Lesson plan
Pardulphus
Saint Pardulphus (Pardulf, Pardoux) (657 – 737 AD) was a Frankish saint and Benedictine abbot. The Vita Pardulfi, was written by an anonymous monk around the middle of the eighth century. It is notable for the insight it provides into life in Aquitaine at the time. He was born at Sardent, from a family of peasants. His legend states that he was a shepherd who decided to live as a hermit after experiencing a terrible storm. Lantarius, the count of Limoges, had built a monastery at Guéret. Pardulphus joined this monastery, later serving as its abbot. He followed strict penances, never keeping himself warm, and only eating once a week. He is alleged to have rejected heat from any source but the rays of the sun. However, as he grew old he did occasionally make use of “hot stones” to keep himself warm. He rejected the consumption of all poultry, eating only the mushrooms the local peasants brought him. The Vita Pardulfi records a miracle performed by Pardulphus. Some carpenters were cutting wood with which to build the church of Saint-Aubin at Guéret. After they loaded the wood onto carts and returned to the building works, it was determined that the wood was too short. The carpenters’ superintendent wished to have the carpenters whipped in punishment for this, but Pardulphus intervened with a miracle that made the wood the right size and even surpassed the intended length.…
Article summary
Saint Pardulphus (Pardulf, Pardoux) (657 – 737 AD) was a Frankish saint and Benedictine abbot. The Vita Pardulfi, was written by an anonymous monk around the middle of the eighth century. It is notable for the insight it provides into life in Aquitaine at the time. He was born at Sardent, from a family of peasants. His legend states that he was a shepherd who decided to live as a hermit after experiencing a terrible storm. Lantarius, the count of Limoges, had built a monastery at Guéret. Pardulphus joined this monastery, later serving as its abbot. He followed strict penances, never keeping himself warm, and only eating once a week. He is alleged to have rejected heat from any source but the rays of the sun. However, as he grew old he did occasionally make use of “hot stones” to keep himself warm. He rejected the consumption of all poultry, eating only the mushrooms the local peasants brought him. The Vita Pardulfi records a miracle performed by Pardulphus. Some carpenters were cutting wood with which to build the church of Saint-Aubin at Guéret. After they loaded the wood onto carts and returned to the building works, it was determined that the wood was too short. The carpenters’ superintendent wished to have the carpenters whipped in punishment for this, but Pardulphus intervened with a miracle that made the wood the right size and even surpassed the intended length.…
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.