Notker Labeo (c. 950 – 28 June 1022), also known as Notker the German (Latin: Notcerus Teutonicus) or Notker III, was a Benedictine monk active as a scholar and teacher. He was the first commentator on Aristotle active in the Middle Ages and translated the works of earlier Latin writers such as Boethius and Martianus Capella. Notker is also attributed the authorship of five short essays on music.[1]
Notker Labeo, relief at the Abbey of St Gall.
"Labeo" means "the thick-lipped one". Later he was named Teutonicus in recognition of his services to the German language.
He was born about 950, from a noble family of Thurgau, and he was a nephew of Ekkehard I, the poet of Waltharius. He went to the Abbey of Saint Gall when only a boy, and there acquired a vast and varied knowledge by omnivorous reading. After finishing his education, he continued in the abbey as a teacher and then head of the school under abbot Burckhard II. His contemporaries admired him as a theologian, philologist, mathematician, astronomer, connoisseur of music, and poet.[2] He tells of his studies and his literary work in a letter to Bishop Hugo of Sitten (998–1017), and we also know of his activities through texts from his pupil Ekkehard IV.
The Necrologium sancti Galli recorded his death under 28 June, 1022, as "Obitus Notkeri doctissimi atque benignissimi magistri". He died stricken by the plague.
Among his most distinguished pupils are the aforementioned Ekkehard IV, Salomo III bishop of Constance, and Batherus, a wandering scholar who wrote a biography of St. Fridolin.
Writings and translationsedit
For the benefit of his pupils he translated several texts from Latin into German. He mentions eleven of these translations, but unfortunately only five are preserved: (1) Boethius, "De consolatione philosophiae"; (2) Martianus Capella, "De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii"; (3) Aristotle, "De categoriis"; (4) Aristotle, "De interpretatione"; (5) "The Psalter". Among those lost are: "The Book of Job", at which he worked for more than five years; "Disticha Catonis"; Virgil's "Bucolica"; and the "Andria" of Terence (Terenz in German).[2]
Of his own writings he mentions in the above letter a "New Rhetoric" and a "New Computus" and a few other smaller works in Latin. We still possess the Rhetoric, the Computus (a manual for calculating the dates of ecclesiastical celebrations, especially of Easter), the essay "De partibus logicae", and the German essay on Music.[2]
In R. Kögel's opinion Notker Labeo was one of the greatest stylists in German literature. "His achievements in this respect seem almost marvelous." His style, where it becomes most brilliant, is essentially poetical; he observes with surprising exactitude the laws of the language and created the first systematic orthography of Old High German and Swiss German. Latin and German he commanded with equal fluency; and while he did not understand Greek, he pretended that he did. He put an enormous amount of learning and erudition into his commentaries on his translations. Much may be found that was of interest in his time, philosophy, universal and literary history, natural science, astronomy. He frequently quotes the classics and the Fathers of the Church. It is characteristic of Notker that at his dying request the poor were fed, and that he asked to be buried in the clothes which he was wearing in order that none might see the heavy chain with which he had been in the habit of mortifying his body.[2]
Notker III. (the German) was also a significant cosmographer. His early cartographic efforts led to the first atlas, constructed in the abbey of St Gall under AbbotPurchart II between 1001 and 1022. It was based on the Consolatio philosophiae (483 - about 525 CE) of late antiquity. The world map included ethnological content of respective global regions and served didactic purposes. The original remains intact in the Abbey library of Saint Gall.[3]
^ Schmid-Lanter JA (2022). "Notker der Deutsche als Kosmograph: Ein St.Galler Erd- und Himmelsglobus um 1015" (in German). zop.zb.uzh.ch. Accessed 6 May 2023.
Sourcesedit
Gushee, Lawrence (2001). "Notker Labeo". Grove Music Online. Revised by Bradley Jon Tucker. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.20129. Retrieved 22 October 2020. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
Jaffe, Samuel (Summer 1985). "Antiquity and Innovation in Notker's Nova rhetorica: The Doctrine of Invention". Rhetorica: A Journal of the History of Rhetoric. 3 (3): 165–181. doi:10.1525/rh.1985.3.3.165. JSTOR 10.1525/rh.1985.3.3.165.
notker, labeo, june, 1022, also, known, notker, german, latin, notcerus, teutonicus, notker, benedictine, monk, active, scholar, teacher, first, commentator, aristotle, active, middle, ages, translated, works, earlier, latin, writers, such, boethius, martianus. Notker Labeo c 950 28 June 1022 also known as Notker the German Latin Notcerus Teutonicus or Notker III was a Benedictine monk active as a scholar and teacher He was the first commentator on Aristotle active in the Middle Ages and translated the works of earlier Latin writers such as Boethius and Martianus Capella Notker is also attributed the authorship of five short essays on music 1 Notker Labeo relief at the Abbey of St Gall Labeo means the thick lipped one Later he was named Teutonicus in recognition of his services to the German language Contents 1 Life and career 2 Writings and translations 3 References 4 Sources 5 Further reading 6 External linksLife and career editHe was born about 950 from a noble family of Thurgau and he was a nephew of Ekkehard I the poet of Waltharius He went to the Abbey of Saint Gall when only a boy and there acquired a vast and varied knowledge by omnivorous reading After finishing his education he continued in the abbey as a teacher and then head of the school under abbot Burckhard II His contemporaries admired him as a theologian philologist mathematician astronomer connoisseur of music and poet 2 He tells of his studies and his literary work in a letter to Bishop Hugo of Sitten 998 1017 and we also know of his activities through texts from his pupil Ekkehard IV The Necrologium sancti Galli recorded his death under 28 June 1022 as Obitus Notkeri doctissimi atque benignissimi magistri He died stricken by the plague Among his most distinguished pupils are the aforementioned Ekkehard IV Salomo III bishop of Constance and Batherus a wandering scholar who wrote a biography of St Fridolin Writings and translations editFor the benefit of his pupils he translated several texts from Latin into German He mentions eleven of these translations but unfortunately only five are preserved 1 Boethius De consolatione philosophiae 2 Martianus Capella De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii 3 Aristotle De categoriis 4 Aristotle De interpretatione 5 The Psalter Among those lost are The Book of Job at which he worked for more than five years Disticha Catonis Virgil s Bucolica and the Andria of Terence Terenz in German 2 Of his own writings he mentions in the above letter a New Rhetoric and a New Computus and a few other smaller works in Latin We still possess the Rhetoric the Computus a manual for calculating the dates of ecclesiastical celebrations especially of Easter the essay De partibus logicae and the German essay on Music 2 In R Kogel s opinion Notker Labeo was one of the greatest stylists in German literature His achievements in this respect seem almost marvelous His style where it becomes most brilliant is essentially poetical he observes with surprising exactitude the laws of the language and created the first systematic orthography of Old High German and Swiss German Latin and German he commanded with equal fluency and while he did not understand Greek he pretended that he did He put an enormous amount of learning and erudition into his commentaries on his translations Much may be found that was of interest in his time philosophy universal and literary history natural science astronomy He frequently quotes the classics and the Fathers of the Church It is characteristic of Notker that at his dying request the poor were fed and that he asked to be buried in the clothes which he was wearing in order that none might see the heavy chain with which he had been in the habit of mortifying his body 2 Notker III the German was also a significant cosmographer His early cartographic efforts led to the first atlas constructed in the abbey of St Gall under Abbot Purchart II between 1001 and 1022 It was based on the Consolatio philosophiae 483 about 525 CE of late antiquity The world map included ethnological content of respective global regions and served didactic purposes The original remains intact in the Abbey library of Saint Gall 3 References edit Gushee 2001 para 1 a b c d Kampers amp Loffler 1911 Notker Labeo Schmid Lanter JA 2022 Notker der Deutsche als Kosmograph Ein St Galler Erd und Himmelsglobus um 1015 in German zop zb uzh ch Accessed 6 May 2023 Sources editGushee Lawrence 2001 Notker Labeo Grove Music Online Revised by Bradley Jon Tucker Oxford Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 gmo 9781561592630 article 20129 Retrieved 22 October 2020 subscription or UK public library membership required Kampers Franz in German Loffler Klemens in German 1911 Notker Catholic Encyclopedia New York Robert Appleton Company Further reading editJaffe Samuel Summer 1985 Antiquity and Innovation in Notker s Nova rhetorica The Doctrine of Invention Rhetorica A Journal of the History of Rhetoric 3 3 165 181 doi 10 1525 rh 1985 3 3 165 JSTOR 10 1525 rh 1985 3 3 165 Lloyd Albert L January 1961 Vowel Shortening and Stress in the Old High German of Notker Labeo Journal of English and Germanic Philology 60 1 79 101 JSTOR 27707618 Lutz Cora E 1977 Schoolmasters of the Tenth Century Hamden Archon Books ISBN 978 0 208 01628 7 OCLC 2424731 Notker l Allemand French in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland External links editNotker s commentary on The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius from e codices com Portals nbsp Biography nbsp Classical music nbsp Literature nbsp Middle Ages nbsp MusicNotker Labeo at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons nbsp Data from Wikidata Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Notker Labeo amp oldid 1181106858, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
