Pardulphus
Encyclopedia
Saint Pardulphus (657 – ca. 737) was a Frankish
saint and Benedictine
abbot
. He is the author of the Vita Pardulfi
, which is notable for the insight it provides into life in Aquitaine
at that time.
He was born at Sardent
, from a family of peasants. His legend states that he was a shepherd
who decided to live as a hermit
after experiencing a terrible storm. The count of Lantaire had built a monastery at Guéret
. Pardulphus joined this monastery, later serving as its abbot. He followed strict penances, never keeping himself warm, and only eating once a week. He is alleged to have rejected heat from any source but the rays of the sun
. However, as he grew old he did occasionally make use of “hot stones” to keep himself warm. He rejected the consumption of all poultry
, eating only the mushrooms the local peasants brought him.
The Vita Pardulfi records a miracle
performed by Pardulphus. Some carpenter
s were cutting wood with which to build the church of Saint-Aubin at Guéret. After they loaded the wood onto carts and returned to the building works, it was determined that the wood was too short. The carpenters’ superintendent wished to have the carpenters whipped in punishment for this, but Pardulphus intervened with a miracle that made the wood the right size and even surpassed the intended length. As a result, the excess wood was sawn off and hung in the church as an object of veneration.
According to tradition, during the Umayyad
invasion of southern France, Pardulphus remained in his monastery. Umayyad forces, retreating after the Battle of Tours
, arrived at the monastery. However, his monastery was spared from attack; this was attributed to Pardulphus’ prayers.
that contained his arm had been preserved at the church of Sardent. However, it is now found at the Museum of Fine Art at Guéret. A number of places in France, such as Saint-Pardoux-de-Drône
, take their name from him.
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
saint and Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
. He is the author of the Vita Pardulfi
Vita Pardulfi
The Vita Pardulfi is a work on the life of St Pardulf , a holy man from the Limoges area, which was written around the middle of the eighth century.The Vita Pardulfi is notable for the insight it provides into life in Aquitaine at that time...
, which is notable for the insight it provides into life in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
at that time.
He was born at Sardent
Sardent
Sardent is a commune in the Creuse department in the Limousin region in central France.-Geography:An area of streams, lakes, forestry and farming, comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the Gartempe River, some south of Guéret, where the D60 and the D50 roads join the...
, from a family of peasants. His legend states that he was a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
who decided to live as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
after experiencing a terrible storm. The count of Lantaire had built a monastery at Guéret
Guéret
Guéret is a commune and the prefecture of the Creuse department in the Limousin region in central France.-Geography:A light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big woodland and a little farming not far from the town centre...
. Pardulphus joined this monastery, later serving as its abbot. He followed strict penances, never keeping himself warm, and only eating once a week. He is alleged to have rejected heat from any source but the rays of the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. However, as he grew old he did occasionally make use of “hot stones” to keep himself warm. He rejected the consumption of all poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
, eating only the mushrooms the local peasants brought him.
The Vita Pardulfi records 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...
performed by Pardulphus. Some carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
s were cutting wood with which to build the church of Saint-Aubin at Guéret. After they loaded the wood onto carts and returned to the building works, it was determined that the wood was too short. The carpenters’ superintendent wished to have the carpenters whipped in punishment for this, but Pardulphus intervened with a miracle that made the wood the right size and even surpassed the intended length. As a result, the excess wood was sawn off and hung in the church as an object of veneration.
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
invasion of southern France, Pardulphus remained in his monastery. Umayyad forces, retreating after the Battle of Tours
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
, arrived at the monastery. However, his monastery was spared from attack; this was attributed to Pardulphus’ prayers.
Veneration
His feast day is October 6. A reliquaryReliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
that contained his arm had been preserved at the church of Sardent. However, it is now found at the Museum of Fine Art at Guéret. A number of places in France, such as Saint-Pardoux-de-Drône
Saint-Pardoux-de-Drône
Saint-Pardoux-de-Drône is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-External links:* *...
, take their name from him.