The ''Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum'' (''Small index of superstitions and paganism'') is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

collection of capitularies identifying and condemning superstitious and pagan beliefs found in the north of

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

Dierkens 24. and among the

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

s during the time of their subjugation and conversion by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

. From the original manuscript only the cover remains, which lists thirty chapters. The manuscript is held in the

Vatican Library The Vatican Apostolic Library (, ), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City, and is the city-state's national library. It was formally established in 1475, alth ...

in a collection (''Codex Palatinus Latinus'' 577) which probably originates from

Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...

and thence traveled to

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

, arriving there in 1479. From Mainz it went to the Bibliotheca Palatina in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, and arrived in Rome at the latest in 1623. Preceding the ''Indiculus'' is the so-called Old Saxon Baptismal Vow. The text is edited in the ''Karlomanni Principis Capitulare'', published by the

Monumenta Germaniae Historica The (Latin for "Historical Monuments of Germany"), frequently abbreviated MGH, is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published primary sources, both chronicle and archival, for the study of parts of Northwestern, Central and Souther ...

This list is made up from heathenr

practices that were forbidden by the church. It is about venerating holy places in nature such as springs, trees and rocks. Also about magical practices as spells or magic words, amule

fortune tellin

rituals for the dead, feast in honor of pagan gods and the worshipping of the moon.

Date

''Codex Palatinus Latinus'' 577 itself appears to have been copied ca. 800 in either Fulda or

. Alain Dierkens argues, on the basis of word choice (the correspondence between the phrase ''superstitionem et paganiarum'' and the diction used by Boniface in his 742 letter to

Pope Zachary Pope Zachary (; 679 – March 752) was the bishop of Rome from 28 November 741 to his death in March 752. He was the last pope of the Byzantine Papacy. Zachary built the original church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, forbade the traffic of sla ...

) and a comparison between the content of the ''Indiculus'' and the conclusions of the Concilium Germanicum (744), that the ''Indiculus'' was indeed appended to or pertained to the decisions made at the Concilium Germanicum and the two consequent Frankish synods at Estinnes and Soissons. In other words, they were not the product of a late-seventh century scribe at Fulda, nor were the prohibitions aimed specifically or exclusively at the Saxons.

Significance

The index provides valuable insight into the religious culture of the pagan Saxons (from the Christian point of view) and into the daily practices of Christian missionaries working in that area. Since it is more or less contemporary with the activities of

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...

in modern-day Germany, he has been called a "guiding influence" on its compilation. According to Alain Dierkens, the ''Indiculus'', which he thinks derives from the "entourage" of Boniface, evidences the ongoing practice of pre-Christian practices, including divination, the use of amulets, magic, and witchcraft, and suggests that the church allowed or transformed certain practices which it had been unable to extirpate.Dierkens 25-26.

Editions

"Forma Abrenuntiationis diaboli; Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum"
Georg Heinrich Pertz, ''Capitularia regum Francorum'' Vol. 1. MGH, 1835, 19-20.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * *Homann, Holger. ''Der Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum und verwandte Denkmäler.'' PhD diss., Faculty of Philosophy, University of Göttingen, 28 November 1966. *Homann, Holger; Eckard Meineke, and Ruth Schmidt-Wiegand. ''Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum''. In: Heinrich Beck, Dieter Geuenich,

Heiko Steuer Heiko Steuer (born 30 October 1939) is a German archaeology, archaeologist, notable for his research into social and Economic history of Europe, economic history in early Europe. He serves as co-editor of Germanische Altertumskunde Online. Career ...

(eds.), ''

Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde ''Germanische Altertumskunde Online'', formerly called ''Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde'', is a German encyclopedia of the study of Germanic history and cultures, as well as the cultures that were in close contact with them. The first ...

'' Volume 15. Berlin / New York: de Gruyter, 2000. . pp. 369–384. *Saupe, Heinrich Albin
''Der Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum, ein Verzeichnis heidnischer nnd abergläubischer Gebräuche und Meinungen aus der Zeit Karls des Großen, aus zumeist gleichzeitigen Schriften erläutert''
Programm der Städtischen Realgymnasiums zu Leipzig, 1890. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum 9th-century books in Latin Ancient Roman religion Manuscripts in the Vatican Library Paganism in Europe Religious studies books Saint Boniface Sources on Germanic paganism 9th-century writers in Latin Writers from the Carolingian Empire

contents

Date

Significance

Editions

See also

References