Role of Death and Obits

...by Jordan Crosby

The role of death and obituaries in Matthew Paris’ English History is similar to the presentation I gave last week. The theme throughout this collection of readings, and the works presented by Suzanne Lewis have the view that those who persecute Christianity and their followers are people of non-Christian faith, and will ultimately be punished for their religious beliefs, and their horrible acts. In English History, this is seen with the wretched death of Engelram de Coucy, the father of the Queen of Scotland, who met his death in a remarkable way. Engelram was described as being the old persecutor of the Church, notably the church of Clairvaux. Paris notes that he died a double death as in his lifetime he was obsessed with materialism, while in spiritual life he was “a sad dissipater” (7) One day, while riding his horse, the horse stumbled and Engelram fell backwards into deep water, and was dragged by his stirrups. While he was falling, his sword became unravelled from his sheath, and it stabbed him as he was drowning, thereby dying a double-death. Paris commented that he departed this life to reap the fruits of his ways (7), which can suggest to the reader that he is in hell, with all the other materialistic sinners.

Another tale from Paris’ English History surrounds the finding of the dead body of a boy in London. Upon inspection of the deceased body, it was discovered that his legs, arms, and under his chest was in scripted with Hebrew characters. It was thus believed that the Jews had killed the young boy to taunt and insult Jesus, and either crucified or beat him so badly that he died before he would be crucified. It tied into the death of Jesus, and the belief that members of the Jewish faith and religion crucified Christians. Marks on the boy’s body are in agreement with the belief that the boy was beaten and tortured to death. It was found out that the boy had been sold to the Jews, and when blame was begun to be placed on them, the Jews took to flight and never returned (21-2). After the discovery of his body, and in line with Gregory of Tours (as the Christian boy was a martyr in that it was believed he died for his faith) the Lord brought miracles out through the deceased boy. Gregory of Tours wrote that martyrs when they died became representatives of God, and would perform miracles for ordinary believers. At the same time as the young boy’s body was discovered, miracles in the name of Christ began to appear as health would be restored to the sick, in the praise of Christ, and seen at the tombs of England’s most holy people (22). In his English History Matthew Paris also pays obituaries to people, seen in the death of Margaret (sister of the King of Scotland) to which he announces she was buried with proper ceremony and respect amongst the preacher brethren (37). Paris also pays homage to William (Bishop of Winchester), who paid his debt to nature, and died in the prime of his life who was noted for both his good learning and morals. (37) Matthew Paris is paying debt to those good moral Christians who died, and are deemed worthy of his praise.

Somebody does not have to die in order to show not only the power of God, but of Matthew Paris’ preference and loyalty for Christianity. While Paris shows how those who move away from God will be punished, those who accept him will be rewarded. This is similar to Gregory of Tours (tale of Chilperic), and Paris shows the tale of the King of France on his deathbed. The King, about to die, has the holy cross and crown of Christ placed on him, and he made an oath that if Christ should save him from death, he would assume the crown and dedicate his life to visiting the Holy Sepulchre and rule in favour of the poor and needy (38). Due to the acceptance and power of Christ, the King was restored full health, and even visited St. Albans (where Matthew Paris is from, and which he greatly adores in his writings) where he offered gifts of thanks and obedience.

These same messages are seen in Suzanne Lewis’ writings of Matthew Paris. Lewis shows how Matthew attacks those figures that do not conform to his religious beliefs, rather abusing them, such as the prophet Mohammed. Medieval readers who read the works of Mohammed were shocked by the polygamist nature of the prophet’s sexual life, and were greatly appalled. This led many people, including Matthew Paris, to believe that his claims about having revelations from God were totally false. Matthew Paris visually focuses on Mohammed’s death as deserved punishment for the life he led (100), which did not conform and insulted Christian beliefs. His obituary shows Mohammed standing with a scroll stating his unabashed love of adultery, which mocks and gives a religious reason of why Mohammed died.
Since he turned away from the light of the Lord, and lived a life of sin, he was greatly punished with death. Rejecting notions that the prophet had merely died by poisoning, Matthew gives a more gruesome description, as he was accustomed to, saying “He then however fell on a dung heap and...rolled about, gnashing his teeth and foaming at the mouth. A hungry pig, upon discovering that shameless man whose open mouth exalted the stink of undigested meat, set upon him and suffocated him until he was half-dead, dismembered and torn” (100). The punishments meted out to Mohammed corresponded to the punishments allocated by the Holy Trinity. Matthew’s words are quite clear, polygamy is evil, and those who are guilty of it will be punished. His conception of history is shaped by a desire to show patterns of moral retribution, even if he has to make them up (101), and this story supports that belief.

Suzanne Lewis shows that Matthew Paris believed that historical events could be known through prophetic revelations. The punishment meted out to those who persecute Christians, is best seen in the martyrdom of St. Alban. While the story of his death is seen as being “pure interpolation” (107), Matthew adds it in to show moral justice, but to also defend his St. Abbey’s church. His version of martyrdom has the operation of divine justice, because when St. Alban has his head removed, the executioner’s eyes fall out (107). This is meant to depict a message of punishment to those who persecute his Christian beliefs, punish those who persecute such beliefs, and show the ability of saints to suspend the laws of nature. (107)

This story allowed Britain to claim its own martyr, (which Gregory of Tours was obsessed with) but it shows how Matthew used death to show his personal loyalties for his religious beliefs in favour of others.

St. Albans death was important he shows, because his burial allowes Offa to find the relics in 793, which flowed all the benefits of the Benedictine monastery (111). Matthew’s depiction of Offa pointing towards the relics, served the purpose of fighting off rival claims to the St. Alban relics, which had been going on for hundreds of years. (111). Matthew would use death as a means of punish those who disagreed or attacked St. Albans and the relics, as the case with Fawkes de Breave. He was a man who persecuted Christians, much like Engelram de Coucy, and was charged with committing a crime against St. Albans and the prophecies. Matthew embellished new crimes (murdering his cook) and new interpretations into his acts, which served the message of saying those who did not conform to Christianity, but made a mockery out of it and persecuted those who believed it, would be punished harshly. He provided an obituary of Fawkes with a poisoned fish in his mouth, which served St. Alban’s triumph over this Norman foe (116-9), and made the message clear...persecute or mock Christianity, and you will be punished, while if you adhere to it, you will be greatly rewarded by the Lord....Gregory of Tours anyone???