Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 4:57am

Salve Regina and Hermann the Cripple

Something for the weekend.  Salve Regina.  Christopher Columbus was nearing the end of his voyage across the Atlantic 523 years ago.  He had a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary.  Each night he would assemble the crew on his ship to sing the Salve Regina.  The hymn was written in the eleventh century by Blessed Hermann the Cripple, a truly fascinating figure.

Born on July 18, 1013, he was a son of Wolverad II, Earl of Altshausen.  He entered this world with maladies that would be considered overwhelming in our time and in the eleventh century entirely beyond hope: a cleft palate and cerebral palsy and spina bifida, or perhaps  Lou Gehrig’s disease or spinal muscular atrophy.  In any event he could barely move, and could hardly speak.  He was placed in a monastery at age 7, no doubt his parents fearing that all that would occur for their son for the remainder of his time in this vale of tears was that he would be made as comfortable as possible until his afflicted life came to an end.

Among the monks he flourished.   At twenty he took his vows as a Benedictine monk. He spent most of his life at the Abbey of Reichenau.  He quickly demonstrated that a keen mind, as well as a beautiful soul, inhabited his wreck of a body. He mastered several languages including Latin, Arabic and Greek.  His genius was catholic in its scope:  he wrote a treatise on the science of music, several works on geometry, mathematics and astronomy, a chronicle of events from the Crucifixion to his time and composed religious poetry.  He built musical instruments and astronomical devices.  Students flocked to him throughout Europe, drawn not only by his learning but also by his sweet demeanor.  It is impossible to overstate the importance of his role in the scientific renaissance sweeping through Europe in the eleventh century.

Going blind in his later years, he became a noted composer of hymns, including the Salve Regina.  Dying in 1054 at age 40, he was beatified by Pio Nono in 1863.

 

Hermann the Cripple

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Saturday, October 10, AD 2015 3:40am

[…] American Catholic […]

Philip
Philip
Saturday, October 10, AD 2015 4:09am

Beautiful story.
Thanks again for your teaching.

How many Hermann the cripple’s would of brightened our world if they weren’t diagnosed within their mother’s womb, and prompted to abort at the suggestion of their “doctor?”
How many? God doesn’t make mistakes when souls are created and conception is achieved.

In these, our dark ages, please continue to pray. Please consider joining ten’s of thousands of Prayer partners in public prayer.
We will be in front of today’s Auschwitz’.
Join us. Please. Hermann the cripple pray for us.

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Saturday, October 10, AD 2015 5:15am

I too am heartened by the life of Herman of Richenau! Thank you for this post.
Imagine being immobile – dependent – but on a beautiful island in the beautiful Lake Constance under the care of the noted abbot Benno in that wonderful brilliant century!
+ some belief that the refrain ” o clement,oh sweet…” Etc was added by Bernard of Clairvaux

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Saturday, October 10, AD 2015 7:46am

“O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”
.
“Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
That we may made worthy of the promises of Christ.”
.

“I fly to you O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother.”
.
“To you do I come; before you I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, . . . ”
.
I think of Mary and my wonderful mother (RIP).

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Sunday, October 11, AD 2015 11:01pm

[…] Ignitum Today Migration and the Islamization of Europe – William Kilpatrick, Crisis Magazine Columbus & Crew Sang Salve Regina by Hermann the Cripple – Donald R. McClarey J. D. Five Rites You Have Never Heard of – Dominic Cassella, Epic […]

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