Conspiring in Dreams: between Misdeeds and saving one’s Soul

Abstract

Thietmar of Merseburg was not an example of a virtuous, pious ecclesiastic; rather, he more closely exemplified an Amtsbischof and mentally anguished sinner. In the last book of his Chronicle, he narrates a dream in which he finds himself surrounded by a hostile crowd that incites him to consume a suspicious and peculiar drink: allegedly, it causes him to feel unpleasant sensations while performing his duties. Thietmar believes this apparition is the result of his sinful weakness. I will assess the role played by situations related to local conflicts in fomenting Thietmar´s growing preoccupation with his salvation and the repercussions of his actions on his bishopric, pointing to Thietmar’s concern about restoring the rights of the see and insuring that it was well-administered.