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 language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 39-47 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Kodikas/Code An International Journal of Semiotics |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 1-2 |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- medieval monasteries
- acedia
- boredom
- ennui
- melancholy
- taedium
- daemon meridianus
- noontide demon
- deadly sins
- None
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- History