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The Political Message of the Shrine of St. Heribert of Cologne Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 October 2022
AS CYNTHIA HAHN points out, “Hagiographers often define their subject's virtue by juxtaposing it against a moral opposite.” On the Heribert Shrine this juxtaposition is clearly borne out in the tenth and eleventh medallions which, although late in the sequence of depicted events, show Heribert's ability to overcome evil and restore the proper world order, to put the Church and the political realm in their proper respective places. In the two seemingly disparate events depicted in these medallions, the conceivers of the shrine's iconography have encapsulated the shrine's overall political message that will be reinforced by the medallions that precede them and by what follows and surrounds them. The juxtaposition of Heribert and Emperor Henry II through scenes of exorcism and reconciliation represents the triumph of virtue over vice and of humility and forgiveness over pride, anger, and evil intent. Thus, despite their late appearance in the sequence they will be discussed first since they form the basis for this study's argument.
The Exorcism Medallion
The tenth medallion (Fig. 18) depicting the exorcism of a possessed man is a story related in chapter 17 of Rupert of Deutz's Vita Heriberti. As Rupert reports, this exorcism occurred on Palm Sunday during Heribert's sermon on this solemn feast. The possessed man, who had previously been led through several churches along the route of the Palm Sunday procession in the hope of his being freed from the devil, had found no cure. Then upon hearing Heribert's sermon, which focused on Christ's victory over the devil, he began to disturb the congregation with his wailing, gnashing of teeth, and shouting. “Overwhelmed with compassion,” Heribert stopped his sermon and through silent prayer and copious tears effected the exorcism, causing the devil to flee. However, restrained by members of the congregation who believed him still to be possessed, the man repeatedly begged the people to release him so that he could listen to the remainder of Heribert's sermon. Finally, when released by the crowd, “he stood with a sane mind with the listeners hearing the rest of the sermon.”
In the medallion the palm frond held by the woman standing with other worshipers indicates that Heribert's sermon took place on Palm Sunday.
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