Gottschalk

Monk

  • Born: c. 804
  • Birthplace: Near Mainz, Germany
  • Died: c. 868

Biography

Gottschalk was born around the year 804 near Mainz to a Saxon noble who sent him away to the monastery at Fulda. In 829, Gottschalk tried to get out of his monastic vows, claiming he was forced into them. It is unknown whether or not his wish was granted. However, it is known that he moved to the Corbie monastery before settling at Orbais. It was there that he read St. Augustine and came to believe that all people had been predestined by God for heaven or hell before their birth. This theory expanded on Augustine’s teachings but got Gottschalk in trouble.

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In the late 830’s, Gottschalk became more deeply ensconced in his convictions. He left his monastery in 840 to travel to Italy, where he preached his double-predestination doctrine. Driven from Italy by Hrabanus Maurus, Gottschalk tried to save his pride by refuting Maurus’s beliefs in court. His effort failed, and Gottschalk was convicted of heresy and banished from Louis the German’s kingdom. Gottschalk continued professing his faith in Germany, and the issue of his place in the Church was brought up at several councils in the 850’s and even discussed by the Pope before Gottschalk’s abrupt death.

Collections of Gottschalk’s work were not published until after his death. His poetry follows many different styles, including Sapphic and metric, and it also makes use of Latin hexameter. He was in many ways an innovator in German poetry because of his versatility, and his poems remained popular enough to survive into the modern era.