Fulbert of Chartres
Encyclopedia
Fulbert of Chartres was the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of the Cathedral of Chartres
Cathedral of Chartres
The French medieval Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres is a Latin Rite Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, about southwest of Paris, is considered one of the finest examples of the French High Gothic style...

 from 1006 till 1028. He was a teacher at the Cathedral school there
School of Chartres
During the High Middle Ages, Chartres Cathedral operated a famous and influential cathedral school, an important center of scholarship. It developed and reached its apex in the 11th and 12th centuries...

, he was responsible for the advancement of the celebration of the Feast day of “Nativity of the Virgin”, and he was responsible for one of the many reconstructions of the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

. Most of the information we have about him is found in the letters he wrote from 1004–1028, to both secular and religious figures of the day.

Life

There is no conclusive evidence as to the exact date or location of Fulbert’s birth, the sources vary from 952-970. As to his place of birth the majority of information places it in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, possibly Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...

, although some say northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. The sources do agree however that he was of humble birth. Information from several sources place him at the Cathedral school in Rheims in the 980’s, where one of his fellow students was the future King Robert II
Robert II of France
Robert II , called the Pious or the Wise , was King of France from 996 until his death. The second reigning member of the House of Capet, he was born in Orléans to Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine....

 (the Pious) of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. In the early to mid 990’s Fulbert arrived in and began his involvement with the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 school there. His position is variously described as schoolmaster or assistant at the school. He also assumed some minor ecclesiastical roles in the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 but he was not a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...

. In 1004 he became deacon and in 1006 he was appointed the Bishop of Chartres. He remained as Bishop until his death on April 10, 1028 or 1029, again the sources vary, but the majority seem to settle on 1028. There is some dispute over Filbert’s “Sainthood”, which rises from his contemporaries describing him as having a saintly nature, and this was carried on by others after his death. Fulbert was never officially canonized by the Church, but permission was given by Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 for the diocese of Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...

 and Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...

 to celebrate his life on April 10.

Letters

Of the writings that can be verifiably attributed to Fulbert, the bulk consists of his letters. His most famous letter was to Duke William V of Aquitaine
William V of Aquitaine
William V , called the Great , was Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitou from 990 until his death. He was the son and successor of William IV by his wife Emma of Blois, daughter of Theobald I of Blois. He seems to have taken after his formidable mother, who ruled Aquitaine as regent until 1004...

 on the duties of a Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...

 and a Vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...

. He also wrote to fellow churchmen on a variety of liturgical issues including, the appointment of Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

s, excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...

, and obedience. His letters also include correspondence about the mundane issues of everyday life such as thanking people for medicine and setting up meetings. These letters provide insight into a variety of issues in the late tenth and early eleventh century France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Poems

Fulbert wrote approx. 24 poems which have been described a sometimes as humorous, such as his poem about the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...

 in the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...

 or lovely when describing his “Ode to the Nightingale”.

Hymns

Most of Fulbert’s hymns were written to glorify the Virgin. He also wrote “Chorus Novae Jerusalem” (Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem), to be sung at Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

 services.

Sermons

Fulbert’s most famous sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

 is “ Approbate Consuetudinis” in which he provides the information in regards to the importance of the celebration of the “Feast of Mary’s Nativity”.

Theological Contributions

Like the recent millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....

 change, the one during Fulbert’s lifetime also created a fear of the end of the world. The adoration of the Virgin Mary was already established in the Church, and Fulbert would use this as teaching on her importance. The results were twofold, it helped to ease the peoples fears and greatly expanded the Marian Cult and Chartres’s position in it. Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...

 was already involved due to its being the holder of a sacred relic of Mary’s, the “Sancta Camisia”, (Holy Tunic), which has been variously described as being worn by Mary during the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...

 or during the birth of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

. This tunic was already the subject of a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...

, it was used by an earlier Bishop of Chartres, Gauscelinus, in 911 to ward off the invading Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

. Fulbert expanded on the theme of miracles involving Mary especially ones where she had mediated between sinners and God, in this way the people could pray to Mary to intercede on their behalf, with God, in the perceived coming apocalypse. Fulbert himself was involved in one of these miracles, when he was gravely ill Mary had healed him with a drop of her milk because of his devotion to her. This also served to give Mary the image of not only the mother of Christ, but for all who believed in her, their mother too. All of these things led to Fulbert’s ultimate goal of promoting a special feast day to celebrate Mary’s Nativity.

To gain popular support for this feast, Fulbert wrote his famous sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

 “Approbate Consuetudinis” in which he outlines Mary’s miracles. He also brings in the evidence of Mary’s family linage which can be traced back to King David. In his sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

 Fulbert used the symbolism of the “Stirps Jesse” (Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...

) to help explain Mary’s familial relationship to the great men of the past and how it was determined , as described in scripture, that she would be the one to whom Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

 would be born. This again served to enhance her importance to the world and convince people of the need to celebrate her birth. This sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

 led to a number of liturgical changes throughout the next few centuries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. The sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

 itself, or variations of it, and the chants associated to it, were to become part of the service for the feast day of Mary’s Nativity on Sept. 8. By promoting the Feast day of Mary’s Nativity, Fulbert was able to advance the importance of Mary and therefore the cult of her worship grew. This in turn enhanced the importance of the Cathedral of Chartres
Cathedral of Chartres
The French medieval Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres is a Latin Rite Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, about southwest of Paris, is considered one of the finest examples of the French High Gothic style...

  as a centre for worship of her, and also gave the people a spiritual symbol for them to turn to in their time of need at the turn of the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....

.

Ecclesiastical Reform

During his time in Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...

 Fulbert played an important role in the development and spread of the ideas that led to the Gregorian church reforms
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...

 of the eleventh century, under Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...

. These reforms concerned the division between the powers of the church and state, especially in the appointment of new Abbots and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

s. In the eleventh century the secular rulers had a habit of appointing who they wanted to fill vacant church positions. Fulbert and some of his students such as Abbot Albert of Marmoutier routinely wrote that it was up to the clergy and the citizens of the diocese involved to vote for a replacement. The authority for this could be found in the rulings from the First Council of Nicaea
First Council of Nicaea
The First Council of Nicaea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325...

 (325) and the Council of Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...

 (264-272). These reforms also stated that the Church was in charge of disciplining the clergy not the state. The issue of simony
Simony
Simony is the act of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or for positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus , who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24...

 (the buying of church offices) and immoral clerics was also addressed by Fulbert. Although the reforms were issued by Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...

, some of the ideas that came from Fulbert which were then disseminated through his students writing can be found in them.

Architectural contributions

After the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 in Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...

 burned in 1020, Fulbert devoted his energies to raising funds for its rebuilding, and it was completed in 1037, nine years after his death. In 1194 the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 was again almost completely destroyed by fire, only the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....

 , some of the west facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....

 and two towers remained. The crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....

 has been incorporated into all subsequent reconstructions. ) The construction of the Gothic style  Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 that stands to-day began after this. It is in this Cathedral that we see Fulbert’s influences that resulted from his promotion of the Feast day of Mary’s Nativity and the cult of the Virgin Mary. The sculptures around the three portals
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...

 depict the life cycle of Mary and he is the central figure in the Royal Portal. Inside one of the stained glass windows
Stained Glass Windows
Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker....

 depicts the Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...

, which traces Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...

’s and Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

’s family, again a reference to Fulbert’s teachings in regards to the Feast of Mary’s Nativity.

Web Images

Statue in of Fulbert Chartres http://farm1.static.flickr.com/116/283678735_ab8b164037.jpg?v=0

Coin struck to celebrate the Millénaire de Fulbert, in honor of him becoming Bishop of Chartres.
  • http://www.gruwe.info/jeton/image/Fulbert-Chartres1006-2006.jpg


French Wikipedia page information on the Millénaire de Fulbert.http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill%C3%A9naire_de_Fulbert

Image of drawing of Fulbert's cathedral.http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?sid=e09d8cf494099be701bf8156563add2b;med=1;q1=chartres;rgn1=chartres_all;q2=fulbert;op2=And;rgn2=chartres_all;size=20;c=chartres;lasttype=boolean;view=entry;lastview=thumbnail;subview=detail;cc=chartres;entryid=x-fcad01pl0017;viewid=FCAD01PL0017.TIF;start=21;resnum=29

Image of Fulbert teaching his Cathedral.http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/celebrations2006/03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/celebrations2006/fulbert.htm&h=500&w=352&sz=313&hl=en&start=30&um=1&usg=__aXbFs3C20kfe-aiQ9VgfJkbwHCU=&tbnid=2ZPdnu__vmNUkM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfulbert%2Bde%2Bchartres%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

Lyrics for Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem.http://www.lyricsday.com/FULBERT_OF_CHARTRES-Ye_Choirs_Of_New_Jerusalem_Lyrics-lyrics-36499467.html

His works

English version of Feudal Obligations http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/academics/history/courses/102/WCDocs/1020Fulbert%20of%20Chartres%20On%20Feudal%20Obligations.htm

French version of Feudal Obligations http://sourcesmedievales.unblog.fr/2008/04/18/les-liens-feodaux-vassaliques-entre-fulbert-et-renaud/
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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