Miracles in Monastic Culture

Miracles played an important role in the medieval monasticism both as an element of broadly shared culture as well as specific aspect of monastic experience. Textually, visually and performatively, miracles were part of the tradition going back to the constructed origins of the early monasticism, but also a defence against internal and external threats and part of institutional identity. Miracles experienced, recorded and remembered by monks and nuns were an important medium to which diverse meanings were attached. This chapter focuses on environment of Benedictine and Cistercian communities between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries drawing on the material from Western and East Central Europe.