Lindsay Rudge PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

would soon be separated from the living. 250 The abbess was the spiritual leader of the
monastery, and it is noticeable that Jonas places her in this position of authority in the
absence of references to the rule itself. 251 Far more potent even than this is the story of
Gibitrude, a relation of Burgundofara, who asked to die in place of her abbess when the
latter had a fever. Even in this powerful and moving story, Jonas seems unable to resist
noting that Gibitrude was refused entry to heaven until she had forgiven her sisters for
their minor transgressions against her. 252
It is known that Jonas spent some time at Eboriac, and it is therefore tempting to
wonder about the nature and extent of Burgundofara’s influence on the content and style
of the Eboriac section. There are clear encouragements and warnings scattered
throughout the section, and one could easily envisage this part of the Vita Columbani
being used regularly at Eboriac, perhaps being read at mealtimes, a different miracle or
vision story every day. More than any other part of the overall work, this seems ideal for
such a purpose. The Eboriac section seems designed for internal rather than external
consumption; it is a guide for those living the life rather than aspiring to it. 253
Conclusion
This examination of the early circulation of the Regula virginum and, to a lesser
extent, the letter Vereor, has brought to the fore the range of writings that were directed at
dedicated women to guide them. Caesarius’ writings became a template of practices for
subsequent authors of regulae; at the same time, his ideology of dedicated life formed the
basis of letters of guidance which reinforced and enlarged upon aspects of the rule. From
the beginning of these processes of re-use and elaboration, Caesarius’ writings for the
nuns of St John were deemed equally valid for male communities, albeit with some
modifications. The individual nature of such rules, wherein founders could pick-and-
250
VCD II:18.
251
There are only suggestions of what the rule might be, frequent confession being a notable example.
252
VCD II:12.
253
Wood, ‘The Vita Columbani and Merovingian Hagiography’, 68.
126