Reconsidering silens and clamans through Burchard´s Corrector

Silence and cries or other loud voice ways of expression are usually seen under the virtue / vice dichotomy, as respectively representing each of the extremes. However, this idea should be questioned. Bishop Burchard´s Corrector sive medicus -a penitential included in the 11th century collection Dec...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Neyra, Andrea Vanina
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2013
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/3141
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/3141
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Silens
Clamans
Burchard
Corrector
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
Description
Summary:Silence and cries or other loud voice ways of expression are usually seen under the virtue / vice dichotomy, as respectively representing each of the extremes. However, this idea should be questioned. Bishop Burchard´s Corrector sive medicus -a penitential included in the 11th century collection Decretum- mentions a variety of sinful situations and the corresponding penance that had to be carried out in order to amend misconduct. Some of those sins described in Liber XIX show that it is necessary to revise established concepts and conceptions related to silence and noise, virtue and vice. Silence may appear in a context in which a sinful action is undertaken. For instance, a sin may lie hidden through silence -becoming a sin in itself-, as well as it may also be involved in a superstitious belief or practice -even though cries and chants are, in comparison, the mostly referred elements accompanying this kind of transgression. The aim of this paper is to reconsider silens and clamans through a critical analysis of the aforementioned medieval penitential and the sources by which Burchard von Worms was influenced. The reading of the Corrector under these approach highlights the complexity of the panorama of sin and sinners.