The ‘Book of Visions’ of Otloh of St Emmeram

Summary

Otloh of St Emmeram (c.1010–c.1070) was a monk of aristocratic background who spent much of his life at German monasteries which were at the forefront of the eleventh-century movement for monastic reform. It was a movement which advocated renewed spiritual discipline on the part of those who had taken the vows of monks, as well as the freedom of the monastic community itself from secular interference with its institutional lands and economic possessions. Otloh's Liber Visionum was written during the last five years of his life, with the aim of providing edifying accounts of the divine supervision of mortal existence, often by means of the intervention of spirits of the deceased in the affairs of the living. In the story which follows, many of the preoccupations of a monk of Otloh's reforming generation are to be found. The father's ghost announces it is having to expiate the sin of plundering the estates of a monastic institution; as a result of their dead father's appearance to the two brothers, future benefit accrues both to them and to the monastery; while the story itself has, in Otloh's eyes, the merit of having been told originally by the reforming pope Leo IX (1048–54). The story is noteworthy also for the incidental details it contains of the father's torments. The armour which he wore in life, and the spear which he brandished, were knightly appurtenances of power which enabled him to act unjustly; now, after death, these martial possessions became a source of particular torment to him.

The Burning Spear

Vision VII

Let me tell of another vision, which was related to me recently by one of the brothers, who said he heard it told by the holy Pope Leo. At the time of the pope's visit to Germany, he wished to preach a sermon relating to the plundering of monasteries through unjustified depredation and seizures of land. He went on to tell this story, saying: ‘In order that you might recognise how great a peril hangs over those who seize monastic property, let me tell you a certain memorable story.’

Two brothers were journeying on horseback when they suddenly saw a great crowd of figures moving through the air not far above the earth. Finding this both marvellous and terrifying, they made the sign of the cross to themselves and, in the name of the Lord, asked the figures who they were.