A királyi bölcsesség ellentmondásos mintaképe – Salamon

The Ambivalent Model of Solomon for Royal Sainthood and Royal WisdomThe paper first describes an early medieval ideal with lasting popularity: the cult of Solomon as a biblical model for kingship, and above all for royal wisdom. Starting with Carolingian “mirrors for princes”, it follows the evolution and late medieval triumph of this model and elaborates upon two late medieval examples: the cult of St. Louis of France and Robert the Wise of Naples. The second part of the study points out, however, that the historical development of this model was not a linear evolution but one that was hindered, throughout the Middle Ages, by several detours. Two examples are presented: the history of the “unwise” King Solomon of Hungary, who – despite the fact that the cult of Solomonic wisdom had also been present in 11th-century Hungary thanks to Saint Stephen's Admonishments to his son Emeric – himself did not live up to this model, and lost his kingdom to his cousins. The ambivalent late medieval cult of his person as a saint also portrays him rather as a loser – this type is analyzed in the context of the models of royal sainthood. In the final part, the ambivalence of Solomon's medieval image is described by tracing the “esoteric”, “dark” aspects of his wisdom, his alleged magical expertise, his familiarity with and mastery over the demons and his dubious fame in medieval magical literature.