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The Monastic Rules of Visigothic Iberia - eTheses Repository ...

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consumed like clothes by a moth: “Alii uero tristitiae morbo interius consummuntur et<br />

tamquam uestimentum a tinea intrinsecus mentis suae auiditate deuorantur”. 366<br />

However, a comparison that is used <strong>of</strong>ten draws on wolves and dogs. For example,<br />

some monks are described as pining for their possessions like wolves: “Et pro suis pigneribus<br />

more luporum doleant”; 367 or else returning to the secular world like a dog to its vomit:<br />

“Conperimus per minus cauta monasteria qui cum facultaticulis suis ingressi sunt, postea<br />

tapefactos cum grande exprobatione repetere et saeculum quod reliquerant ut canes ad<br />

uomitum reuocare”; 368 some people, as though conducting an investigation, tear apart the<br />

servants <strong>of</strong> Christ with the teeth <strong>of</strong> dogs: “et alios more iustigationis diiudicant, et seruos<br />

Christi dente canino dilaniant”; 369 others are described as barking against the church, like<br />

pupils <strong>of</strong> the Antichrist: “et ut sunt Antichristi discipuli, contra Ecclesiam latrant”. 370<br />

Once again, there are biblical parallels here. In the Bible, dogs are presented as sinful<br />

and unclean and are typically presented in a negative image by early Christianity (for<br />

example, Deuteronomy 23:18; Psalms 22:20, Revelation 22:15, 1 Kings 14:11, 21:19), or as<br />

metaphors for evil (Isaiah 56:10; Isaiah 56:11). Wolves are likewise presented negatively,<br />

linked with the Devil (John 10:12), false teaching (Matthew 7:15) and wicked rulers<br />

(Zephaniah 3:3). <strong>The</strong> image <strong>of</strong> the dog returning to its vomit in particular is an image found<br />

on a couple <strong>of</strong> occasions in the Bible (2 Peter 22; Proverbs 26:11). <strong>The</strong>ir imagery in the<br />

monastic rules is similarly always negative.<br />

366 Common Rule 13.<br />

367 Common Rule 1.<br />

368 Common Rule 18.<br />

369 Common Rule 1.<br />

370 Common Rule 1.<br />

143

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