Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 10:24:12 CST

From: Jim Marchand <marchand@UX1.CSO.UIUC.EDU>

Reply to: Medieval Texts - Philology Codicology and Technology

<MEDTEXTL@POSTOFFICE.CSO.UIUC.EDU>

To: Multiple recipients of list MEDTEXTL <MEDTEXTL@POSTOFFICE.CSO.UIUC.EDU>

Subject: Return; 3 Kings

I wish this were a home page and I had all those fancy things people use nowadays; I could have a MacArthur picture and say "I have returned." Anyway, this being Christmas and all, I have come back. Watch out for Tennesseans bearing gifts. I have been working on the medieval texts of the so-called Mons Victorialis motif, the "origin" of the Wise Men. Being a regular ordinary heathen American, I have no idea when the wise men came, but we always have them around on Christmas, so this is not so incongruous as it may seem. I have read Kehrer's book and some things on the wise men, but if you know of any version in the Middle Ages of the Mons Victorialis theme, please let me know. I have it in Old Norse, all the versions of the Legenda aurea; in Gil de Zamora. It must be found in Middle English, Old French, etc. etc., but I have overlooked them. Cf. E. Kirschbaum, "Der Prophet Balaam und die Anbetung der Weisen," Roemische Quartalschrift (1954), 155f.

Here are some texts:

Opus imperfectum, PL 56.637-38: Legi apud aliquem, magos istos ex libris Balaam divinatoris apparituruae hujus stellae scientiam accepisse, cujus divinatio posita est et in Veteri Testamento: Orietur stella ex Jacob, et exsurget homo ex Israel, et dominabitur omnium gentium (Num. 24.17).

Liber apocryphus nomine Seth. Mons Victorialis. -- Audivi aliquos referentes de quadam scriptura, etsi non certa, tamen non destruente fidem, sed potius delectante, quoniam erat quaedam gens sita in ipse principio orientis juxta Oceanum, apud quos ferebatur quaedam scriptura, inscripta nomine Seth, de apparitura hac stella, et muneribus ei hujusmodi offerendis, quae per generationes studiosorum hominum, patribus referentibus filiis suis, habebatur deducta. Itaque elegerunt seipsos duodecim quidam ex ipsis studiosiores, et amatores mysteriorum caelestium, et posuerunt seipsos ad expectationem stellae illius. Et si quis moriebatur ex eis, filius ejus, aut aliquis propinquorum, qui ejusdem voluntatis inveniebatur, in loco constituebatur defuncti. Dicebantur autem magi lingua eorum, quia in silentio et voce tacita Deum glorificabant. Hi ergo per singulos annos, post messem trituratoriam, ascendebant in montem aliquem positum ibi, qui vocabatur lingua eorum Mons Victorialis, habens in se quamdam speluncam in saxo, fontibus, et electis arboribus amoenissimus: in quem ascendentes, et lavantes se, orabant et laudabant in silentio Deum tribus diebus, et sic faciebant per singulos generationes, expectantes semper, ne forte in generatione sua stella illa beatitudinis oriretur, donec apparuit eis descendens super Montem illum Victorialem, habens in se formam quasi pueri parvuli, et super se similitudinem crucis: et loquuta est eis, et docuit eos, et praecepit eis, ut proficiscerentur in Judam.

Opus imperfectum, PL 56.637-38. I have read somewhere that these magi obtained knowledge concerning the appearance of this star from prophetic books of Balaam, whose prophecy is even placed in the Old Testament: A star shall arise out of Jacob, and all people will be ruled (Num. 24.17).

Apocryphal book in the name of Seth. Mons Victorialis -- I have heard several people talking about a certain writing, not canonical, but nevertheless not destructive of the faith, but rather pleasing, to the effect that there was a certain people situated in the very beginning of the East near the Ocean, among whom was current a certain writing, inscribed with the name of Seth, concerning the coming appearance of this star, and they offered it gifts in this manner, which generation after generation of studious men, the fathers instructing the sons, carried out. That is, they elected from among themselves twelve of the most studious, lovers of heavenly mysteries, and set them to looking for the star. And if one of them died his son, or another close relative of the same desire was found to contine in the place of the dead man. They were called magi in their tongue, for they glorified God in silence and with a silent voice. They, then, year by year, after the grain harvest, ascended a mountain situated there which is called in their tongue Mons Victorialis, which has a sort of cave in the rock, most pleasant with fountains and chosen trees. Going into it and performing ablutions, the prayed to and praised God in silence for three days, and this they did generation after generation, always on the watch to see if in their generation that star of blessing might appear, until it appeared to them coming down onto Mons Victorialis (Victory Mountain), having in it the form sort of of a small boy and above it (him ?). And he spoke to them and taught them and commanded them to hasten to Juda {= Jerusalem; cf. Thomas Aquinas' explanation in the Catena Aurea}.

"At the nativity of Our Lord a new star rose and became visible --as Chrysostomus writes -- to the Holy Three Kings, who were together on a mountain at their prayers, which had the image of a beautiful boy-child, who spoke to them and said they should make haste to go to the land of Judah. There they would find the child whom the new star pointed out and [the star] would be their guide."

Now on the very day of His birth, according to an ancient story (as Chrysostom says), a star appeared to Magi on a certain mountain, which had the form of a fair child, over whose head a cross shone. And speaking to the Magi he told them that they were to go to Judea, and there they would find a newborn child.

Legenda Aurea, 89: Isti reges fuerunt successores Balaam et ad visionem stellae venerunt, propter illam prophetiam patris sui: orietur stella ex Jacob et exsurget homo ex Israel etc. Aliam causam, unde isti moti sunt ad veniendum, ponit Chrysostomus in originali super Matthaeum asserens, quosdam dicere, quod quidam secretorum inspectores elegerunt de se ipsis XII, et si quis moriebatur filius ejus aut aliquis propinquorum in ejus locum substituebatur. Hi ergo per singulos annos post mensem ascendebant super montem victorialem et tribus diebus ibidem morantes se lavabant et orabant Deum, ut iis illam stellam, quam Balaam praedixerat, ostenderet. Quadam autem vice, scilicet in die natalis domini, dum sic ibidem manerent, stella quaedam ad eos super montem venit, quae habebat formam pulcherrimi pueri, super cujus capite crux splendebat, quae magos allocuta est dicens: ite velocius in terram Juda et ibidem regem, quem quaeritis, natum invenietis. Tunc illi continuo venire coeperunt. Sed quomodo in tam parvo tempore, scilicet in tredecim diebus per tanta terrarum spatia venire potuerunt, scilicet ab oriente usque in Jherusalem, quae in mediculo mundi dicitur esse sita, dicendum est; secundum Remigium, quoniam talis puer, ad quem properabant, eos in tam brevi spatio perducere potuit. Vel potest diei secundum Jeremiam, quod super dromedarios venerunt, qui sunt animalia velocissima, qui tantum currunt una die, quantum equus in tribus. Unde dicitur dromedarius a dromos quod est cursus, et ares, quod est virtus. Cum ergo Jherosolimam venissent, interrogaverunt dicentes, ubi est, qui natus est rex Judaeorum. Non interrogabant, an natus sit, quia hoc credebant, sed quaerunt, ubi natus sit, et quasi aliquis interrogasset eos: unde scitis hunc regem natum esse, responderunt: vidimus stellam ejus in oriente et venimus adorare eum, hoc est: nos exsistentes in oriente vidimus stellam ejus nativitatis ostensivam. Vi /90/ dimus, inquam, super Judaeam positam. Vel nos exsistentes in nostra regione vidimus stellam ejus in oriente, id est, in orientali parte.

Saint John Chrysostom gives another explanation of the coming of the Magi to Jerusalem. According to him, they were astrologers who, from generation to generation, spent three days of every month upon a high mountain, waiting for the appearance of a star which Balaam had foretold to them. Now in the night of Christ's birth a /86/ star appeared to them, which had the shape of a wondrous child, with a fiery cross upon his head; and it said to them, 'Go in haste into the land of Judea, and there you will find a new-born child, who is the King for whom you wait.'

Alfr!dhi Islenzk, 3.73 (14th from Gml. kgl. sml. 1812, 4to): Sva segir Ion gvllmvdr i glosan yfir Matheo, at i avstr londum var fvndin ritning nokkor af Sed syni Adams, ok stod t%at t%ar [i], at Sed heft%i spat%, at ein stiarna scylldi sv vpp renna, at [Iesum] [scyll]di at merkia. T%vi scipv(t%u) hans e,tt menn xii ena vitrvstr [menn] at fara a fiall eitt haatt a hveriv a/ri ok geyma at ef t%eir fengi einn hvern tima set% stiornuna. Var ok sva scipat, at ef ein hverr andadiz af !essum spekingvm, at !egar scylldi sett annan i stat%in af t%eire so,mv e,tt; ok hellz t%esso scipan allt til tima vars herra. t%a var se,n t%essi stiarna i sueins liking, t%ess sem cros haft%i ihent%i, ok stiarnan m!lti ok bavt% magis, at t%eir feri a Iorsala land ok leitat%i mikin konung. t%eir heita magis met Kalldei, enn philosophi met Girkivm, magister met latinv monnum, meistarar met os.

Cf. also on the names of the kings earlier.

Alfr!!i Islenzk, 3.73: This John Chrystostomus says in a gloss on Matthew, that in the East of the world there was found some writing by Seth, son of Adam, and there stood therein, that Seth had foretold that a star would arise which would designate (mark) Jesus. Therefore his people set up twelve men, the wisest men, to go upon a high mountain each year and to look to see if they might at some time catch sight of the star. It was also so arranged that if one of these wise men died, immediately another of the same tribe should be put in his place; and this arrangement was kept right up to the time of Our Lord. Then this star was seen with the likeness of a boy who had a cross in his hands; and the star spoke and commanded the Magi that they should go to Jerusalem and look for a great king. They are called Magi in Chaldee, but philosophers in Greek, magister by the Romans, masters among us.

Mariu saga I, 30-32; 369-71.

Jim Marchand.