ISBN 9783937872728. info
  • LE GOFF, Jacques. Ludvík Svatý. Translated by Danuše Navrátilová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2012, 724 s. ISBN 9788025706855. info
  • SOUKUPOVÁ, Helena. Svatá Anežka Česká : život a legenda. Vydání první. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2015, 477 stran. ISBN 9788074294716. info
  • VANÍČEK, Vratislav. Svatý Václav : panovník a světec v raném středověku. Vyd. 1. Praha: Paseka, 2014, 324 s. ISBN 9788074325014. info
  • Svatý Prokop, Čechy a střední Evropa. Edited by Petr Sommer, Translated by Martin Nodl - Pavel Červíček - Adolf Sch. Vyd. 1. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2006, 289 s. ISBN 8071067903. info
  • SCHMITT, Jean-Claude. Svatý chrt : Guinefort, léčitel dětí ze 13. století. Translated by Helena Beguivinová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2007, 276 s. ISBN 9788020015228. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, reading sources and discussing them. Field trip.
Assessment methods
The condition for successful completion of the course is the elaboration of a pre-assigned topic in writing and possible discussion of it.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2023/HIB035b