The Life of Blessed Bernard of Tiron life of Blessed Bernard of Tiron

Appendix C. Synopsis of the Life of Holy Bernard, Abbot of Tiron Abbey

APPENDIX C Synopsis of the Life of Holy Bernard, Abbot ofTiron Abbey A contemporary of Geoffrey may have prepared a separate short work entitled Brevis Descriptio in Vita beati Bernardi Tironensis abbatis , or a synopsis of the life of the holy Bernard, abbot of Tiron. A copy of this synopsis has survived as a separate document, contained in a collection of sermons and hagiographical accounts among the Latin manuscripts of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Fonds Latin, 584 fols. 78-80. This synopsis draws on material in Geoffrey's vita but shortens and distorts it in ways that show how the salient points ofthe life of Bernard were passing into legend. It begins with a new story about Bernard seeing a devil collecting crumbs and distorts his quarrel with Gervais over a church and with a monk who covered him with invectives [rJ. It summarizes his vision ofthe dead monks in chapter who foretold the deaths ofsome ofhis monks [2]. It includes his vision of the Virgin Mary but has her communicate a different message [3J. It briefly covers his association with Robert of Arbrissel and Vital of Savigny and his vision to seek Tiron [4J. It accurately recounts the date ofthe first Mass at Tiron and repeats his acceptance of more than five hundred monks [5J. It includes the trials of his monks and the shower of roses [6-7J. It devotes a few lines to his sermon on Samson as he exhorted priests not to take wives and distorts the archdeacon's response [8J. It includes Count Rotrou's release from imprisonment by Robert of Belleme and Robert's imprisonment. It attributes to miracle-working relics the prosperity his visit brought the ISS knight Robert. It changes his deathbed vision of monks to an omen of his forthcoming death [9]. It includes the miracle-working locks of his beard in Burgundy [10]. The synopsis shows a crystallization of the legend of Bernard after his death, with an emphasis on the miraculous . A Synopsis ofthe Life ofthe Holy Bernard, Abbot ofTiron, Church ofTiron [I] We read that Blessed Bernard was born in the region of Ponthieu. AI; an adolescent, he became a monk and, day by day, endeavored to achieve perfection through discipline. Upon profession he began to strive for humility and patience: through fasts, vigils, and prayers he endeavored to mortifY his own flesh. His first office was to be a server in the refectory. When he entered it, he saw a devil under the table collecting crumbs. He challenged the devil and asked him why he presumed to enter and collect crumbs. The devil replied, "To prevent them from being trodden underfoot and lost." The man of God knew immediately that the devil was not concerned about the crumbs being lost but was a terrible threat to the souls of those who were negligently dropping crumbs. Meanwhile Bernard thought of nothing except religion and was made prior of Saint-Savin during the tenure of Abbot Gervais. Not much later, the enemy of humankind sowed discord among them about a certain church which the aforesaid abbot endeavored to purchase with money to add to his possessions. But, so Gervais would not openly commit simony, the blessed man opposed him and contradicted him. For this reason, on the advice of the blessed man, the abbot relinquished the church with a benediction ofbrotherly peace. One day when a monk rose up against Bernard and covered him with many invectives on account of Gervais, the monk was immediately seized by a demon and expired. [2] At that time, after Compline, when Bernard was in the oratory as was his custom and afterwards was returning to the dormitory , suddenly he saw a multitude of monks in radiant white sitting in chapter. He entered, bowed, and spoke to them. After asking for their blessing, he sat with them. Then one ofthese seated blessed men spoke thus: "Dearest brother, we entered religion in this monastery, whose present dissoluteness distresses us, but we rejoice at its renewal 156 APPENDIX C: SYNOPSIS by God working through you, and we give thanks for your holiness. We are informing you that within a brief period of time eighteen of your brothers will be dead." Having said this, they vanished. The father exhorted his sons to repent, and told them about the vision he had seen. But one ofthe monks mocked him and called him a dreamer...