Blog Post

Alcuin of York: Letter, Poem, Epitaph

by Erin Doom

Feast of Our Righteous Father Memnonus the Wonderworker

Anno Domini 2020, May 19

Carolingian Manuscript, Rabanus Maurus (left), with Alcuin (middle),

dedicating his work to Archbishop Odgar of Mainz (right)

1. Essays et al: “Alcuin of York: Architect of the Carolingian Renaissance”

On this day in A. D. 804, the English scholar, poet, deacon, and teacher Alcuin of York died in the monastery of Tours in Gaul. According to the Life of Charlemagne, he “was the most learned man anywhere to be found.” In 782 he was put in charge of teaching at the Palace School of Charlemagne where he helped initiate the Carolingian Renaissance. In addition to his teaching duties, as Tabea Tietz notes,

he took his role as a religious and political advisor very seriously and his ideas were highly respected by the emperor. Alcuin tackled him over his policy of forcing pagans to be baptized on pain of death, arguing, “Faith is a free act of the will, not a forced act. We must appeal to the conscience, not compel it by violence. You can force people to be baptized, but you cannot force them to believe.” These arguments seem to have prevailed, because Charlemagne decided to abolish the death penalty for paganism in 797.

Alcuin also developed a new style of handwriting, the Caroline miniscule, invented the “question mark,” and helped Charlemagne fight the Adoptionist heresy.

2. Books & Culture: A Letter & a Poem

Alcuin became Abbot of St Martin’s at Tours in 796. From there, he wrote the following words as the introduction of a letter to Charlemagne in A.D. 796:

But I, your Flaccus [Alcuin’s Latin name], am doing as you have urged and wished. To some who are beneath the roof of St. Martin I am striving to dispense the honey of Holy Scripture; others I am eager to intoxicate with the of wine of apples of grammatical refinement; and there are some whom I long to adorn with the knowledge of astronomy, as a stately house is adorned with a painted roof. I am made all things to all men that I may instruct many to the profit of God’s Holy Church and to the luster of your imperial reign.

Read the entire letter in praise of wisdom here.

And here is a short poem he wrote in praise of his home town York.

3. Bible & Fathers: Alcuin's Epitaph

Acts 12:25; 13:1-12; Jn 8:51-59. Online here.

Alcuin was buried at St Martin’s Church under the following epitaph that he composed for himself (he also composed the famous epitaph of Pope Hadrian I):

Here halt, I pray you; make a little stay,

O wayfarer, to read what I have writ,

And know by my fate what thy fate shall be.

What thou art now, wayfarer, world-renowned,

I was; what I am now, so shall thou be.

The world’s delight I followed with a heart

Unsatisfied: ashes am I, and dust.

Wherefore bethink thee rather of thy soul

Than of thy flesh; — this dieth, that abides.

Dost thou make wide thy fields? In this small house

Peace holds me now; no greater house for thee.

Wouldst have thy body clothed in royal red?

The worm is hungry for that body’s meat.

Even as the flowers die in a cruel wind,

Even so, of flesh, shall perish all thy pride.

Now in thy turn, wayfarer, for this song

That I have made for thee, I pray you, say:

“Lord Christ, have mercy on thy servant here,”

And may no hand disturb this sepulchre,

Until the trumpet rings from heaven’s height,

“O thou that liest in the dust, arise,

The Judge of the unnumbered hosts is here!”

Alcuin was my name; learning I loved.

O thou that readest this, pray for my soul.

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