January 13, 1151

Abbot Suger (c. 1081 to January 13, 1151) was a French cleric, a statesman, and historian.

This extraordinary figure, a commoner in an era when nobility ruled, Abbot Suger, as he was known rose through through the church structure wherein he began as an oblate. Abbot Suger invented Gothic architecture while remodeling the Abbey of St. Denis. He introduced the rose window, stained glass, and distinct structural elements. He was an advisor and friend to Louis 6th, who would be buried with other French kings, at Saint Denis. Suger in fact wrote a book about him.

We commend also Selected Works of Abbot Suger of Saint Denis, a recent book edited by
Richard Cusimano (2018), where we read:

'Suger, the twelfth century abbot of Saint-Denis, has not received the respect and attention that he deserves. Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter the Venerable have garnered more attention, and students of medieval history know their names well. In one respect, however, Suger has earned due praise, for his architectural innovations to the church of Saint-Denis made it truly one of the most beautiful churches in Europe.

'Students of history and architecture know Suger best for his work on Saint-Denis, the burial site of medieval French kings, queens, and nobility. The abbot enlarged, decorated, improved, and redesigned the building so beautifully that it is safe to say that he became the foremost church architect of twelfth-century France.

'The man, however, was so much more than an architect. He served as a counselor and member of the courts of King Louis VI and VII, who sent him across Europe on diplomatic missions. He represented those kings at the papal curia and imperial diets. He was also a close friends and confidante of King Henry I of England, whom he often visited on behalf of French royal interests.

'Never shy, Suger seems almost obsessed that his works and deeds not be forgotten...
Suger’s texts also provide a wealth of information about the events of his era as well as a large amount of biographical material on his accomplishments. '

And Pugin is always helpful. Here is a comment from his Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume (1868).

'.... Abbot Suger caused a Lion and a Lamb among other emblems to be represented as breaking the seven seals of the Apocalyptic book in a stained window of the abbey of St Denis...

'The Lion Couchant signifies sovereignty. Judah shall lie down like a young lion when Rampant magnanimity, Passant resolution, Gardant prudence, Saliant valour, Seiant counsel, and Regardant circumspection. Lions as symbols of sovereignty and power have always been selected as the supports of royal thrones, after the example of that of King Solomon. ... The conventional forms of lions used by the old heraldic painters are most striking[;] they are produced entirely by contrast of colour and metal, without any shadow, the hair and tails most ingeniously twisted. The same principle applies to all the heraldic or conventional representations of animals...'

Perhaps a wee detour above, but, the miraculousness of Suger's accomplishments lightens the heart, and a bit, briefly, the mind.