September 25 -- Herman the Cripple

Herman was rated the best religious poet of the eleventh century, and that ain't too shabby. It is especially impressive since he was born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida. His parents gave him to a Benedictine monastery for care because life on their farm was not nurturing enough for him. The next time you see monks portrayed as austerity-fetishists devoid of compassion, think about Herman the Cripple, who studied Arabic, Greek, Latin, astronomy, history, math, poetry, and theology. I'm thinking the Benedictines did themselves proud when it comes to Herman, no matter what Prof. Eco might imply about them.