I live
in the Dutch province of Groningen, neighbouring the province of Friesland. The
Frisians have their own language within the Germanic languages. In some
respects it resembles English in phonology and Anglo-Saxon in vocabulary: no
wonder, as the Frisians belong to the Germanic tribes invading England. Some thousand years ago the area under their
control was much larger, including northern and mid Netherlands and Ostfriesland
in Northern Germany. Attempts to Christianize those stubborn heathens were not
that successful, but that did not deter missionaries from trying. One of them
was Willibrord (c. 658 – 7 November 739), who at the request of the Frankish
king Pepin tried to bring the Frisians over to Christianity. Success was
limited, but Willibrord was able to found an episcopate at the Dutch city of
Utrecht. Due to his incessant attempts to bring the light in this part of my country,
he got the name `Apostle to the Frisians’.
Willibrord
founded the abbey of Echternach (Luxembourg) and often returned to that place.
Up to this day a dancing procession is held every year at Whit Tuesday (the
Tuesday in the week of Pentecost) in honour of Willibrord.
After
his death he was highly venerated and Alcuin
(735 - 804) put his deeds to immortality by writing the Vita Willibrordi. As it befits the life
of a man who was soon to become a saint, this Vita contains many miracles. In this miracle Willibrord sees a
group of beggars and he and his men drink wine together with these beggars.
When Willibrord and his men leave, they find out that the jug from which they
have drunk together with the beggars is full again. Wish I could perform such a
miracle! Next week I have my birthday, but I am afraid one bottle of wine is
not enough….
Alcuinus,
Vita Willibrordi, c.17:
Iterum
sanctus Dei sacerdos in quodam loco iter agens, vidit mendicantes inopes
duodecim, pariter postulantes sibi aliquid a praetereuntibus solatii. Quos, ut fuit mitissimus, benigno aspexit animo,
unique ex suis mandavit specialem suam flasconem sumere, ac pauperibus miscere
Christi. Ex qua omnes illi duodecim usque ad sacietatem bibebant, et mirum in
modum, illis abeuntibus ex optimo vino fiasco, de qua tanti bibebant homines,
inventa est plena ut ante. Hoc conperto benedicebant omnes dominum nostrum,
dicentes: Vere impletum est in nobis, quod in euangelio Deus Christus dixit :
" Date et dabitur vobis."
iterum: and again, also (an
adverb often used in vitae to
introduce a new anecdote. It does not mean that Willibrord visited that place for a second time!)
sanctus Dei sacerdos: i.e. Willibrord
iter ago: to make one’s way to
mendico: to beg
inops inopis: poor
pariter: together
postulo: to ask
praetereo: to pass by
aliquid solatii: some alms
ut fuit mitissimus: as he was very mild
ex suis: from his: (i.e Willibrords) men
mando: to order
flasco flasconis (f.): jug, pitcher (A late-Latin loanword from
Germanic, c.f. German Flasche)
sumo sumpsi sumptum: to take
pauperibus Christi
misceo miscue mixtum: to mix (wine was normally mixed
with water, so: to fill (with water and wine)
ad sacietatem = ad satietatem:
till being sated
et mirum in modum, illis abeuntibus ex optimo
vino fiasco, de qua tanti bibebant homines, inventa est plena ut ante = in mirum modum, illis abeuntibus (abl. abs. Willibrord and his men),
flasco, de qua bibebant tanti homines ex
optimo vino, inventa est plena ut ante.
conperio conperi conpertum: to find out
Date et dabitur vobis: Luke 6,38
About
Willibrord, but the German wiki is mor informative:
Statue
of Willibrord at Utrecht.
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