Eigil (also called Aeigil or Egil) (c. 750–822) was the fourth

abbot of Fulda The Abbey of Fulda (German ''Kloster Fulda'', Latin ''Abbatia Fuldensis''), from 1221 the Princely Abbey of Fulda (''Fürstabtei Fulda'') and from 1752 the Prince-Bishopric of Fulda (''Fürstbistum Fulda''), was a Benedictine abbey and ecclesiasti ...

. He was the nephew and biographer of the abbey's founder and first abbot

Saint Sturm Saint Sturm (c. 705 – 17 December 779), also called Sturmius or Sturmi, was a disciple of Saint Boniface and founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery and abbey of Fulda in 742 or 744. Sturm's tenure as abbot lasted from 747 until 77 ...

. We know about Eigil primarily from the Latin ''Life'' (''Vita Aegili'') that the monk and teacher of Fulda, Candidus Bruun composed about him after his death.Candidus Bruun, ''Vita Aeigili,'' in E. Duemmeler, ed. ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Poetae Latini Aevi Carolini'' II (Berlin, 1884), pp. 94-117. Eigil's parents, who were nobles of Norica, sent him to the abbey of Fulda (still Under Sturm's rule) for his education.Candidus Bruun, ''Vita Eigili,'' in E. Duemmeler, ed. ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptores'' XV.1 (Hannover, 1887), cap.1 Sturm died in 779 and was succeeded by

Baugulf Baugulf (died 8 July 815) was a prominent Benedictine abbot. He was the second abbot of the Abbey of Fulda in present-day Germany. He served from 779 to 802 CE and was succeeded by Ratgar. Despite his contemporary prominence, the twenty-three year ...

.''Annales Fuldenses'' in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptores 1'', p. 353. The next abbot, Ratgar, with his excessive severity, caused deep divisions in the monastery. In 811, monks from Fulda, possibly including Eigil, petitioned Emperor

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

to remove the abbot. Finally, in 817, Ratgar was denounced by the monks. Charlemagne's son and successor,

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...

, banished Ratgar and sent two of his delegates, Aaron and Adalfrid, along with their associates to reform the abbey according to proper monastic discipline . Eigil was elected in 818,''Annales Fuldenses'' in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptores 1'', p. 357. and, says Candidus, brought harmony to the monastery once again.Candidus Bruun, ''Vita Aeigili,'' in E. Duemmeler, ed. ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Poetae Latini Aevi Carolini'' II (Berlin, 1884), p. In a poem,Hraban Maur in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Poetaes Latini Aevi Carolingi''II, poem 14. his student and successor

Hrabanus Maurus Rabanus Maurus Magnentius ( 780 – 4 February 856), also known as Hrabanus or Rhabanus, was a Frankish Benedictine monk, theologian, poet, encyclopedist and military writer who became archbishop of Mainz in East Francia. He was the author of t ...

celebrated his clemency and gentleness, supporting Candidus' positive portrait. Under Eigil, several building projects were dedicated at Fulda. In 819, the Archbishop Haistolf came to Fulda to dedicate the Basilica of Saint Boniface (who was considered a co-founder of the abbey, with his disciple Sturm), and Boniface's holy relics - his bones - were

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

(that is, conveyed in a public religious ceremony) to the new Basilica. Eigil died in 822 and was succeeded by the head teacher of Fulda's school, Hrabanus Maurus, one of his former pupils. Candidus' ''Vita'' treats Eigil as a saint, but other writers, such as Hrabanus do not.

Works

Eigil wrote
Life of Saint Sturm
who was a disciple of Saint Boniface as well as the founder, in 742 or 744, and first abbot of the abbey of Fulda (747-779).

Bibliography

* Candidus Bruun. ''Vita Aeigili,'' liber II (= vita metrica). In E. Duemmeler, ed. ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Poetae Latini Aevi Carolini'' Vol. II. Berlin, 1884, pp. 94–117. * Gereon Becht-Jördens. "Vita Aegil abbatis Fuldenis a Candido ad Modestum edita prosa et versibus. Ein Opus geminum des IX. Jahrhunderts. Einleitung und kritische Edition" (phil. Diss. Heidelberg), Marburg (Selbstverlag) 1994. * Gereon Becht-Jördens. ''Die Vita Aegil abbatis Fuldensis des Brun Candidus. Ein opus geminum aus dem Zeitalter der anianischen Reform in biblisch figuralem Hintergrundstil.'' Frankfurt am Main 1992 (). * Gereon Becht-Jördens. "Die Vita Aegil des Brun Candidus als Quelle zu Fragen aus der Geschichte Fuldas im Zeitalter der anianischen Reform." In ''Hessisches Jahrbuch für Landesgeschichte'' 42 (1992), pp. 19–48. * Christine Ineichen-Eder. "Künstlerische und literarische Tätigkeit des Candidus-Brun von Fulda." In Fuldaer Geschichtsblätter 56, 1980, p. 201-217 (without notes but with illustrations of considerable value also in Winfrid Böhne (Ed.). ''Hrabanus Maurus und seine Schule. Festschrift der Rabanus-Maurus-Schule 1980.'' Fulda 1980, p. 182-192. * Pius Engelbert (1968), ''Die Vita Sturmi des Eigil von Fulda: Literarkritisch-historische Untersuchung und Edition'' * Chr. Browerus, ''Vita Sancti Stumi Primi Abbatis Fuldensis,'' in Sidera Germaniae (Mainz, 161:6), pp. 5–24. The critical edition is found in Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores, vol. II, pp. 366–77.

External links

Eigil's Life of Saint Sturm in English translation
*

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eigil of Fulda 750 births 822 deaths Year of birth uncertain Abbots of Fulda People from Fulda

Works

Bibliography

See also

External links

References