Book contents
- Making the Holy Roman Empire Holy
- Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought Fourth Series
- Making the Holy Roman Empire Holy
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Sacrum imperium: Lombard Influence and the Sacralisation of the State in the mid-Twelfth Century (1125–1167)
- 2 Sacrum imperium II: The Barometer of Lombard Influence at Court (1167–1190 and Beyond)
- 3 The Cult of Charlemagne from His Death to the Accession of Frederick Barbarossa (814–1152)
- 4 The Canonisation of Charlemagne in 1165
- 5 The Barbarossaleuchter: Imperial Monument and Pious Donation
- 6 The Reliquary Shrine of Saint Charlemagne: The High Point of the Sacrum imperium?
- Conclusion
- Appendix The Decorative Imagery of the Karlsschrein
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - The Canonisation of Charlemagne in 1165
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 May 2024
- Making the Holy Roman Empire Holy
- Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought Fourth Series
- Making the Holy Roman Empire Holy
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Sacrum imperium: Lombard Influence and the Sacralisation of the State in the mid-Twelfth Century (1125–1167)
- 2 Sacrum imperium II: The Barometer of Lombard Influence at Court (1167–1190 and Beyond)
- 3 The Cult of Charlemagne from His Death to the Accession of Frederick Barbarossa (814–1152)
- 4 The Canonisation of Charlemagne in 1165
- 5 The Barbarossaleuchter: Imperial Monument and Pious Donation
- 6 The Reliquary Shrine of Saint Charlemagne: The High Point of the Sacrum imperium?
- Conclusion
- Appendix The Decorative Imagery of the Karlsschrein
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In the fourth chapter, Sulovsky turns to the supposedly imperial saints’ cults of the 1160s: the Three Kings and Saint Charlemagne. The chapter demonstrates that the cult of the Magi was unconnected to the emperor. Rather, the agency of Rainald of Dassel in bringing the Magi to Cologne was related to his personal suffering from the Milanese while he was imperial legate in their city on the eve of Epiphany (= Three Kings’ Day). As this was liturgically already the vigils of Epiphany, and as Rainald was trapped in the imperial palace next to the saintly bodies before he barely escaped, he translated the Magi to honour his protectors. This debunks the Kulturkampf-inspired theory that the purpose of worshipping the holy kings who adored Christ long before the apostles were called would help achieve a sacral independence of the Empire from the Papacy. On the other hand, the cult of Saint Charlemagne is shown to have been accepted at the imperial court as a part of a plan to mend the Alexandrine schism by launching an Anglo-Franco-German crusade, which was thought of as an imitation of Charlemagne’s exploits in the east.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Making the Holy Roman Empire HolyFrederick Barbarossa, Saint Charlemagne and the <i>sacrum imperium</i>, pp. 138 - 193Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024