‘In what way can those who have left the world be distinguished?’: Masculinity and the Difference between Carolingian Men
Rachel Stone
In the year 811, emperor Charlemagne wanted to ask some of most influential religious men in Francia a few difficult questions.* These included his demand that bishops and abbots should ‘reveal truthfully us what leave world means, when it is said about them. Or way can those who have left be distinguished from still follow world; whether only they do not bear arms nor are publicly married?’1 This question comes second two overlapping texts, which preparations for an upcoming assembly.2 first, ‘Capitula tractanda cum comitibus, episcopis et abbatibus’, calls discussion particularly wide-ranging moral questions by both laymen.3 Why, he wants know, there such frequent disputes between men? What does Christian renounce baptism? How ought canons behave?4 At one point even demands inquiry into ‘whether we really Christians?’5 text, de causis abbatibus tractandis’, probably series further thoughts, poses specifically abbots, concept leaving world.6