Bienheureux Hermann
Contract
Ecolâtre à
Reichenau (+ 1054)
Il était perclus et on lui donna le surnom de "Contractus". Fils du comte von Alshausen dans le pays de Bade en Allemagne, il vécut toute sa vie à l'abbaye de Reichenau. Il ne pouvait marcher seul, sa langue remuait peu et ses mains avaient peine à tenir quoi que ce soit. Mais il fut sans aucun doute l'un des plus grands savants de son temps. On l'appelait aussi "la Merveille du siècle". Mathématiques et astronomie, histoire et poésie, rien ne lui était étranger. Il inventa un astrolabe, une machine à calculer, plusieurs instruments de musique. "Chantre de la Vierge Marie, il composa le chant "Ave Maris stella" et on lui attribue non sans raison "l'Alma Redemptoris Mater" et le "Salve Regina". Il disait de lui: "Je suis le rebut des pauvres du Christ qui marche à la traîne des philosophes, plus lent d'esprit qu'un ânon."
Il a toujours porté le titre de bienheureux, reconnu ainsi par les Bollandistes et non par le martyrologe romain.
Biographie en allemand où il est mentionné au 24 septembre.
Il est également fêté le 25 septembre.
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/1916/Bienheureux-Hermann-Contract.html
Prière d'Hermann de
Reichenau (o.s.b.)
Voici la Prière « Ô Vierge devenue Mère, jetez les yeux sur tous ceux qui Vous aiment » d'Hermann Contract de Reichenau (1013-1054) surnommé « le Contrefait » (en latin : Contractus) parce que paralysé depuis son enfance, Moine, savant et hymnographe de l'Abbaye de Reichenau qui aurait composé l’« Alma Redemptoris Mater », le « Salve Regina » et peut-être aussi l’ « Ave Regina ».
La Prière d' Hermannus Contractus Augiensis « Ô Vierge devenue Mère, jetez les yeux sur tous ceux qui Vous aiment » :
« Salut, glorieuse Etoile de la mer ; votre lever divin, Ô Marie, présage la lumière aux nations. Salut, Porte céleste, fermée à tout autre qu'à Dieu ! Vous introduisez en ce monde la Lumière de vérité, le Soleil de justice, revêtu de notre chair. Vierge, beauté du monde, Reine du ciel, brillante comme le soleil, belle comme l'éclat de la lune, jetez les yeux sur tous ceux qui Vous aiment. Dans leur foi vive, les anciens Pères et les Prophètes Vous désirèrent sous l'emblème de ce rameau qui devait naître sur l'arbre fécond de Jessé. Gabriel Vous désigna comme l'arbre de vie qui devait produire, par la rosée de l'Esprit-Saint, l'amandier à la divine fleur. C'est Vous qui avez conduit l'Agneau-Roi, le Dominateur de la terre, de la pierre du désert de Moab à la montagne de la fille de Sion. Vous avez écrasé Léviathan, malgré ses fureurs, et brisé les anneaux de ce tortueux serpent, en délivrant le monde du crime qui causa sa damnation. Nous donc, restes des nations, pour honorer Votre mémoire, nous appelons sur l'autel, pour l'immoler mystérieusement, l'Agneau de propitiation, Roi éternel des cieux, le Fruit de Votre enfantement merveilleux. Les voiles étant abaissés, il nous est donné à nous, vrais Israélites, heureux fils du véritable Abraham, de contempler, dans notre admiration, la manne véritable que figurait le type mosaïque : priez, Ô Vierge, que nous soyons rendus dignes du Pain du ciel. Donnez-nous de nous désaltérer, avec une foi sincère, à cette douce Fontaine représentée par celle qui sortit de la pierre du désert; que nos reins soient ceints de la ceinture mystérieuse ; que nous traversions heureusement la mer, et qu'il nous soit donné de contempler sur la Croix le serpent d'airain. Les pieds mystérieusement dégagés de leurs chaussures, les lèvres pures, le cœur sanctifié, donnez-nous d'approcher du Feu saint, le Verbe du Père, que Vous avez porté, comme le buisson porta la flamme, Ô Vierge devenue Mère ! Ecoutez-nous ; car votre Fils aime à Vous honorer en Vous exauçant toujours. Sauvez-nous, Ô Jésus ! Nous pour qui la Vierge-Mère Vous supplie. Donnez-nous de contempler la source de tout bien, d'arrêter sur Vous les yeux purifiés de notre âme. Que notre âme, désaltérée aux sources de la Sagesse, puisse aussi percevoir la saveur de la vraie Vie. Qu'elle orne par les œuvres la foi chrétienne qui habite en elle, et que, par une heureuse fin, elle passe de cet exil vers Vous, Auteur du monde. Amen. »
Bienheureux Hermann Contract de Reichenau o.s.b. (1013-1054)
SOURCE : http://site-catholique.fr/index.php?post/Priere-Hermann-Contract-de-Reichenau
Hermannus Contractus
1013-1054
Heriman ; Hermann der Lahme ; Hermann von
Altshausen ; Hermannus ; Augiensis ; Hermann de Reichenau.
Comte de Vehringen, moine bénédictin, aurait été
compositeur, paralysé dès l'enfance (d'où son nom). D'après sa propre
chronique, il est l'un des 13 enfants du comte Wolfrad II von Altshausen. En
1020 il entre au monastère de Reichenau. Formé sous la direction de Bernon, il
devient moine de la communauté en 1043. On le dit être un des plus grands
savants de son temps. Il laisse des écrits sur l'astronomie, l'histoire, les
mathématiques.
Sur le contenu de l'œuvre
Traité des tons de l'église, des lois mélodiques, de
la notion de ton musical. Se sert de lettres représentant les intervalles, au
dessus des neumes adiastématiques. (Notation intervallique). Comme chez Jacques
de Liège (Speculum Musicae), Johannes d'Affligem (Musica), Frutulfus de
Michelsberg (Brevarium). Ne mentionne pas les syllabes ut, ré, mi, fa, sol, la.
Ethos des modes : Le premier (ré) est grave, noble, tranquille. Le troisième
est animé et bondissant. À la fin du traité, poème didactique en vogue au Moyen
Âge. (Explication de la notation intervallique)
La notation intervallique
e : equisonus. (unisson)
s : semitonium. (demi ton)
t : tonus. (ton)
s/t : tonus cum semitoni. (tierce mineure)
t/t : Tonus cum tono. (tierce majeure)
D : Diatessaron. (quarte) ou diapente. (quinte)
s : diapente cum semi tono. (sixte mineure)
t : diapente cum tono. (sixte majeure)
Un point au-dessous pour les intervalles descendants
Versus Hermani ad discernendum cantum.
Ter tria junctorum sunt intervalla sonorum Nam nunc
unisonas exaequat vocula phthongos: Nunc prope consi-milem discernit limma
canorem: Nunc tonus affini tribuit discrimina voci: Nec non assidue conjuncti
limma tronusque: Et duo saepe toni pariter sibi continuati: Saepeque dulcisonas
modernans diatessaron odas: Et crebro grate mulcens aures diapente: Interdumque
toni bino cum limmate terni; Ac quandoque tonis connexum limma quaternis. Haec
si voce notisque simul discernere noris, Quemvis distinctum potes his mox
pangere cantum, Dis-cernendo thesin sine praecentore vel arsin. e, t, s, d, tt,
ts, te, ed, s, t.
Ter terni sunt modi, quibus omnis cantilena
contexitur, scilicet unisonus, semitonium, tonus, semiditonus, ditonus,
diatessaron, diapentes, emitonium cum diapente, tonus cum diapente, ad haec
sonus, diapason. Si quem delectat, ejus hunc modum esse agnoscat. Cumque tam
paucis clausulis tota harmonia formetur, utilissimum est eas alte memoriae
commendare, nec prius ab hujusmodi studiis quiescere, donec vocum intervallis
agnitis harmoniae totius facillime queat comprehendere notitiam.
Quo vero cloriora hoec fiant, pracedentes versus
Hermanni cum notis, quas chorales voeant; ex codice Lipsiensi his subjicimus,
quibus litteras et signa superius jam expressa denuo superius ponimus, ut totum
veterum musico-rum artificium ex mutua collatione ad occultum pateat.
Écrits relatifs à la musique
Hermanni contracti musica
Ter terni sunt modi (13 vers hexadécimaux sur les
intervalles)
E voce unisonas [...] Ter tria iunctorum sunt
intervalla sonorum, Nam nunc unisonas exaequat vocula phthongos (autre
version du versus précédent)
Manuscrit
Ms. Cpv 51, Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek,
XIIe siècle, f. 82r-90r, musica
Ms. Cpv 2502, Wien, Österreichische
Nationalbibliothek, XIIe siècle, f. 27v, Ter tria
Ms. Cpv 2339, Wien, Österreichische
Nationalbibliothek, XIIIe siècle, f. 117v, Ter Terni
Ms. 1485/1501, Bruxelles, Bibliothèque Royale, origine
allemande (prémontrés de Knechtsteden), XIVe siècle, f. 273v, Ter terni [...]
Ms. 70 (71), Gent, Universiteitsbibliotheek, origine
gandoise, daté 1503-1504, f. 55, Ter terni [...]
Ms. adlig. 44.E.8 (2815), Praha, Národní knihovna
(dríve Universitní knihovna), origine pragoise, seconde moitié XVe siècle, f.
65v, Ter terni [...]
Ms. XIX.C.26, Praha, Národní knihovna (dríve
Universitní knihovna), origine liégeoise, daté de v. 1100, f. 34, explicite ;
f. 135v, Ter terni [...] ; f. 136, Ter tria [...]
Ms. Lit. 160, Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, origine
supposée à Bamberg, XIIe siècle, f. 21v, explicite ; f. 22, Ter tria [...] ; f.
24, Incipit abrevarium compotum Hermanni Contracti [...] Cui compoti regulas
[...] Primus embolismus [...] Idus aprilis etiam sexis [...]
Ms. theol. Lat. qu. 261, Berlin, Staatsbibliothek
Preußischer Kulturbesitz, origine italienne, daté 1292, f. 29-31v, Ter terni
[...]
Ms. 504, Karlsruhe, Badische Landesbibliothek, origine
allemande (Bamberg, Michelsberg), XIe et XIIe siècles, f. 33v, explicite
(système de notation intervallique) ; Te, te, tri, si, te, de pro, pro [...]
Ms. K 505, Karlsruhe, Badische Landesbibliothek,
origine à Bamberg, XIIe-XIIIe siècles, f. 47v-48, Ter terni [...]
Ms. St. Peter Pm 29 a, Karlsruhe, Badische
Landesbibliothek, origine cistercienne allemande, XIVe siècle, f. 38v-39, Ter
terni [...]
Ms. 4° Mss. Math. 1, Kassel, Landesbibliothek und
Murhardsche Bibliothek der Stadt Kassel, origine allemande, XIIe siècle, f. 19,
explicite ; f. 19rv, ter tria ; f. 19v, Ter terni [...] ; f. 33v-35, musica
Ms. Hs. II 223, Mainz, Stadtbibliothek, origine
allemande, XVe Siècle, f. 237v, Ter terni
Ms. Clm 5947, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande, daté 1492-1493, f. 112, Ter terni
Ms. Clm 7614, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande, daté de v. 1420, f., 90, Ter terni
Ms. Clm. 9921, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande (Ottobeuren), daté 1160, f. 20, Ter terni ; f. 20, Ter tria ;
f. 20v, explicite
Ms. Clm 14965a, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande (peut-être Bamberg), début XIIe siècle, f. 1v, Ter terni
Ms. Clm 14965 b, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande, XIe-XIIe siècles, f. 20v, Ter tria ; f. 21v, Ter terni ; f.
22, explicite
Ms. 18914, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
originaire de Tegernsee, daté de v. 1050-1075, f. 1-9v (Scolica, f. 42, Ter
tria ; f. 42, explicite
Ms. Clm 19421, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande, fin XIe siècle, f. 14rv, Ter terni ; f. 14v, Ter tria
Ms. Clm 24809, München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
origine allemande, daté de v. 1406-1417, f. 146v-147, Ter terni ; f. 169, Ter
tria
Ms. 8° Cod. Ms. 375 (Cim 13), München,
Universitätsbibliothek, origine allemande, XIIe-XIIIe siècles, f. 6, Ter terni
; f. 33, Ter tria f. 40rv, explicite
Ms. De 4, Tübingen, Universitätsbibliothek, origine
allemande, XVe-XVIe siècles, f. 257, Ter terni
Ms. 334 Gud. Lat. 8° (cat. 4641) ; Wolfenbüttel,
Herzog-August-Bibliothek, origine à St.-Ulrich et Afra, fin XIIe siècle (après
1151), f. 133-134, Ter terni ; f. 134, explicite ; f. 135v-136v, Ter tria
Ms. Lat. 3713, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, origine
française, XIIIe siècle, f. 39, Ter terni
Ms. 245 (A.190), Rouen, Bibliothèque municipale, XIIIe
siècle, f. 2v, Ter terni
Ms. Add. 16896, London, British Library, origine
allemande, XIe-XIIe siècles, f. 103, Ter terni
Ms. Lat. lit. b 7, Oxford, Bodleian Library, origine
allemande, XIVe siècle, f. 104v, Ter terni ; Ms. Rawl. C. 270 (S. C. 12130),
Oxford, Bodleian Library, origine française, daté de v. 1100, f. 15v, explicite
Ms. A 33, Parkminster, St. Hugh's Charterhouse,
origine française (peut-être lyon ;naise), première moitié XIIe siècle, f. 7v,
Ter terni
Ms. 776, Novacella (Neustift), Biblioteca Conventuale,
daté 1502, f. 7r, Ter Terni [...] Queat agnoscere cum musica
Ms. Cappon. lat. 206, Roma, Biblioteca Vaticana,
origine italienne, XVe siècle, f. 36r-37r (Cantilena Hermanni cum musica), Ter
terni
Ms. Pal. lat. 1346, Roma, Biblioteca Vaticana,
groupement de 5 manuscrits du XIe, XIIe et XIVe siècles, XIIe siècle pour cette
partie, f. 16v
Ms. lat. Cl. VIII, 20 (3574), Venezia, Biblioteca
Marciana, XIIIe siècle, f. 8v, Ter terni
Ms. Ludwig XII 5 (Philipps 12145), Malibu, The J. Paul
Getty Museum, origine anglaise, XIIe siècle, f. 35v, Ter terni
Ms. 92 1100, Rochester, Eastman School of Music,
Sibley Musical Library, origine bavaroise, début XIIe siècle, f. 91-130, musica
; f. 178, explicite ; f. 180, Ter tria [Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana]
Ms. 92 1200 (Admont 494), Rochester, Eastman School of
Music, Sibley Musical Library, origine bavaroise ou autrichienne, XIIe siècle,
f. 91v, explicite, f. 92v, Ter terni
Autres écrits
Traités de l'astrobale et de l'horloge. Ms. Clm 13021,
München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, XIIIe siècle, f. 69-81v ; Chronique, Bâle
1549 ; Saint Blasien 1790 et 1792 ; Berlin 1851
Éditions modernes
GERBERT MARTIN (1720-1793), dans «Scriptores
ecclesiastici de musica sacra potis ;simum [3 v.]», St. Blasien 1784 ;
Hildesheim, Olms 1967, (2) p. 125-149 [Opuscula musica] ; p. 150-153 [Ter
terni] ; p. 182 [Te te tri…] [ Musica : Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana] [Versus ad discernendum cantum
: Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana]
BRAMBACH WILHELM, (éd.), Hermanni Contracti Musica.
Teubner, Leipzig 1884 (une partie en fac-similé) [Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana]
–, Die Musiklitteratur
des Mittelalters bis zur Blüthe der Reichenauer Sängerschule. Dans
«Mittheilungen aus der Grossherzoglichen Badischen Hof- und Landesbibliothek»
Karlsruhe 1883, p. 22
ELLINWOOD LEONARD, Éd. et trad. (Musica Hermanni
Contracti, presented from an unedited source and collated with the Vienna ms.
no. 51 and the editions of Gerbert and Brambach). Dans «Eastman school of music
Sudies» (2), University of Rochester 1936 & 1952 [Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana]
HILEY DAVID et BERSCHIN WALTER (éditeurs), Hermannus
Contractus (1013-1054) : Historia Sanctae Afrae Martyris Augustensis.
« Musicological Studies (LXV/10), The Institute of Medieval
Music, Ottawa 2004 [édition de l'office de Hermann Contractus sur le martyre
d'Afra : texte de musique]
MIGNE JACQUES-PAUL (1800-1875), Patrologiae cursus
completus. Serie latina [221 v.]. Petit Montrouge 1844-1855 ; Turnhout 1966,
(143) col. 1608 (Opera omnia) [Musica : Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana] [Versus ad discernendum cantum
: Édition
électronique TML / Université d'Indiana]
SOWA HEINRICH, Zur Handschrift Clm 9921. Dans «Acta
Musicologica» (5) 1933, p. 108 (Cumque tam paucis clausulis tota armonia
formetur)
WOLF JOHANNES, Handbuch der Notationskunde (I). Dans
«Kleine Handbücher der Musik ;geschichte» (8), Leipzig 1913
Bibliographie
BERNHARD MICHAEL, Ex gentium vocabulis sortiti. Zu den
Namen der Kirchentonarten. Dans W. Pass & A. Rausch (éditeurs)
«Mittelalterliche Musiktheorie in Zentraleuropa», Musica mediaevalis Europae
occidentalis (4), Tutzing 1998, p. 7-19
BERTHOLD (mort en 1088), Vita seu Elogium. Dans Migne
Jacques-Paul (1800-1875), Patrologiae cursus completus. Serie latina [221 v.].
Petit Montrouge 1844-1855 ; Turnhout 1966, (143)
BLUME CLEMENS, Reichenau und die marianischen
Antiphonen. Dans «Die Kultur der Abteil Reichenau» (II), München 1925
BRAMBACH WILHELM, Die verloren geglaubte «Historia de
S. Afra Martyre» und Das «Salve Regina» des Hermannus Contractus. Gross,
Karlsruhe 1892
–, Theorie und
Praxis der Reichenauer Sängerschule. Karlsruhe 1888
–, Die Reichenauer
Sängerschule. Dans «Beihefte zum Centralblatt für Bibliothekswesen» (2) 1888,
p. 1-43
BROWNE ALMA C., Medieval Letter Notations: A Survey of
the Sources (thèse). University of Illinois 1979, p. 63, 373
CROCKER RICHARD L., Hermann's Major Sixth. Dans
«Journal of the American Musicological Society» (25) 1972, p. 19-37
GÉROLD THÉODORE, Histoire de la musique des origines à
la fin du XIVe siècle. Henri Laurens, Paris 1936, p. 184, 198, 206, 207, 216,
229, 230, 249, 387
GOMBOSI OTTO, Studien zur Tonartenlehre des frühen
Mittelalters. Dans «Acta Musicologica» (10) 1938, p. 172
HANDSCHIN JACQUES, Hermanus Contractus. Legenden -Nur
Legenden? «Zeitschrift für Deutsche Alternum un Deutsche Literatur» (72) 1935
–, Zur biographie
des Hermannus Contractus. Dans «Acta Musicologica» (7) 1935, p. 158-159
HANSJAKOB HEINRICH, Herimann, der Lahme von der
Reichenau. Mainz 1875
HEBBORN BARBARA, Die Dasia-Notation. Dans
«Orpheus-Schriftenreihe zu Grund ;fragen der Musik» (79), Bonn 1995, p. 54
(critique dela musica enchiriadis) ; p. 88 (species)
HERKOMMER AGNES (*1901), Herimann der Lahme.
Ulm-Donau, G. Hess 1947
KORNMÜLLER UTTO, Die alten Musiktheoretiker. Dans
«Kirchenmusikalisches Jahrbuch» (1) 1886, p. 1-21 ; (2) 1887, p. 1-21 ; (4)
1889, p. 1-19 ; (6) 1891, p. 1-28 ; (18) 1903, p. 1-28 ;
–, Philipp Spitta:
die Musica enchiriadis und ihr Zeitalter. Dans «Dans Viertelmonatsschrift für
Musilwissenschaft» (5) 1889, p. 443-482 & (6) 1890, p. 293-297 (recension)
MACHABEY ARMAND, La notation musicale. Collection «Que
sais-je?» (514), PUF, Paris 1971, p. 59, 62, 65
MARKOVITS MICHAEL, Das Tonsystem der abendländischen
Musik im frühen Mittelalter. Dans «Publikationen der Schweizerischen
Musikforschenden Gesellschaft» (II/30), Bern-Stuttgart 1977, p. 17, 26, 30,
76-78, 81, 84, 87, 94, 102, 110, 112
MOLITOR RAPHAEL (1873-1948, éd.), Die Musik der
Reichenau in Kultur der Abtei Reichenau (II), Bayerle, München 1925
OESCH HANS, Berno und Hermann von Reichenau als
Musiktheoretiker. Dans «Publikationen der Schweizerischen Musikforschenden
Gesellschaft» (II/9), Bern 1961
PARRISH CARL, The notation of mediaeval music. New
York, Norton 1957 ; New York, Pendragon 1959 ; 1978, planche XII, p. 30-31
PESCE DOLORES, The Affinities and Medieval
Transposition. Bloomington-Indianapolis 1987, p. 25
–, B-Flat:
Transposition or Transformation? Dans «The Journal of Musicology» (4) 1985, p.
338
SMITS VAN WAESBERGHE JOSEPH, dans «De
musico-paedagogico et theorico Guidone Aretino eiusque vita et moribus»,
Florence 1953, p. 87, 102, 109
–, School en muziek
in de Mideleeuwen, p. 87, 112
SPITTA PHILIPP (1841-1894), & BRAMBACH WILHELM,
Hermanni Contracti Musica, Leipzig 1884. Dans «Vierteljahresschrift für
Musikwissenschaft» (2) 1886, p. 367-373 (recension)
–, Die Musica enchiriadis
und ihr Zeitalter. Dans «Vierteljahresschrift für Musikwissenschaft» (5) 1889,
p. 443-482
VAN DOREN ROMBAUT, Étude sur l'influence musicale de
l'abbaye de Saint-Gall. Louvain 1925
VIVELL CÖLESTIN, Die intervallbuchstaben des Hermannus
Contractus. Dans «Die Kirchen musik» (9) 1910
WOLF JOHANNES, Ein anonymer Musiktraktat des elften
bis zwölften Jahrhunderts. Dans «Viertel ;jahresschrift für Musikwissenschaft»
(9) 1893, p. 186-234
–, Geschichte der
Mensural-Notation von 1250-1460. Leipzig 1904, Hildesheim-Wiesbaden 1965, p. 1
Jean-Marc Warszawski
Novembre 1995-14 août 2006
© Musicologie.org
Musicologie.org,
56 rue de la Fédération,
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ISNN 2269-9910.
SOURCE : https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/h/hermmanus_contractus.html
Also
known as
Herman Contractus
Herman of Reichenau
Herman the Lame
Herman the Disabled
Herman the Twisted
Herman the Crippled
Ermanno…
Hermann…
Profile
Born with a cleft palate,
cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a farm family.
His parents cared
for him until the age of seven, but in 1020 they
gave him over to the abbey of
Reichenau Island in Lake Constance in southern Germany;
he spent the rest of his life there. He became a Benedictine monk at
age twenty. A genius, he studied and wrote on astronomy, theology, math,
history, poetry,
Arabic, Greek,
and Latin.
He built musical
instruments, and astronomical equipment.
In later life he became blind,
and had to give up his academic writing.
The most famous religious poet of
his day, he is the author of Salve
Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater.
Born
18
February 1013 at
Altshausen, Swabia (in
modern Germany)
21
September 1054 at
Reichenau abbey, Germany of
natural causes
1863 by Pope Pius
IX (cultus
confirmed)
Readings
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother
of Mercy. Hail my life, my sweetness and my hope! To you do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs; mourning and weeping
in this vale of tears! Turn, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward
me, and after this, our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus
Christ! Clement, loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Amen. – Blessed Herman
Additional
Information
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MLA
Citation
“Blessed Herman the
Cripple“. CatholicSaints.Info. 27 December 2022. Web. 25 September 2023.
<https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-herman-the-cripple/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-herman-the-cripple/
Monastery
Ossiach -
Celling-painting: Virgin Mary is appearing to the beatified monk Hermann den
Lahmen - Painter:Josef Ferdinand Fromiller, Feldkirchen, Carinthia, Austria
Kloster
Ossiach
- Maria erscheint den seligen Mönch Hermann den Lahmen - Maler:Josef Ferdinand
Fromiller, Feldkirchen, Kärnten,
Österreich
St. Hermann Contractus
Feast
day: Sep 25
Born February 18, 1013,
at Altshausen (Swabia), St. Hermann Contractus was born crippled and unable to
move without assistance. It was an immense difficulty for him to
learn to read and write, however he persisted and his iron will and remarkable
intelligence were soon manifested.
Upon discovering the
brilliance of his son’s mind, his father, Count Wolverad II, sent him at the
age of seven to live with the Benedictine monks on
the island of Reichenau in Southern Germany.
He lived his entire life
on the island, taking his monastic vows in 1043.
Students from all
over Europe flocked to the monastery on the island to learn from him,
yet he was equally as famous for his monastic virtues and sanctity.
Hermann chronicled the
first thousand years of Christianity, was a mathematician, an astronomer, and a
poet and was also the composer of the Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater –
both hymns to the Virgin Mary.
He died on the island on
September 21, 1054.
SOURCE : https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-hermann-contractus-372
Hermann Contractus
(Herimanus Augiensis, Hermann von Reichenau).
Chronicler,
mathematician, and poet; b. 18 February, 1013, at Altshausen (Swabia); d. on
the island of Reichenau,
Lake Constance, 21 September, 1054.
He was the son of Count
Wolverad II von Altshausen. Being a cripple from birth (hence the
surname Contractus) he was powerless to move without assistance, and it
was only by the greatest effort that he was able to read and write; but he was
so highly gifted intellectually,
that when he was but seven years of age his parents confided
him to the learned Abbot
Berno, on the island of Reichenau. Here he took
the monastic vows in 1043, and
probably spent his entire life. His iron will overcame all obstacles, and it
was not long before his brilliant attainments made him a shining light in the
most diversified branches of learning, including, besides theology,
mathematics, astronomy,
music, the Latin, Greek, and Arabic tongues. Students soon flocked to him from
all parts, attracted not only by the fame of his scholarship, but also by his
monastic virtue and
his lovable personality.
We are indebted to him chiefly for a chronicle of the most important events
from the birth of Christ to his day. It is the earliest of the medieval universal
chronicles now extant, and was compiled from numerous sources, being a monument
to his great industry as well as to his extraordinary erudition and strict
regard for accuracy. While it is not improbable that this work was based on a
previous state chronicle of Swabia, since lost (called "Chronicum
Universale Suevicum", or "Epitome Sangallensis"), it has
nevertheless a significance entirely its own. But the full measure of his
genius appears from the objectivity and clearness with which he wrote the
history of his own time, the materials of which were accessible to him only by
means of verbal tradition.
He also wrote
mathematico-astronomical works. Of his poems the most successful was the
"De octo vitiis principalibus", which he addressed to nuns, and in which he
gave proof of
uncommon skill in the handling of different kinds of metres, as well as in the
charm with which he contrived to blend earnestness with a happy mirth. He
composed religious hymns,
and is not infrequently credited with the authorship of the "Alma Redemptoris
Mater", and the "Salve Regina".
Finally, it may be mentioned that Hermann constructed astronomical and musical instruments.
Schlager,
Patricius. "Hermann Contractus." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1910. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07266a.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by John A. Scofield.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2021 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07266a.htm
Saint of the Day: Bl.
Herman Contractus
Monastic Scholar and
Composer of the Salve Regina
Monk(1013-1054)
His life
+ Born in Swabia in 1013,
Blessed Herman was paralyzed as a youth. For much of his life, he was known
as Contractus (“the Crippled”). When he was seven years old, his
father sent him to be educated by the monks at Reichenau where, despite his
physical limitations, he was always known to be cheerful and friendly.
+ It was said that the
Blessed Virgin appeared to Herman, asking if he would rather have health or
knowledge. Herman chose knowledge.
+ Well-known in his day
for his work in mathematics, astronomy, history, and music, he wrote both the
words and the music of the Alma Redemptoris Mater, and, probably,
the Salve Regina. Herman is also said to have made astronomical and
musical instruments and he is credited with modifying the system of musical
notation, introducing a new way of writing the notes themselves.
+ Blessed Herman
professed vows as a monk at Reichenau in 1043 at the age of thirty. Always
remembered as a model of patience and charity, and admired as “a wonder of the
age,” Blessed Herman died at Reichenau in 1054.
For prayer and reflection
“Sing to the LORD a new
song,
his praise from the ends
of the earth:
Let the sea and what
fills it resound,
the coastlands, and those
who dwell in them.
Let the wilderness and
its cities cry out,
the villages where Kedar
dwells;
Let the inhabitants of
Sela exult,
and shout from the top of
the mountains.
Let them give glory to
the LORD,
and utter his praise in
the coastlands.”—Isaiah 42:10-12
Spiritual bonus
On this day, the Church
also remembers Blessed Marco Criado. A priest of the Order of the Most Holy
Trinity (the Trinitarians), he was martyred by the Moors near La Peza, Spain,
on September 25, 1569. Devotion to Blessed Marco was confirmed by the Holy See
in 1899.
Prayer
O God, who in your
kindness called your servant blessed Herman to the following of Christ, grant,
we pray, through his intercession, that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to
you with all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever Amen.
(from The Roman Missal:
Common of Holy Men and Women—For a Monk)
Saint profiles prepared
by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
SOURCE : https://aleteia.org/daily-prayer/monday-september-25-2/
Ehemalige
Benediktinerklosterkirche, heute katholische Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt und Peter und Paul,
in Irsee im
Landkreis Ostallgäu in Schwaben (Bayern/Deutschland), Stuck von
Joseph Schmuzer von 1702/03, Deckengemälde (Ölbilder auf Leinwand) von Frater
Magnus Remy von 1702/03
Hermann of Reichenau
Born
18 July 1013
Died
24 September 1054
Reichenau, Germany
Summary
Hermann of Reichenau was a German mathematician who important for the transmission of Arabic mathematics, astronomy and scientific instruments into central Europe.
Biography
Hermann of
Reichenau is also called Hermann the Lame or Hermannus
Contractus. His parents were Count Wolverad II von Altshausen-Veringen and his
wife Hiltrud. They were a noble family from Upper Swabia, a district north of
the Bodensee (also known as Lake Constance). The lake has a western arm,
west of the city of Konstanz, and in this is situated the island of Reichenau.
This island, about 5 km long and 1.5 km wide, was the artistic
and literary centre of south west Germany during this period and was the site
of a famous Benedictine monastery which had been founded there in 724.
This monastery, along with several other Benedictine monasteries, played an
important role in scholarship since it was a centre where manuscripts were
copied. Historians seem almost equally divided between those who believe that
Hermann was born in Saulgau and those who believe he was born in his father's
castle, Castle Altshausen, in Altshausen.
Hermann is called 'the Lame' or 'Contractus' for very good reason. He was
extremely disabled from childhood, having only limited movement and limited
ability to speak. He had a special chair made for him and he had to be carried
around. One of the most recent studies of his illness is the article [5] by
Brunhölzl where there is an attempt to use the available evidence to make a
modern diagnosis:-
Hermann from Reichenau -
Hermannus contractus - apparently suffered from a disease which led to
considerable physical handicap leaving his outstanding intellectual talents
undamaged. Various statements about his condition - an epileptic, suffering
from spasticity, afflicted by poliomyelitis - have never been reconsidered.
Using the biography written by his disciple Berthold, the most important
contemporary source about Hermann's life, an approach to a correct diagnosis
from a neurologists point of view was the aim of this study. By unbiased
analysis of the symptoms described by Berthold a neurologic syndrome is worked
out: it comprised a flaccid tetraparesis involving the bulbar area. The sensory
as well as the autonomic nervous system were apparently not involved. Intellectual
functions were unaffected. Considering this syndrome and other details of
Hermann' life as well as the beginning and course of his illness, a traumatic
birth injury, an early childhood disease and a central nervous as well as an
infectious disease are ruled out. Muscle disease is considered possible, but
motor neuron disease - either amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or spinal muscular
atrophy - seems to be the most convincing diagnosis.
Hermann entered the
Cloister School at Reichenau, attached to the monastery,
on 13 September 1020 and studied there under the Abbot
Berno (about 978-1048). The monastery was a centre of learning at
this time, containing a fine library and a well-equipped workshop. Hermann
became a monk at the Benedictine Monastery at Reichenau in 1043, later
becoming Abbot of the Monastery after the death of Abbot Berno
on 7 June 1048. Despite his disabilities, being confined to a
chair and hardly able to speak, he was a key figure in the transmission of
Arabic mathematics, astronomy and scientific instruments from Arabic sources
into central Europe. In other words he published in Latin much scientific work
which before this time had been only available in Arabic. One would expect,
from this description, that he would be an Arabic speaker but it is thought
almost certain that he could not read Arabic. His pupil Berthold of Reichenau,
from whom we have the details of Hermann's life, does not mention that he could
read Arabic and, given the nature of Berthold's writings about his master, it
would be highly unlikely that he would not have mentioned this ability if
indeed Hermann had been knowledgeable in the Arabic language. However, Gerbert of
Aurillac, who died ten years before Hermann was born, had learnt much from
Arabic sources in Spain and had written several works which, almost certainly,
would have found their way to the monastery at Reichenau.
Hermann introduced three important instruments into central Europe, knowledge
of which came from Arabic Spain. He introduced the astrolabe,
a portable sundial and a quadrant with a cursor. The portable sundial is
described by Lynn Thorndike in [14].
It consists:-
... of an upright
cylinder with a conical top terminating in a knob by which it might be turned,
with a vertical scale to the right of the cylinder and obliquely curving lines
across the face of the cylinder which are to trace the sun's shadow. Apparently
these instruments were used to determine the latitude as well as to find the
hour and the altitude of the sun, or at least they were adapted to determine
the hour in different places and latitudes where a traveller might be.
His works include De
Mensura Astrolabii and De Utilitatibus Astrolabii. Some parts of
these works may not have been written by Hermann and the most likely author on
which they are based must be Gerbert of
Aurillac. The description of the astrolabe that Hermann gives is for an
instrument which is designed to be used at a latitude of forty-eight degrees,
which is indeed the latitude of Reichenau. These works contain more than just a
description of the astrolabe, however, for they also contain star
charts (again with data correct for the latitude of Reichenau) and a
calculation of the earth's diameter. This calculation, following Eratosthenes'
method and data, uses π = 22/7 in the working.
Hermann's contributions to mathematics include a treatise Qualiter
multiplicationes fiant in abbaco dealing with multiplication and division,
although this book is written entirely with Roman numerals. Florence Yeldham
describes in [15] manuscripts
based on the work of Hermann:-
The Cathedral Library at
Durham possesses an unnoticed early twelfth-century manuscript of English
provenance of a work, hitherto unrecorded, of Hermannus Contractus. It contains
the multiples, products, and quotients of the duodecimal fractions. The
manuscript, when first found by Dr Singer in February, 1927, was pasted on
linen and very roughly nailed to a wooden frame .... Dr Singer obtained
permission for the manuscript to be sent to London to be studied by me and to
be put into good order. When I examined it in April, 1927, I found that
the ink was rubbed and worn in parts and that in one place a large piece of
vellum was lost. The greater part of the chart, however, had escaped damage and
I recognized its likeness to certain pages of another twelfth-century
manuscript on which I had been working. A closely similar, and also
undescribed, set of tables is, in fact, to be found in a manuscript of English
origin written in or about the year 1111 A.D. and now in the library
of St John's College, Oxford. Both the St John's and the Durham tables use the
Roman notation and fraction symbols. They are arranged with great economy of
space and are handy to use. This is especially the case in the Durham chart, in
which the multiplicands, multipliers, divisors, and dividends stand out clearly
in alternate red and green, while the multiples, products, and quotients are
smaller and in black. This chart is ruled in double lines of red and green,
meeting in one corner in a grotesque drawing of a lion's head.
He also wrote on a
complicated game based on Pythagorean number
theory which was derived from Boethius.
It appears in De conflictu rithmimachie [1]:-
The game was played with
counters on a board; capture of the opponent's pieces was dependent on the
determination of arithmetical ratios and arithmetic, geometrical, and harmonic
progressions. This game, which enjoyed a considerable vogue during the Middle
Ages, has been attributed to Pythagoras, Boethius,
and Gerbert.
Another interesting piece
of work by Hermann is on lunar months. Around 1040 he
wrote Epistola de quantitate mensis lunaris which addressed the
problem of the lengths of the lunar month. It was known that the moon and the
sun essentially returned to the same position after a cycle
of 19 years. Now 19 years contains 6939.75 days
and 235 lunar months. To make the lunar calendar work, therefore,
requires that the average length of a month across the 19 year cycle
is
6939.75/ 235 = 29.530851 days.
Of course, Hermann did
not have the decimal notation we have just used in this calculation. He had
units of time which divided a day into 24 hours, an hour
into 40 moments, and a moment into 564 atoms. His
calculation of the average length of the lunar month in each 19 year
cycle came out to
29 days 12 hours 29 moments 348 atoms.
If you do a little
arithmetical calculation, you will see that Hermann was exactly right. He used
this value for the average length of the month to create a new lunar calendar
in Abbreviato compoti (1042).
Hermann also wrote on music, considered as a part of mathematics at this time.
His work has been studied in depth by several authors, and in particular we refer
the reader to the fascinating article by Richard Crocker [8].
Crocker begins that article by quoting from Hermann's Opuscula
musica. Hermann had learnt musical theory from his teacher Berno who,
having reformed the Gregorian chant into eight modes called 'tones', was
probably the leading music expert in his day. Hermann wrote:-
To begin with, let us
look at one rule for recognizing the modes which has hitherto been dug out as a
rough mass, so to speak, by previous writers, but not fully worked clear of
dross, and let us state it in such a way that it may stand forth clear and pure
for earnest students. This matter of recognition, to be sure, though it may be
reduced to a brief statement, is nevertheless extensive and notable in
character, since that which is very elegantly indicated in it finds a place
among the proper and rightful foundations of the modes.
Crocker writes [8]:-
Hermann, starting from
the emphasis laid by his teacher Berno of Reichenau on the species of fourths
and fifths, first relied on them to mediate the anomalies between the recurring
tetrachord of the finals and the scale of the 'Dialogus', then eventually came
to the same major sixth. And in Hermann's discussion, this major sixth so
strongly resembles the hexachord that it seems the two should be identified
without hesitation.
Not only did Hermann
write on the theory of music but he also wrote poetry and hymns. His best known
hymn is Salve Regina and he is also believed to have
written Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Easter hymn Alma
Redemptoris mater. It is always difficult to be certain that the attribution of
works from this early period is correct and, indeed, many scholars doubt
whether these hymns have come down to us in the same form as Hermann wrote
them. There seems little doubt, however, that even if these works have been modified
later, they are based on hymns written by Hermann. A poem about the eight
deadly sins, written for the nuns at Buchau, shows that Hermann had an
excellent sense of humour.
Finally, let us note Hermann's important contributions to history. He wrote Chronicon
ad annum 1054 which no longer exists in the original manuscript but
did survive long enough to be printed by J Sichard at Basel in 1529.
Numerous later editions have been published of this important historical work
which contains unique information about Henry III (1017-1056), duke of
Bavaria (1027-41), duke of Swabia (1038-45), German
king (1039-56), and Holy Roman emperor (1046-56).
In his historical chronicle, Hermann records the death of his own mother
Hiltrud in 1052. He wrote an inscription for his mother's grave in
Altshausen which shows his deep love and devotion to her. He requested that he
be buried beside his mother and, only two years later, this remarkable man died
and his wishes were carried out. He had requested that his disciple, Berthold
of Reichenau, should take wax tablets on which his writings were recorded and
have these made into manuscripts. Indeed, it is because Berthold faithfully
carried out Hermann's request that so much of Hermann's work was preserved.
Hermann also requested that Berthold continue to record the chronicle which he
had taken as far as the year 1054. He certainly did continue the chronicle
but there is some doubt as to how far he continued it since we know that it was
later extended by others. Several authors saw the chronicle continue up to the
year 1175 and it appears that Berthold died in 1088.
Other
Mathematicians born in Germany
A
Poster of Hermann of Reichenau
SOURCE : https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Hermann_of_Reichenau/
Altshausen,
Landkreis Ravensburg: Schlosskirche, Reliquie Hermanns von Reichenau
Saint of the Month:
Blessed Hermann of Reichenau
Blessed Hermann of
Reichenau was an esteemed scientist and abbot, as well as a profoundly disabled
man. Hermann was born in 1013 to Count Wolverad II von Althausen and his wife
Hiltrud. Althausen was located in the Swabian region of southern Germany.
Hermann was born with multiple anomalies, likely including cleft palate,
cerebral palsy, and spina bifida. The child was unable to move about on his own
and had to be carried, but he was blessed with a sharp intellect. Despite his
handicaps, he clearly possessed some remarkable gifts, including explaining to
his parents the meaning of the Latin Mass prayers. When he was seven, his
parents brought him to the five-mile long island of Reichenau in nearby Lake
Constance. Located there was the Benedictine monastery, founded in the eighth
century, which was the center of literature and the arts for the region.
A REALIZATION OF HIS
POTENTIAL
The couple met with the
Abbot, Berno, who was amazed at the boy’s aptitude in mathematics. Berno
invited young Hermann to live at the monastery and attend the cloister school,
and he enthusiastically accepted. The boy thrived in the rich academic
environment, and Abbot Berno was his primary teacher. This monastery was at its
greatest eminence under Berno, and it contained a vast library for its monks
and students. It was also a place where precious manuscripts were painstakingly
copied, centuries before the invention of the printing press. Hermann lived his
life confined to a specially adapted chair, carried from place to place by
assistants. Despite struggling with speech and writing impediments, he
nevertheless was able to master a long list of subjects, including four
languages, theology, mathematics, history, and astronomy. He had a particular
aptitude for music and poetry. Not surprisingly, he often prayed for the Virgin
Mary’s intercession that he be restored to good health. At some point he
experienced a Marian apparition, wherein she offered him the choice between
good health and wisdom. He chose wisdom.
A BRILLIANT TEACHER
In 1043, Hermann entered
the monastery as a monk, and continued his work as a researcher and teacher of
numerous subjects in addition to living the structured daily life
characteristic of the Benedictines. Scholars came from great distances to learn
from him, with his skill as a polyglot enabling many to understand him. He
designed and built numerous musical instruments and was one of the earliest
composers of Gregorian Chant, which music theory he had learned from his
mentor, Berno. After much research, he wrote an essay on the effect of music on
the human body and psyche, and wrote extensively about the eight modes of
music. Because one of the languages he knew was Arabic, he was able to provide
and use the considerable body of knowledge of astronomy and mathematics
previously only available in Arabic, which he translated into Latin. He
theorized that the earth was round, and taught how to measure its
circumference. He made three important inventions: an improved astrolabe (a
complicated device for use in astronomy) an improved pillar sundial, and a
quadrant with a cursor for mapping the sky. He also wrote a comprehensive
history of the known world from the time of Christ’s birth, which he
scrutinized for accuracy. This chronicle provided information about the 11th
century that we have from no other source. There was a monastery of women at
Buchau to whom he was particularly solicitous, and they requested his guidance.
He wrote them a poem, multiple books long and peppered with humor, about the
seven deadly sins and the ways of the world. When his treasured mentor, Berno,
died in 1048, his fellow monks chose Hermann as their abbot. It was not only
for his brilliance that many people were attracted to him, but also his
holiness. He bore his infirmities without complaint and possessed a delightful
sense of humor.
BEAUTIFUL LEGACY
Blind in his last few
years, Hermann died September 24, 1054 at age forty. At his request, he was
buried next to his mother at Althausen. Among his musical compositions, we have
been left with his masterpiece, the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen). It was upon
hearing this magnificent chant at Spire on Christmas Eve in 1146, that [St.]
Bernard of Clairvaux, overcome with emotion, added “O clemens! O pia! O dulcis
Virgo Maria!” (O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary), which became a
permanent addition to Hermann’s composition. In our time when children
considered “imperfect” are believed to have lives not worth living, the life of
Hermann stands as a testimony that we cannot measure the value of a single
human life. Within his deformed body lived a man of great humility, courage,
patience, and charity, in addition to his obvious brilliance. Blessed Hermann
was beatified in 1863. Also known as Bl. Hermann the Cripple or the Latinized
version, Hermanus Contractus, his feast day is September 25.
Bl.
Hermann of Reichenau, Bl. Hermann
the Cripple, Bl.
Hermanus Contractus, Reichenau Abbey, Salve Regina
SOURCE : https://www.stignatiusmobile.org/saint-of-the-month-blessed-hermann-of-reichenau/
The
“Salve, Regina”, or “Hail, Holy Queen”, by Father B Rohner, OSB
Christian reader, have
you ever given due attention to the words and thoughts contained in the
favorite prayer of praise, “Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy”? Have you ever
heard it chanted, or even recited, in the great cathedral at Spire, or in the
miracle-chapel at Einsiedeln? If you have, then you must have heard tones and
expressions that raised your heart to the throne of Mary in heaven.
Every good Catholic knows
the words of this favorite and time-honored prayer which, in English, reads as
follows:
The Salve, Regina
Hail, holy Queen, Mother
of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope; to thee do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy
towards us, and after this, our exile, is ended, show unto us the blessed fruit
of thy womb, Jesus; O element, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
The Author of the “Salve,
Regina”
The author of this
beautiful anthem to the Blessed Virgin was Blessed Herman the Cripple, or
Contractus. He was the son of Count Wolfrad II of Veringen and his worthy wife,
Hiltrude. He was born in the year 1009. Under the careful guidance of his pious
mother the boy Herman grew in innocence and piety. All promised well until he was
attacked in his sixth year by a severe fit of illness which stunted his growth
and contracted his limbs in such a manner that he was compelled to use crutches
from that time till the day of his death. Hence came his name, Herman
Contractus, or Herman the Cripple. Although his sufferings were intense nearly
all the time, and although his body ceased to develop, his keenly active soul
became more closely united to God, and its powers grew and strengthened under
this heavy cross of bodily affliction. His great love and sincere devotion for
the “Mother of the afflicted ” secured him peace of soul and even lightened his
bodily sufferings. We are told however, that he continued to pray to his
beloved Mother for restoration to health and strength, if it should be pleasing
to God. Pious legend informs us that when he had prayed thus for some months,
the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and offered him the choice between two
gifts; namely, health or wisdom. Herman, without hesitating a moment, chose the
gift of wisdom. He made a wise selection, for notwithstanding his bodily
infirmities he became one of the most learned men of his time. Under the poor
form of a deformed body there dwelt a noble soul, a clear and richly gifted
intellect, and a humble and charitable heart.
Herman, resolving to
leave the world in order to devote himself to the service of God and the
acquisition of wisdom and learning, entered the Order of Saint Benedict. He
lived for some time in the renowned monastery of Saint Gall in Switzerland, and
afterward in a no less famous seat of piety and learning, the monastery of
Reichenau, situated on a beautiful island in Lake Zurich, near Constance.
Although this crippled
and deformed monk never passed a day without intense suffering of body, he
labored cheerfully and assiduously in acquiring spiritual perfection and also
in laying up stores of useful knowledge for the benefit of his fellow-men then
living and yet to be born. From the whole Catholic world, and from the friends
and servants of Mary in particular, he deserves sincere thanks for having given
to the Church the beautiful hymn of the “Salve, Regina,” or “Hail, holy Queen.”
Christian reader, now
that you know the author of this invocation to Mary, you will be more
interested in it and appreciate it more thoroughly than you ever did before.
Who could speak with more effect of “this valley of tears” than the poor
crippled monk? Who realized more fully the miseries of this exile on earth?
Well might he cry out to his blessed Mother, “After this, our exile, is ended,
show unto us Jesus.” Thus you perceive that the “Salve, Regina” is the
outpouring of a soul wholly devoted to Mary and relying on her motherly
assistance.
Herman, in his
forty-fifth year, died as he had lived, breathing tender affection for Jesus
and Mary. Although his bodily pains became more intense as death approached, he
bore all without a murmur, and peacefully expired on the 24th of September,
1054. He is ranked among the saints belonging to the Benedictine Order.
The “Salve, Regina” Receives
and Addition
In the year 1146 Saint
Bernard, the illustrious doctor of the Church and abbot of Clairvaux, was
travelling through Germany and by the power of his eloquence was rousing the
people of that country to the necessity of entering upon another crusade, a
spirited one, in order to wrest from the iron grasp of the heathens those
places in Palestine that had been sanctified by the footsteps, and moistened
with the blood, of our holy Redeemer. Passing from Switzerland, by way of
Strasbourg, Saint Bernard sailed down the river Rhine and landed at Spire, on
Christmas eve, 1146. In a grand procession, Composed of the civic societies and
trades unions, with their banners waving in the air, and holding lighted tapers
in their hands, followed in turn by the clergy with their bishop clad in
pontifical robes, Saint Bernard was com ducted, amid every sign of respect from
the multitudes who lined the streets of the city, to the majestic cathedral.
Here, amid the chant of the choristers and the joyful pealing of the bells, the
great preacher of the holy wars was met by the Emperor Conrad and all the royal
princes of the court, who tendered to their illustrious guest the welcome of
their realm. It was a scene of great magnificence as the saint crossed the
threshold of the sacred edifice. Thousands had to remain outside the building,
for the saint’s great reputation for sanctity and the fame of the wondrous
miracles that he had wrought, as well as his renowned eloquence, had drawn vast
crowds from far and near, eager to get a glimpse of his venerable person. As
the solemn procession, preceded by the cross and other standards, marched
slowly up the grand aisle of the cathedral, a choir of a thousand voices
chanted the hymn, “Salve, Regina,” or “Hail, holy Queen.” The lofty vaults of
the sacred edifice spanning many altars ablaze with a thousand lights, the
soldierly form of the emperor, the venerable mien of the holy bishops, the long
files of white-robed priests, the vast crowds of admiring people, the inspiring
strains of the music, and all this but the expression of truly Catholic hearts,
over-powered the soul of Saint Bernard with emotions of intense gratitude to
God and His blessed Mother. The altar Was reached as the singers’ voices
repeated the last words of the “Salve, Regina.” A profound silence ensued as
the words, “Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc
exilium ostende” – that is, “Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus,” died away. In a moment of inspiration, and overwhelmed with the
loftiest sentiments of piety towards the Blessed Virgin, the great Saint
Bernard, in thrilling tones, exclaimed spontaneously, “O clemens, O pia, O
dukis Virgo Maria!” that is, “O element, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!”
From that moment the
“Salve, Regina” continued to have a new ending. The love-breathing words of
Saint Bernard, the honey-tongued doctor, as holy Church styles him, were
universally adopted, and added, with a will by all, to the “Salve, Regina”
originally composed by Blessed Herman the Cripple. They form a beautiful and
fitting ending to a beautiful apostrophe to the Mother of God. In the cathedral
at Spire, every day, from that time till our day, the “Salve, Regina” is sung
solemnly in memory of the events so sacred which led to the inspired
composition of its present ending and in memory of the saint who uttered the
beautiful words.
The “Salve, Regina”
Beloved by the Church and Her Saints
This hymn of Blessed
Herman has been so far honored in the Church as to be formally inserted in her
daily public and private services. Every priest is obliged to recite it, at the
end of the Divine Office, every day from Trinity Sunday till the beginning of
Advent. In those churches where the Divine Office is chanted in choir solemnly,
this antiphon is sung every evening with all the solemnity that the ceremonial
and music of the Church can give it.
Towards the end of the
last century the powers of hell, aided by the mischievous efforts of the
infidels, strove hard in many countries, notably in France and Germany, to bury
out of sight all external, and, indeed, internal, respect and devotion to the Mother
of God and to the other saints of the Church.
In order to defeat these
unholy efforts many devout persons among the laity, several of whom were
persons of high and respectable standing, formed themselves into societies for
the defence of devotion to Mary and other saints, to make reparation for the
indignities offered to her and to implore her aid in their own behalf. They
agreed among themselves to recite, at least once every morning, the hymn,
“Salve, Regina,” adding to it the versicle:
“Make me worthy to praise
thee, holy Virgin; give me strength against thine enemies; blessed be God in
His saints. Amen.”
In the evening they
repeated devoutly the short but beautiful prayer, “We fly to thy patronage, O
holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver
us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.” Then followed the
versicle, “Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.”
The Sovereign Pontiff not
only gave his approval to this simple and edifying mode of doing honor to the
Blessed Virgin, but also was pleased to enrich it with indulgences.
You will not wonder,
therefore, dear Christian reader, that God’s favorite saints loved to recite
and sing this anthem of the “Hail, holy Queen” with joyful hearts, receiving in
compensation abundant graces in their devout souls. It will also be to your
spiritual advantage if you recite it often and piously. When doing so remember
the words of Saint Bernard, “By a saint was this hymn of supplication composed,
by other saints it was introduced into the every-day devotions of the faithful;
therefore it can be used properly only by saints or those who wish to become
such. For, in very truth, it can be fully understood and appreciated, and sung
with edification, only by those who are animated with purely religious
sentiments of heart and soul. It is so sweet and tender in its suggestions to
the ways of grace, so fruitful in begetting holy emotions, so profoundly
explanatory of holy mysteries, that it can never be meditated on and studied
out by us as it deserves. When its tender strains and its pathetic words strike
our ear, it acts most forcibly on all our best feelings; it enriches our souls
with its own fullness of beauty and virtue and carries us so far heavenward
towards our blessed Lady that we seem to stand before her, saluting her face to
face.”
– text taken from Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Her Feasts, Prayers,
Religious Orders, and Sodalities, by Father B Rohner, OSB, adapted
by Father Richard Brennan, LLD, published in 1898 by Benziger Brothers; it has
the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael Augustine, Archdiocese of New York, New
York, 22 June 1898
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/the-salve-regina-or-hail-holy-queen-by-father-b-rohner-osb/
Veringenstadt: Sgrafitto Hermann der Lahme - Hermanus Contractus *18.Juli 1013 - † 24. September 1054. Aus dem Geschlecht der Grafen Altshausen-Veringen
Beato Ermanno il
Contratto Monaco di Reichenau
Altshausen, Germania, 18
luglio 1013 - Reichenau, 24 settembre 1054
Ermanno, soprannominato
“lo storpio”, nasce nel 1013 in Germania, ad Altshausen. All’età di sette anni
viene mandato nel Monastero benedettino di Reichenau, sull’isola del Lago di
Costanza. E qui Ermanno vive tutta la sua esistenza. Viene assistito dalle amorevoli
cure del monaco Bertoldo che, oltre ad accudirlo, gli insegna greco, latino,
storia e matematica. Il piccolo soffre di una grave disabilità: non riesce a
camminare, né a stare in piedi. Anche da seduto o coricato è dolorante. Persino
parlare, per lui, è un’impresa, avendo le labbra e il palato malformati.
Eppure, con il tempo, Ermanno diventa l’orgoglio del monastero, e non una
vergogna come in tanti, preoccupati, temevano. Ermanno vive la sua sofferenza
con serenità. Ha fede, prega tanto, diventa monaco. E si rivela un genio. Sotto
la scorza di un corpo deforme si cela un’anima stupenda. Il ragazzo ha un
carattere allegro: è dolce e scherzoso, e tutti lo amano. Bravissimo scrittore,
con uno stile semplice ma efficace e preciso, scrive importanti libri di storia
e biografie di imperatori del suo tempo. Con coraggio e buona volontà riesce ad
usare le sue mani rattrappite. È anche un astrologo: studia le stelle e i
pianeti. Ha molta inventiva: insegna a costruire astrolabi (una sorta di
orologi che contano le ore) e strumenti musicali. Compone poesie di
incomparabile bellezza e musica sublime, ideando un nuovo modo di scrivere le
note. Ancora oggi, in ogni chiesa del mondo, vengono intonate le stupende
parole del Salve Regina, canzone dedicata da Ermanno alla Madonna, da un uomo
che non poté mai cantare. Sono parole che toccano il cuore, lo accarezzano, lo
consolano. Umilissimo, ubbidiente, il monaco si definisce un peccatore, più
lento di una lumaca; nonostante ciò l’imperatore Enrico III e il papa Leone IX
lo vanno a trovare per rendergli omaggio e chiedergli consigli. Ermanno muore
nel 1054 a Reichenau.
«Salve, Regina, madre di misericordia, vita, dolcezza e speranza nostra, salve. A Te ricorriamo, noi esuli figli di Eva; a Te sospiriamo gementi e piangenti in questa valle di lacrime». È la preghiera che ancora si canta nelle chiese, alla fine, quando restano i vecchi a trascinare le vocali come a trattenere chi già corre a riaccendere il telefonino. Chi l’ha scritta, quasi mille anni fa, sapeva che cos’è una valle di lacrime. La Salve Regina fu infatti, quasi sicuramente, composta da Ermanno di Reichenau, meglio conosciuto come Ermanno lo storpio. Lo chiamavano anche “il contratto”. I documenti che ne danno notizia parlano di un uomo deforme, con gli arti come attorcigliati a impedirgli non solo di camminare normalmente ma anche di trovare pace disteso o seduto nella sedia costruita apposta per lui. Ermanno, che nella vita non è mai stato comodo se non, probabilmente, quando è sopraggiunta la morte, fu monaco e fine studioso. La preghiera alla Madonna entrata nella storia liturgica della Chiesa è solo uno degli aspetti del suo studio e della sua fede poderosamente intrecciati. Poi ci sono le cronache della storia del mondo, lo studio delle costellazioni, la costruzione di astrolabi. Ancora oggi chi cerca notizie su di lui nelle biblioteche trova i trattati scritti nelle notti insonni nell’abbazia di Reichenau, in un’isoletta nel lago di Costanza. A essere in grado di scrivere ci arrivò probabilmente dopo un lungo allenamento per addomesticare le mani a rispondere alla mente. Nacque il 18 luglio del 1013, esattamente mille anni fa, ed era uno dei 15 figli di Eltrude e Goffredo conte di Althausen di Svevia.
Fu il gesuita inglese Cyril Martindale ad appassionarsi alla sua storia dopo il ritrovamento nella biblioteca di Oxford di un volume in latino che ne riferiva la vita. Quelle pagine, racconta Martindale in un volume molto amato da don Luigi Giussani (Santi, Jaca Book) non parlavano di un handicappato abbandonato, ma di un piccolo affidato alle amorevoli cure dei monaci e diventato presto un compagno prezioso per i religiosi. Misteriosamente in Ermanno la malattia non genera cinismo bensì un’umanità ricca, rigogliosa, coinvolgente. Così la biografia parla di un uomo «piacevole, amichevole, conversevole; sempre ridente; tollerante; gaio; sforzandosi in ogni occasione di essere galantuomo con tutti». Quello che doveva essere un peso diventa presto l’orgoglio del monastero e la sua fama arriva fino all’imperatore Enrico III e a papa Leone IX, che visitarono Reichenau rispettivamente nel 1048 e nel 1049.
Vincere il dolore e la pigrizia non è semplice. Ermanno stesso lo fa capire nell’introduzione a uno dei suoi volumi più complicati, quello in cui spiega come si costruiscono gli astrolabi, marchingegni antenati degli orologi, utilizzati per localizzare o calcolare la posizione del Sole, della Luna, dei pianeti e delle stelle, ma anche per determinare l’ora conoscendo la longitudine. «Ermanno – scrive –, l’infimo dei poveretti di Cristo e dei filosofi dilettanti, il seguace più lento di un ciuco, anzi, di una lumaca è stato indotto dalle preghiere di molti amici a scrivere questo trattato scientifico». Tra gli amici c’è Bertoldo, incaricato di aiutarlo nelle incombenze quotidiane e testimone dei momenti cruciali della sua vita. È a lui che Ermanno affida i suoi pensieri nei giorni della pleurite che lo condurrà alla morte. E l’amico si commuove e si tura le orecchie quando il piccolo monaco, già assaporando la pace della liberazione dal corpo, si dice stanco di vivere.
«La Vita, come la scrisse Bertoldo – osserva Martindale –, è così piena di vita
pulsante, Ermanno ne esce veramente vivo! Non perché sapesse scrivere sulla
teoria della musica e della matematica, né perché seppe compilare minuziose
cronache storiche e leggere tante lingue diverse, ma per il suo coraggio, la
bellezza dell’anima sua, la sua serenità nel dolore, la sua prontezza a
scherzare e a fare a botta e risposta, la dolcezza dei suoi modi che lo resero
“amato da tutti”. (…) Ermanno ci dà la prova che il dolore non significa
infelicità, né il piacere la felicità».
Autore: Laura
Borselli
Nacque il 18 luglio 1013 dal conte Wolfrat di Altshausen, forse della famiglia dei Berholdinger; sua madre si chiamava Hiltrerd, proveniva dalla Borgogna e probabilmente era imparentata coi Welfen. Non si sa se fosse zoppo di nascita o se lo diventò per una paralisi infantile. A sette anni (1021) cominciò ad andare a scuola, secondo il Bucelino, presso i monaci di S. Gallo di cui avrebbe poi vestito l'abito.
Fu sicuramente professore a Reichenau e a trent'anni entrò a far parte di questo monastero, ricevendovi l'ordinazione sacerdotale. Lavorò fino agli ultimi anni di vita nelle materie a cui era stato iniziato dai suoi maestri, l'abate Bernone e i monaci Kerung e Burcardo: astronomia, poesia,storia, musica e liturgia, nella quale poté sviluppare appieno il suo talento meritando di essere esaltato come miraculum saeculi e il più moderno dei musicisti, non solo perché introdusse una nuova divisione nel sistema delle note, ma anche perché inventò una nuova scrittura delle note stesse.
Gli vengono attribuite la Salve Regina, l'Alma Redemptoris mater, l'Ufficio di alcuni santi (Gregorio, Afra, Wolfgango, ecc.) e le Sequenze della Croce e della Pasqua (Grates, honos, hierarchia e Rex regun, Dei agne); alla liturgia si riferiscono anche i trattati De musica e De monochordo; e opere di indole matematica, tutte di interesse liturgico:
Le opere poetico-didattiche furono scritte da Ermanno soprattutto a scopo pastorale per i monaci e le suore della propria abbazia e di altri monasteri, in modo speciale quella intitolata De octo vitiis principalibus. Egli ebbe inoltre uno spirito aperto ed intento a quanto avveniva, vicino e lontano, nella sua patria. Ebbe la stima dell'imperatore Enrico III e di papa Leone IX, che visitarono Reichenau rispettivamente nel 1048 e nel 1049; così è comprensibile che abbia scritto due libri sulle gesta di Corrado II ed Enrico III, la Cronaca della Svevia, probabilmente lavoro giovanile, e in età matura la Cronaca Universale, opera che, prendendo le mosse dalla morte di Cristo (contrariamente all'uso fino ad allora seguito di iniziare la storia con la morte di Abramo), giunge al 1054.In essa Ermanno per primo sfrutta, elaborandolo scientificamente, materiale tratto dagli annali monastici ed imperiali, vite dei santi, liste episcopali e altre fonti: la sua esposizione è profonda e precisa, oggettiva ed imparziale, semplice e chiara, con un sicuro intuito dell'essenziale e in un latino elegante.
Sul proprio tempo il beato scrisse in modo molto circostanziato. E' probabile che, nonostante le sofferenze e il lavoro, egli debba aver viaggiato molto. Dal discepolo Bertoldo, che ne continuò la Cronaca Universale, venne lodato come paziente, pieno di carità, obbediente, puro, savio, sempre dedito al lavoro e alla preghiera, compassionevole, gentile, come un uomo che si ritenne sempre un peccatore e pensò sempre alla morte. Ancora oggi viene ammirata l'opera da lui compiuta, tanto più che ebbe una vita breve, poiché morì all'età di quarantun anni, il 24 settembre 1054. Venne sepolto ad Altshausen, ma la sua tomba è oggi sconosciuta. Se ne conservano reliquie ad Altshausen, a Zurigo ed altrove. Nel calendario benedettino è ricordato come beato, ma è una celebrazione dovuta al Bucelino. Il vescovo di Friburgo dichiarò inammissibile il culto pubblico verso Ermanno come beato, ma permise la continuazione del culto nel territorio in cui fino allora vigeva.
Rappresentazioni di Ermanno sono nel coro di Zwiefalten e ad Andechs; in un dipinto del soffitto della distrutta chiesa di Montecassino era raffigurato come Doctor marianus.
Autore: Gebhard Spahr
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/94046
ERMANNO di Reichenau o
Ermanno lo Storpio
di Fedor Schneider -
Enciclopedia Italiana (1932)
ERMANNO di Reichenau o
Ermanno lo Storpio (Hermannus Contractus)
Cronista tedesco, nato il
18 luglio 1013, morto il 24 settembre 1054. Figlio di un conte svevo, fu educato
in un convento e a 30 anni fu accolto quale monaco nell'Abbazia imperiale
dell'isola Reichenau sul lago di Costanza, dove rimase fino alla morte,
immobilizzato da una paralisi. Si segnalò con i suoi lavori nella matematica,
nell'astronomia e nella teoria musicale; scrisse anche versi; il
suo Martyrologium offre delle aggiunte a Notker e Ado. Ma il suo nome
è collegato soprattutto alla sua Cronaca universale, che arriva fino al 1054.
Nella Cronaca E. segue,
sino al 1040, una compilazione oramai perduta, forse originaria di Reichenau
fra il 1040 e il 1043, gli Schwäbische Reichsannalen, utilizzati anche da
altri storici contemporanei e dei quali abbiamo un magro estratto,
il Chronicon Suevicum Universale. Dal 1049 fino alla sua morte, E. espone
invece avvenimenti a lui contemporanei, attingendo ai proprî ricordi o a
comunicazioni orali senza ricorrere a fonti scritte. La serena obiettività di
E. è caratteristica di quel benevolo atteggiamento del clero tedesco verso
l'Impero prima che fosse sorto il dissidio conseguente alle lotte per
l'investitura, dissidio che si manifesta invece appieno nei due continuatori di
E., Bertoldo e Bernoldo. La cronaca è stata edita dal Pertz.
in Mon. Germ. hist., Script., V, Hannover 1844, pp. 67-133.
Bibl.: W.
Wattenbach, Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen im Mittelalter, II, 5ª ed.,
Berlino 1894, pp. 41-47; F. Schneider, Mittelalter bis zur Mitte des 13.
Jahrhunderts, Lipsia e Vienna 1929, p. 158. Sugli Schwäbische
Reichsannalen, R. Holtzmann, Wipo und die Schwäbische Weltchronik,
in Neues Archiv, XXXV (1910), pp. 58-104.
Die
Abbildung Hermann des Lahmen auf einer Kachel der Schatzkammer des Münsters in
Reichenau-Mittelzell wird sehr häufig reproduziert. Der Ofen ist 1745-1746
gesetzt worden, hat schon damals "Ehre eingelegt" und "wegen
schönerer als vereinbarter Malerei", dem Hafner ein Trinkgeld eingebracht.
Walter Berschin hat in "Hermann der Lahme, Gelehrter und Dichter",
Heidelberg 2004 die Schrift in der Kartusche folgendermaßen gedeutet:
"Beatus Hermannus Contractus Monachus Augiae a devotione Mariae celebris
obiit 19. Julii 1054." (Der selige Hermann der Lahme, Mönch der Reichenau,
berühmt ob seiner Marienverehrung, starb am 19. Juli 1054.)
Den salige Hermann den
lamme (1013-1054)
Minnedag: 25.
september
Den salige Hermann
strevet med mange store fysiske funksjonshemninger, mens han levde i nesten 20
år som munk i Reichenau. Han var håndverker, matematiker og poet, og det er så
godt som sikkert at det var han som forfattet hymnen «Alma redemptoris mater»
og sannsynligvis også «Salve Regina». Minnedag 25. september.
Alma Redemptoris Mater,
quae pervia caeli
porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,
natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore,
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.
Salve, Regina, mater
misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
Kilder:
Attwater/Cumming - Sist oppdatert: 1998-10-20 23:09
SOURCE : http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/hermann
Voir aussi ; https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/09/blessed-hermann-cripple.html
