A Saving Science: Capturing the Heavens in Carolingian Manuscripts

In A Saving Science, Eric Ramírez-Weaver explores the significance of early medieval astronomy in the Frankish empire, using as his lens an astronomical masterpiece, the deluxe manuscript of the Handbook of 809, painted in roughly 830 for Bishop Drogo of Metz, one of Charlemagne’s sons. Created in an age in which careful study of the heavens served a liturgical purpose—to reckon Christian feast days and seasons accurately and thus reflect a “heavenly” order—the diagrams of celestial bodies in the Handbook of 809 are extraordinary signifiers of the intersection of Christian art and classical astronomy. Ramírez-Weaver shows how, by studying this lavishly painted and carefully executed manuscript, we gain a unique understanding of early medieval astronomy and its cultural significance. In a time when the Frankish church sought to renew society through education, the Handbook of 809 presented a model in which study aided the spiritual reform of the cleric’s soul, and, by extension, enabled the spiritual care of his community. An exciting new interpretation of Frankish painting, A Saving Science shows that constellations in books such as Drogo’s were not simple copies for posterity’s sake, but functional tools in the service of the rejuvenation of a creative Carolingian culture.

Table of Contents:
Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Drogo and the Handbook of 809 Part One: Unveiling the Heavens over Carolingian Skies Chapter One: Illuminating Science: Creating the Handbook of 809 Chapter Two: Drogo’s Copy of the Handbook of 809: A Simulacrum of Celestial Order Part Two: Representing the Cosmos for Carolingian Hearts and Minds Chapter Three: Revealing Astronomy: Itinerant Painters and Shifting Signs Chapter Four: Restoring What Was Lost: Astronomy and Natural Astrology in the Carolingian Era Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Eric M. Ramírez-Weaver is Associate Professor of Medieval Art History at the University of Virginia.

Review :
“[This book] provides some of the clearest writing on computus in English, a topic that eludes many writers. . . . This is one of the first extended discussions of this type of Carolingian manuscript and there is much to recommend in it.” —Judith Collard Parergon “This erudite book is not for the faint of heart. . . . The Carolingian period is not as widely studied as others, so any contribution of this order is welcome. However, this focused investigation will be most valuable for an audience seeking specific expertise, especially concerning manuscript illumination and medieval computistics or the period organization of the Christian calendar. In the course of discussion, Ramírez-Weaver probes the intersection and roles of science, religion, astronomy, and artistry in understanding the cosmos. The book has excellent illustrations (including many color plates) of obscure illuminated pages. The scholarly apparatus is exemplary. This will prove a useful resource for those investigating the intellect and art in the Carolingian period.” —A. V. Coonin Choice “The pictures and texts in Drogo’s handbook created a cohesive, ordered presentation of the cosmos and an irreproachably Christian interpretation of the heavens. It will be interesting to see how scholars react to this dimension of Ramírez-Weaver’s work. I am persuaded.” —Thomas F. X. Noble CAA.Reviews “I was most impressed by the last chapter because of the wealth of contemporary text sources selected to clarify the view of a ninth-century monk or bishop on the constellations and offering a (quasi-psychological) understanding of the study of Carolingian star pictures: preoccupation with a prominent area of the liberal arts as a means of personal sanctification.” —Mechthild Haffner Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art & Architecture “Very useful indeed as a thorough, balanced, and nuanced study of a cultural product that deserves to be better known.” —William J. Diebold Speculum “Eric Ramírez-Weaver’s A Saving Science adds depth and detail to our emerging appreciation of the role of science at the Carolingian court. The beauty, regularity, and order of the circling heavens were more than just flattering analogies of imperial power: they were the syntax of a visual language in which a new ideology of Christian kingship could be articulated. Ramírez-Weaver’s analysis initiates us into that language, its poetics and its politics, with insight and sympathy.” —Faith Wallis, McGill University “Ramírez-Weaver’s fine book focuses on the complex factors affecting the creation, function, and understanding of astronomical manuscripts and their illustrations produced during the Carolingian period. His deeply learned study offers a leap forward from an older view, especially prevalent in art-historical scholarship, that regarded these manuscripts as copies chiefly valuable as reflections of lost ancient materials, and/or looking forward to the ‘Renaissance,’ without placing them in a contemporary context.” —Lawrence Nees, University of Delaware