ABSTRACT

Valerius of Bierzo, a hermit who lived in northern Iberia in the last years of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo (568–711), is considered an eccentric character by many scholars. Valerius left a rich, although not long, literary production that is surprising for its originality, equal only to its relative obscurity outside of the Iberian world. Among other things, he wrote a treatise about the “degenerate” monasticism practiced in his region and three short pieces known as his autobiographical works in which he describes his vicissitudes on the path towards an ascetic way of life. Incidentally addressing numerous topics of society, culture, power, and of course, religion, Valerius offers a precious source of information regarding early medieval society in Galicia. This article analyses his comments and impressions based on his personal opinion about the clergy and monastic life in his region. In doing so, it unveils his character and situates his behaviour – and apparent eccentricity – as reflections of his personal life choices and the religious and political impositions to which he was subjected.

摘要

Bierzo 的 Valerius 是一位隐士，在西哥特托莱多王国（568-711）的最后几年居住在伊比利亚北部，被许多学者认为是一个古怪的人物。Valerius 留下了丰富但不长的文学作品，其独创性令人惊讶，仅与其在伊比利亚世界之外相对默默无闻。除其他外，他写了一篇关于他所在地区实行的“堕落”修道的论文和三篇被称为他的自传作品的短篇，其中他描述了他在通往苦行之路的道路上的沧桑。顺便提及社会、文化、权力，当然还有宗教等众多话题，瓦莱里乌斯提供了关于加利西亚早期中世纪社会的宝贵信息来源。本文根据他个人对他所在地区的神职人员和修道院生活的看法来分析他的评论和印象。在这样做的过程中，它揭示了他的性格，并将他的行为——以及明显的怪癖——定位为他个人生活选择以及他所遭受的宗教和政治强加的反映。