De litteris colendis

The Epistula de litteris colendis of 784/85 is a likely authored by Alcuin Epistles of Charlemagne, which was originally addressed to Abbot Baugulf of Fulda, but then the further spread in slightly revised version of Angilram of Metz, the metropolitan of Trier Church Province and top Pfalzkapellan was sent. It exhorted to take care of education and science and warned against meddling in worldly transactions. The older of the two surviving manuscripts comes from Würzburg (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Cod laud Misc 126;. . Anglo-Saxon minuscule, SAEC VIIIex. ) And offers the original, addressed to Abbot Baugulf text. The younger handwriting (Metz, bibl mun, 4o nr 226, .. .. SAEC XI, 1945 burned), the text of which is secured by older editions, offered the revised version for Angilram, who was charged with the further dissemination.

The Epistula de litteris colendis is the earliest and one of the most important products for the targeted advance the Carolingian educational reforms through the court of Charlemagne. 789 was followed by the more detailed Admonitio generalis. Three other similar texts date from the years to 806 for the new spirit of the Carolingian Renaissance characteristic is the new rationale that is provided for educational efforts. In sharp contrast to the anti-rhetorical polemics and the obscurantist tendencies within late antique Christianity that the sermo humilis, the plain language style of the apostles appointed by Jesus Fischer advocated, though not consistently well practiced, and the ideal of docta ignorantia, the learned ignorance ( in worldly things ), recommended that the correct handling of the Latin language is now shown as pleasing to God: ... ut qui deo placere appetunt recte vivendo, egg etiam placere non neglegant recte loquendo ( ... so that those who are near to God through compliance with the standard life strive for, please do not neglect to please him also by standards-compliant speech). On the effectiveness linguistically incorrect prayers doubt are sown, especially also suffer the beauty of the liturgical chant by grammatical violations and thus the visibility of the Convention would be affected to visitors. For this is even expected to divine punishment, as with a boldly re-interpreted Bible quote (MT 12.37 ) is occupied. In addition, the need for in-depth grammatical knowledge (in the broad, factual and language skills inclusive sense of the ancient terminology ) for the interpretation of the Bible, especially the penetration into the mystical meaning of their symbolic language ( scemata, figurae, tropical, et cetera his similia ) stresses.

Edition

• Latin text of the Epistula de litteris colendis, ed Alfred Boretius in MGH, capitularia regum Francorum 1, 1883, pp. 78-79