Passions for Learning: the Codex Sangallensis 548

Abstract

This thesis is a narratological study of the eighth-century Codex Sangallensis 548, a collection of saints’ lives preserved in the Abbey Library of St. Gall. Through an analysis of the narrative structures of these stories, their relationships with each other and with the culture in which it was produced, the author seeks to understand why this manuscript was produced and what it reveals about the minds behind its creation. As a product of student hands, it was a tool for developing writing skills, but it also functioned as a vehicle for educating its readers about both religious and political matters. In the religious sphere, the saints presented in the Codex are role models for living a correct Christian life. In the political sphere, it reflects the Carolingian reforms of this period as well as efforts to manufacture and maintain support for the dynasty through the use of literary productions. A melding of both these spheres is observed in the presentation of St. Leudegarius as a role model for the appropriate behavior of a Christian and of his story as a symbol of Merovingian disgrace. Thus, this Codex was produced for both religious and political reasons, and reflects the religious and political preoccupations and circumstances of the time in which it was produced.