Досточтимый Беда — ритор, агиограф, проповедник

Досточтимому Беде посчастливилось жить и писать свои сочинения в то время, когда Древняя Англия стала признанным центром средневековой учености. В ее школах встретились культурные традиции античного Средиземноморья, римского и кельтского христианства. К началу VIII века, когда были созданы первые книги Беды, уже был накоплен достаточный культурный потенциал, требовавший обобщения. Человеком, взявшим на себя этот труд, стал Беда. Обратившись к литературным формам, незадолго до этого принятым англосаксами, он создал произведения, которые сделались образцами для многих средневековых писателей, как в Англии, так и в Европе. В его творчестве гармонично соединились знания, накопленные представителями разных, подчас противоборствующих традиций. Не была чужда Беде и народная германская культура. Понимание ее помогло Беде излагать сложные богословские идеи в понятной его соотечественникам форме. Его комментарии на Священное Писание и гомилии весьма ценились англосаксами-мессионерами VIII века, трудившимися на севере Европы, где еще жили германцы-язычники. Беда был известен не только как богослов, агиограф, историк, но и как знаток церковной музыки, написавший книгу гимнов, как автор естественно научных сочинений, составитель пасхалий. И все же в памяти потомков он остался в первую очередь как справедливый и рассудительный духовный наставник. Когда потребовалось составить Беде хвалу в стихах, безымянный поэт XI века вспомнил именно его дар мудрого, учительного слова:

Summary

The XXth century rediscovered and reread the works of St.Bede the Venerable not only as theological treatises or a unique source on the Early English history, but as books of great literary value. Today St.Bede is well known as the author of «The Ecclesiastical History of the English people», that was finished not long before his death. In the Middle Ages, however, he was famous also as a rhetorician, hagiographer, preacher. His rhetorical treatise «De schematibus and tropis» became a most popular schoolbook. His homilies and saints» Lives were regarded as models for many generations of medieval writers.

St.Bedé's knowledge of the ancient rhetorics enabled him to give a Christian meaning to it. His treatise «De schematibus and tropis» is based on the ideas of St.Dionisius Areopagite. Rhetorical figures and tropes, mentioned in this treatise, were used by St.Bede in all his works in question.

Two of St.Bedé's hagiographical works have come to our days. The composition of both Lives is based on the classical scheme of the laudatory speech. It can be easely noticed in the first Life («The Life of St.Felix»), while the structure of the second Life («The Life of St.Cuthbert») is much more elaborate.

«The Life of the five abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow» is St.Bedé's minor historical work. St.Bede depicts his protagonists — the first five abbots of his monastery — according to the above mentioned scheme of the laudatory speech.

The difference between the hagiographical and the historical works lies in the attitude to Time and Space. In the former ones Time and Space are most often indeterminate, because even the daily life of a saint belongs to Eternity. In the latter Time and Space are written down as precisely as it is possible for a medieval writer, because the main feature of a medieval historical work is trustworthiness.

St.Bedé's homilies belong to the same tradition as those of Origene and St.Gregory the Great. The analysis of the homily structure showed that St.Bede was acquainted with the laws of logic. Besides homily, St.Bede knew also exemplum and, probably, sermon as separate forms of one and the same genre.

St.Bedé's texts were created at the period of time, when two Christian traditions — the Celtic and the Roman ones — existed in Early England. St.Bedé's works reflect their synthesis in the Anglo-Saxon culture.

St.Bedé's works are especially interesting in the light of merging the Christian traditions mentioned above, because his saints» Lives, homilies, historical and rhetorical treatises influenced not only the beginnings of the literature in the vernacular on the British Isles, but also played an important role in the formation of European Literatures.