Medieval monks at Cluny were known for their devotion, but they also mastered the art of delivering devastating literary insults. When challenged, they answered not with weapons, but with scathing Latin verse sharp enough to silence any critic.
By Lorris Chevalier
The Monastery of Cluny, famed as a beacon of perpetual prayer and a shining light of Christian monasticism, was far from merely a sanctuary of quiet contemplation. Beneath its pious surface, it also carried an ideology of combativeness, albeit a spiritual and literary combativeness. Its monks were not above sharp exchanges and, at times, quite fierce insults when defending the memory and honour of their revered abbots or doctrinal positions.
Monks at War… But With Words
While Cluny is often celebrated for its ceaseless devotion and spiritual reform, it was also a place where ideological and personal disputes could ignite heated debates. Cluniac monks, particularly those defending their abbots or venerable predecessors, wielded words with the precision of a sword. The epitaphs and poetic compositions they authored were more than mere praise; they were also a battleground where opponents were taken to task, sometimes with brutal vehemence.
For example, in the epitaph of Pope Gelasius II, the monks sought to honour the deceased pontiff and defend his legacy, framing him as a victim of political exile yet worthy of eternal glory. This defence of the dead was not merely sentimental but a fierce protection of their spiritual lineage.
Pierre de Poitiers: When Poetry Turns to Polemic
One of the most striking examples of Cluniac verbal combat comes from Pierre de Poitiers. His poem, titled Contra Barbarum (“Against the Barbarian”), was explicitly aimed at destroying his enemy through biting poetry.
Contra Barbarum, by Pierre de Poitiers
“Man-beast, livid plague, You who dare to attack the praises of Peter the Venerable, I am not surprised you bitterly gnash at us, For to be cruel is the nature of the Suèves; According to the custom of your people, you feel our poetry. What is praise, what is a poem, what is the sweet relief of life, What is peace, what is piety, what is virtue, what is honesty, Barbarian, you do not know, and so you swell with envy. Therefore be silent, Cimbrian, lest my flood overwhelm you! If you do not desist, I will not only show battles to the Cimbrians In these verses, but also in many books, And all your race will pay for its impious crimes with you.”
At the time of writing, both the Suèves and the Cimbrians no longer existed as distinct peoples. Pierre de Poitiers deliberately uses these ancient tribal names as a literary insult, equating his critics with barbarous, pagan foreigners. By invoking these archaic groups, he asserts his own superior knowledge of Antiquity, implying that those who fail to grasp the insult are ignorant and disconnected from classical learning.
Contra Calumpniatorem: Responding to Slander with Grace and Wit
In addition to his fierce Contra Barbarum, Pierre de Poitiers also composed a poem entitled Contra Calumpniatorem (“Against the Slanderer”), which begins with a measured reflection on envy and criticism:
I know well that envy, for as long as this world endures, will never completely die. Yet, as for why anyone would envy me, I have no cause for who envies a poor man? Nevertheless, a reply must be prepared for those who, thinking themselves most holy, might perhaps accuse us of vanity and flattery; to them we answer plainly that these few pages serve not flattery but the common good. Therefore, let our most holy man hear what the use of this work is: It is, in a way, natural and proper to noble and generous souls that the greater the praise they receive, the more they strive towards virtue. Indeed, it is clearer than daylight to me that the most reverend man whose praises I have dared to attempt has no imperfection; yet since every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, descending from the Father of Lights, whenever we proclaim the grace of God in someone, without doubt all the praise is referred back to Him the Giver.
Pierre concludes the poem with a humble but firm defence of mutual praise among holy men, emphasising that such laudation is no vain flattery but a longstanding and noble custom grounded in humanity and piety:
Time would fail me before my speech comes to an end, if I were to begin to name one by one how many and how great our Fathers and most devout men have honoured, commended, and exhorted one another with mutual praise not for the sake of flattery, as some of our times, utterly ignorant and completely unfamiliar with Antiquity, might foolishly imagine but rather according to a most noble custom founded on humanity and piety.
This poem reflects a more measured and philosophical tone compared to the harsh invective of Contra Barbarum. Here, Pierre de Poitiers defends the practice of praising the virtuous and venerable, while addressing critics who might mistake such praise for vanity or flattery. It also asserts his own learned grasp of tradition and Antiquity, distancing himself from those ignorant detractors.
The Anatomy of a Cluniac Insult
The polemical strategy is clear:
Direct and harsh insults likening the opponent to a beast or pestilence
Collective disparagement based on ethnic or tribal identities (e.g., Suèves, Cimbres)
Moral condemnation attributing envy, ignorance, and barbarity to the adversary
Threats of ongoing literary retaliation and public disgrace
An overall aim to shame and silence critics while elevating the monk’s own position
This rhetorical aggression was a way for the monks to safeguard the reputation of their saints and abbots, and to silence dissent with a combination of learned wit and biting invective.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Medieval monks at Cluny were known for their devotion, but they also mastered the art of delivering devastating literary insults. When challenged, they answered not with weapons, but with scathing Latin verse sharp enough to silence any critic.
By Lorris Chevalier
The Monastery of Cluny, famed as a beacon of perpetual prayer and a shining light of Christian monasticism, was far from merely a sanctuary of quiet contemplation. Beneath its pious surface, it also carried an ideology of combativeness, albeit a spiritual and literary combativeness. Its monks were not above sharp exchanges and, at times, quite fierce insults when defending the memory and honour of their revered abbots or doctrinal positions.
Monks at War… But With Words
While Cluny is often celebrated for its ceaseless devotion and spiritual reform, it was also a place where ideological and personal disputes could ignite heated debates. Cluniac monks, particularly those defending their abbots or venerable predecessors, wielded words with the precision of a sword. The epitaphs and poetic compositions they authored were more than mere praise; they were also a battleground where opponents were taken to task, sometimes with brutal vehemence.
For example, in the epitaph of Pope Gelasius II, the monks sought to honour the deceased pontiff and defend his legacy, framing him as a victim of political exile yet worthy of eternal glory. This defence of the dead was not merely sentimental but a fierce protection of their spiritual lineage.
Pierre de Poitiers: When Poetry Turns to Polemic
One of the most striking examples of Cluniac verbal combat comes from Pierre de Poitiers. His poem, titled Contra Barbarum (“Against the Barbarian”), was explicitly aimed at destroying his enemy through biting poetry.
Contra Barbarum, by Pierre de Poitiers
“Man-beast, livid plague,
You who dare to attack the praises of Peter the Venerable,
I am not surprised you bitterly gnash at us,
For to be cruel is the nature of the Suèves;
According to the custom of your people, you feel our poetry.
What is praise, what is a poem, what is the sweet relief of life,
What is peace, what is piety, what is virtue, what is honesty,
Barbarian, you do not know, and so you swell with envy.
Therefore be silent, Cimbrian, lest my flood overwhelm you!
If you do not desist, I will not only show battles to the Cimbrians
In these verses, but also in many books,
And all your race will pay for its impious crimes with you.”
At the time of writing, both the Suèves and the Cimbrians no longer existed as distinct peoples. Pierre de Poitiers deliberately uses these ancient tribal names as a literary insult, equating his critics with barbarous, pagan foreigners. By invoking these archaic groups, he asserts his own superior knowledge of Antiquity, implying that those who fail to grasp the insult are ignorant and disconnected from classical learning.
Contra Calumpniatorem: Responding to Slander with Grace and Wit
In addition to his fierce Contra Barbarum, Pierre de Poitiers also composed a poem entitled Contra Calumpniatorem (“Against the Slanderer”), which begins with a measured reflection on envy and criticism:
I know well that envy, for as long as this world endures, will never completely die. Yet, as for why anyone would envy me, I have no cause for who envies a poor man? Nevertheless, a reply must be prepared for those who, thinking themselves most holy, might perhaps accuse us of vanity and flattery; to them we answer plainly that these few pages serve not flattery but the common good. Therefore, let our most holy man hear what the use of this work is: It is, in a way, natural and proper to noble and generous souls that the greater the praise they receive, the more they strive towards virtue. Indeed, it is clearer than daylight to me that the most reverend man whose praises I have dared to attempt has no imperfection; yet since every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, descending from the Father of Lights, whenever we proclaim the grace of God in someone, without doubt all the praise is referred back to Him the Giver.
Pierre concludes the poem with a humble but firm defence of mutual praise among holy men, emphasising that such laudation is no vain flattery but a longstanding and noble custom grounded in humanity and piety:
Time would fail me before my speech comes to an end, if I were to begin to name one by one how many and how great our Fathers and most devout men have honoured, commended, and exhorted one another with mutual praise not for the sake of flattery, as some of our times, utterly ignorant and completely unfamiliar with Antiquity, might foolishly imagine but rather according to a most noble custom founded on humanity and piety.
This poem reflects a more measured and philosophical tone compared to the harsh invective of Contra Barbarum. Here, Pierre de Poitiers defends the practice of praising the virtuous and venerable, while addressing critics who might mistake such praise for vanity or flattery. It also asserts his own learned grasp of tradition and Antiquity, distancing himself from those ignorant detractors.
The Anatomy of a Cluniac Insult
The polemical strategy is clear:
This rhetorical aggression was a way for the monks to safeguard the reputation of their saints and abbots, and to silence dissent with a combination of learned wit and biting invective.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Click here to read more from Lorris Chevalier
Further Readings:
Franz Dolveck. Poétique de louange et d’éloge à Cluny au XIIe siècle. Sciences de l’Homme et Société. Ecole nationale des chartes, 2011
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