Żywot św. Batyldy i arystokratyczna kultura duchowa w VII wieku
The Life of St. Bathild and the spiritual culture of aristocracy in the 7th century A.D

Summary/Abstract: The 7th c. anonymous Life of st. Balthild is one of the most important hagiographical works of the Late Merovingian period. Its author was deeply inspired by the 6th c. Life of Radegund by Venatius Fortunatus, but he or she did not simply copy the episodes, miracles, and other hagiographical topoi. The present paper provides first a close inspection of the passages in which Balthild’s hagiographer reproduces motives from the earlier vita and transforms them to create a hagiographical innovation. Secondly, it is demonstrated how this new literary model of sanctity is correlated with the spiritual culture of the aristocracy that emerged out of the social transformation in the 7th c. Merovingian kingdoms. Saints were supposed to serve as examples of moral and Christian behaviour in the secular life for rich landowners and royal officers, rather than be distant, superhuman miracle workers. Although it did not yet lead to a purely secular ideal of sanctity, the Late Antique paradigm was significantly restructured.

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