Thiota or Theuda appears in the Annals of Fulda (847). [1] She declared herself to be a prophetess and foresaw that the world would end in 847. She "fit well into the Germanic eschatological tradition". Like earlier Germanic seeresses, like Ganna, she had charisma and she attracted not only commoners but even the clergy listened to her and provided her with gifts. Eventually the church thought that the disturbance had gone to far and took her into Mainz where she was questioned by the bishops. They quickly decided to flog her publicly and she was forbidden ever to preach again. [2]
per idem tempus mulier quaedam de Alamanniae partibus nomine Thiota pseudoprophetissa Mogontiacum venit, quae Salomonis episcopi parroechiam suis vaticiniis non minime turbaverat [3]
At this time a woman from Alamannia, by the name of Thiota, came to Mainz as a false prophetess, who had not a little unsettled the district of Bishop Solomon with her prophecies [4]
The Catholic church had not yet been able to eradicate the tradition of seeresses. In 847 and or 848, she appeared and her origins are uknown although AF tells that she came from somewhere in Germany. She started preaching in villages near Mainz and said that God had revealed to her "the secrets of the divine heart" and that the world would end the same year. Theuda had charisma and she was a talented speaker and she attracted people who found in her a kind of spiritual satisfaction that they did not receive from the church. Both men and women followed her and gave her gifts, and they treated her like a saint and asked her to pray on their behalf. She was soon taken into Mainz by guards and met the archbishop who convened an informal synod. She was carefully examined and she was fearful and defended herself by saying that a priest had told her to preach. The assembled clergy did not deem her worthy of a long discussion and quickly forbade he to preach and gave her a public flogging so that she would remember their orders. She appears to have ceased causing trouble after that.
[5]
References
- ^ Morris 1991, p. 33.
- ^ Morris 1991, p. 34.
- ^ Schuhmann, 2006, p. 267f.
- ^ Schuhmann, 2006, p. 268.
- ^ Russel 1965, p. 107―108.
Sources
- Morris, Katherine (1991). Sorceress Or Witch?: The Image of Gender in Medieval Iceland and Northern Europe. University Press of America. ISBN 9780819182579.
- Russel, Jeffrey Burton (1965). Dissent and Reform in the Early Middle Ages. University of Californa Press.
- Schuhmann, R. (2006). Geographischer Raum und Lebensform der Germanen : Kommentar zu Tacitus' Germania, c. 1-20 (PDF) (Thesis). Jena.
Thiota or Theuda appears in the Annals of Fulda (847). [1] She declared herself to be a prophetess and foresaw that the world would end in 847. She "fit well into the Germanic eschatological tradition". Like earlier Germanic seeresses, like Ganna, she had charisma and she attracted not only commoners but even the clergy listened to her and provided her with gifts. Eventually the church thought that the disturbance had gone to far and took her into Mainz where she was questioned by the bishops. They quickly decided to flog her publicly and she was forbidden ever to preach again. [2]
per idem tempus mulier quaedam de Alamanniae partibus nomine Thiota pseudoprophetissa Mogontiacum venit, quae Salomonis episcopi parroechiam suis vaticiniis non minime turbaverat [3]
At this time a woman from Alamannia, by the name of Thiota, came to Mainz as a false prophetess, who had not a little unsettled the district of Bishop Solomon with her prophecies [4]
The Catholic church had not yet been able to eradicate the tradition of seeresses. In 847 and or 848, she appeared and her origins are uknown although AF tells that she came from somewhere in Germany. She started preaching in villages near Mainz and said that God had revealed to her "the secrets of the divine heart" and that the world would end the same year. Theuda had charisma and she was a talented speaker and she attracted people who found in her a kind of spiritual satisfaction that they did not receive from the church. Both men and women followed her and gave her gifts, and they treated her like a saint and asked her to pray on their behalf. She was soon taken into Mainz by guards and met the archbishop who convened an informal synod. She was carefully examined and she was fearful and defended herself by saying that a priest had told her to preach. The assembled clergy did not deem her worthy of a long discussion and quickly forbade he to preach and gave her a public flogging so that she would remember their orders. She appears to have ceased causing trouble after that.
[5]
References
- ^ Morris 1991, p. 33.
- ^ Morris 1991, p. 34.
- ^ Schuhmann, 2006, p. 267f.
- ^ Schuhmann, 2006, p. 268.
- ^ Russel 1965, p. 107―108.
Sources
- Morris, Katherine (1991). Sorceress Or Witch?: The Image of Gender in Medieval Iceland and Northern Europe. University Press of America. ISBN 9780819182579.
- Russel, Jeffrey Burton (1965). Dissent and Reform in the Early Middle Ages. University of Californa Press.
- Schuhmann, R. (2006). Geographischer Raum und Lebensform der Germanen : Kommentar zu Tacitus' Germania, c. 1-20 (PDF) (Thesis). Jena.