Why Did the Demon Come at Noontide? Understanding Acedia in Medieval Monastic Life

Eunju Hwang

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

    Abstract

    Just as most confined communities or institutions, medieval monasteries were problematic places where basic physical and psychological needs were limited. In this research, I designate acedia as a dominant emotion in medieval monastic life. Acedia was often misunderstood as equivalent to modern-day boredom, however, it was a religious sin rather than a temporary emotional state. My focus in this research is not limited to defining what acedia was. Instead, I take notice of several less asked questions on this particular medieval emotion. Why was acedia a deadly sin? Why was it felt at noontide? Why was the meaning of acedia transformed from apathy in solitude to sloth or idleness? To answer these questions, I will demonstrate that acedia was neither sloth nor boredom, but it was an active craving for physical comfort. To comprehend the true nature of acedia, I compare acedia to taedium, melancholy, ennui and boredom. Furthermore, by closely looking at medieval monks’ daily schedule, I attempted to clarify why acedia was felt around noontide. Analysing the monks’ daily life and symptoms of acedia, I carefully suggest that acedia might be connected to anxiety caused by hunger. Throughout my research, new aspects of acedia will be discussed, which will offer a better understanding of the emotion.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)39-47
    Number of pages9
    JournalKodikas/Code An International Journal of Semiotics
    Volume39
    Issue number1-2
    Publication statusPublished - 2016

    Keywords

    • medieval monasteries
    • acedia
    • boredom
    • ennui
    • melancholy
    • taedium
    • daemon meridianus
    • noontide demon
    • deadly sins
    • None

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • History

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Why Did the Demon Come at Noontide? Understanding Acedia in Medieval Monastic Life'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this