annominatio and poetry

annominatio and poetry; theology and the rhetoric of medieval latin lyric

hermetically sealed intertextuality -- recycled topoi serving many purposes, functions -- run Adam and Innocent III parallel -- aids quilt woven synchronically and diachronically -- annominatio an ornament at one point to enhance a moral statement, at another a roughly metaphysical statement about incomprehensibility -- gives at the grammatical level variety in unity, analogue for divinity. coals to Newcastle. lyric resonance used to intensify emotional effect of exegetical remarks, rhetoric to convince. steady traffic back and forth between exegesis and lyric.

annominatio gives illusion of simultaneity, transcending linearity of speech, approaching harmony of music; transcendance has negative aspect, transgression; cf Alanus and grammar of sex, as well as catachresis as described by Humbertus Silvae Candidae 1061 A.D. CAPUT XV. De propriis et impropriis dictionibus, et vanitate Simoniacorum.

constant concern with representing what defies and transcends representation in words occurs at the very beginning of Geoffrey of Vinsauf's Poetria Nova, a panegyric of Pope Innocent III, concerned with letters, prosody, naming. Innocent III a master rhetorician himself.

Papa stupor mundi, si dixero Papa Nocenti,

Acephatum nomen truam; sed si caput addam,

Hostis erit metri. Nomen tibi vult similari:

Nec nomen metro, nec vult tua maxima virtus

Claudi mensura. Nihil est quo metiar illam:

Transit mensuras hominum. Sed divide nomen,

Divide sic nomen: "In" praefer, et adde "nocenti",

Efficiturque comes metri. Sic et tua virtus

Pluribus aequatur divisa, sed integra nulli.(1-9, Faral p. 197)

Holy Father, wonder of the world, if I say Pope Nocent I shall give you a name without a head; but if I add the head, your name will be at odds with the metre. That name seems to resemble you: it will no more be confined by metre than your great virtue by the shackles of measure. There is no standard by which I may measure your virtue; it transcends the measure of men. But divide the name -- divide the name thus: set down first "In," then add "nocent" and it will be in friendly accord with the metre. In the same way your excellence, if it is divided up, is equalled by many, but taken in its wholeness it is equalled by none.(Nim p. 15)

Vol. 196 ANNO DOMINI MCLXXIII ADAMUS A S. VICTORE

Adamus S. Victoris: ADAMI A SANCTO VICTORE SEQUENTIAE. (Clichtovens, Elucidarium ecclesiasticum, Basileae 1517, fol.)

III. DOMINICA INTRA OCTAVAS NATIVITATIS DOMINI.

Augustine on Psalm 39, Migne 36 col. 439

Mortificate, inquit, membra vestra quae sunt super terram (Coloss. III, 5). Sit spes nostra Deus noster. Qui fecit omnia, melior est omnibus; qui pulchra fecit, pulchrior est omnibus; qui fortia, fortior est; qui magna, major est: quidquid amaveris, ille tibi erit. Disce amare in creatura creatorem, et in factura factorem; ne teneat te quod ab illo factum est, et amittas eum a quo et ipse factus es. Ergo, Beatus vir cujus est nomen Domini spes ejus, et non respexit in vanitates et insanias mendaces.

Mortify," he says, "your members which are upon the earth." Let our God be our hope. He who made all things, is better than all! He who made what is beautiful, is more beautiful than all that is such. He who made whatever is mighty, is Himself mightier. He who made whatever is great, is Himself greater. He will be unto you everything that you love. Learn in the creature to love the Creator; and in the work Him who made it. Let not that which has been made by Him detain thine affections, so that thou shouldest lose Him by whom thou thyself wert made also. "Blessed," then, "is the man that maketh the Name of the Lord his trust, and hath not respected vanities and lying madnesses."

here the ornament is supposed to enhance the moral point.

Augustine on Psalm 144, Migne 37

6. [vers. 4.] Verumtamen, quia magnitudinis ejus non est finis, et eum quem non capimus, laudare debemus (si enim capimus, magnitudinis ejus est finis: si autem magnitudinis ejus non est finis, capere ex eo aliquid possumus; Deum tamen totum capere non possumus); tanquam deficientes in ejus magnitudine, ut reficiamur ejus bonitate, ad opera respiciamus, et de operibus laudemus operantem, de conditis Conditorem, de creatura Creatorem. Videamus quae hic fecerit, quae nobis nota sunt, quae nobis manifesta sunt.

here to mimic the feeling of incomprehensibility, with light as the standard image.

Augustine Migne 38 de scriptura sermo 103

Suscepit eum Martha, sicut solent suscipi peregrini. Sed tamen suscepit famula Dominum, aegra Salvatorem, creatura Creatorem. Suscepit autem Spiritu pascenda, in carne pascendum. Voluit enim Dominus formam servi accipere, et accepta forma servi in illa pasci a servis, dignatione, non conditione.

light again, in effect carrying coals to Newcastle.

Augustine Migne 38 de sanctis sermo ccxcii birth of John the Baptist:

Baptizavit ergo, ut dixi, creatura Creatorem, lucerna solem: et non se extulit baptizator, sed subdidit baptizando ^{[(a) 1Kb}. Nam venienti ad se dixit: Tu venis ad me baptizari? Ego a te debeo baptizari. Magna confessio, et secura lucernae in humilitate professio.

creation and light

Innocent III Migne 217 Sermo II de sanctis:

« Tunc consummavit Dominus testamentum novum super Jerusalem, domum Israel, et super domum Juda; non secundum testamentum quod dedit patribus eorum, cum exirent de terra Aegypti. Tunc illud impletum est: »Vetustissima veterum comedetis, et novis supervenientibus vetera projicietis (Levit. XXVI).« Tunc enim novum fecit Dominus in persona, novum fecit in natura, novum fecit in gratia. In persona, quia novum fecit in matre, novum fecit in prole; in natura, [Col. 0457A] quia novum fecit in signo, novum fecit in modo; in gratia, quia novum fecit in foedere, novum fecit in munere. Novum fecit in matre, quia virgo peperit virum, stella protulit solem, filia concepit patrem, creatura Creatorem genuit: simul in unum mater et filia, genitrix et ancilla, quae cum integritate peperit, cum virginitate concepit: quod ignis in rubo, quod fructus in virga, quod ros in vellere praesignaverant. »Descendit enim sicut pluvia in vellus, et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram

person, nature, grace, triplets, newness, liquid, star and sun, daughter mother of father, etc.

Innocent III Migne 217 sermo xiv on Annunciation:

»Hodie novum fecit Dominus super terram, mulier circumdedit virum« (Jer. XXXI) gremio uteri virginalis. Mulier, sed intacta; mater, sed virgo. Haec in utero circumdedit puerum, sed virum; infantem, sed Deum. O [Col. 0522C] vere novum, quod hodie fecit Dominus super terram; quia stella solem, creatura Creatorem, filia patrem concepit. Hodie fecit, ut aeternus sit temporalis, simplex compositus, et mortalis sit immortalis. Hodie trinitatis mysterium innovavit, ut tres sint substantiae in unitate personae, sicut tres personae sunt in unitate substantiae; ut nasceretur de matre sine patre, qui de patre natus est sine matre. Hodie simul descendit et ascendit; sed Deus descendit in hominem, et homo ascendit in Deo.

person, nature, grace, Innocent's love of triplets. how many senses of concepit? paradox, antithesis

Alanus de insulis, elucidatio in cantica, Migne 210:

Et quia pro nostra redemptione passus inter ubera mea commorabitur, id est in intimo mei cordis amore detinebitur. Duo ubera Virginis duo sunt [Col. 0062B] brachia charitatis: unum quo dilexit Christum tanquam Deum, aliud, quo dilexit eum tanquam filium; et his duobus brachiis charitatis amplexatur illum. Eleganter autem duo rivuli charitatis dicuntur ubera; quia mulieres illis parvulis solent offerre ubera ad lactandum quos diligunt. Et hos duos rivos charitatis proposuit aliis in exemplum et ad alios informandum, tanquam mater ubera ad lactandum. Vel ideo Christus dicitur Virgini matri fasciculus myrrhae; quia veniens in carnem exclusit a Virgine omnem concupiscentiae putredinem, sicut myrrha servat carnem a putredine immunem. Unde ad litteram etiam potest intelligi quod sequitur: Inter ubera mea commorabitur; quia a Virgine natus, a sola Virgine est lactatus; nec suxit ubera alterius [Col. 0062C] mulieris, nisi Virginis matris. O beata mater, quae ubere eum lactat, qui omnibus ubera misericordiae propinat! O mira res! filia lactat patrem, creatura creatorem, famula dominantem! Et quia per ubera intelligitur duplex amor in Virgine, sequitur: