Dominus – The Code of Fate
A
Novel by Eleonora Davide
Review
by Maria Teresa De Donato
After the literary break
from Il Fiore del Carso, focused on the
delicate issue of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and the frontier ethnic groups between
the two World Wars, Eleonora Davide resumes, with Dominus - The Code of Destiny, the
saga of Il Normanno bringing the reader
back to medieval Irpinia divided between Normans and Lombards.
Although some themes
already present in Il Normanno are repeated, it is evident from the beginning
of this new work that, through further research and historical insights, the
author shifts the attention from Irpinia on a large scale as regards the
secular aspects and precisely the complicated question of the investiture
struggle. The latter saw the Papacy and the Holy Roman Emperor clash for a long
time over who had the right to 'invest,' that is, to appoint the high prelates
and the Pope himself.
Life in the castle, the
protection, and support given to the needy and deserving, the feasts and
celebrations organized there with music, instruments, and dances of the time
are masterfully described in this work, proving to be the result not only of
careful research but also of great competence in the matter.
Love, first of all
conjugal, and also fraternal love also occupy a primary role in this work and
the harmony created, in fact, between Christian teachings and Nordic pagan
beliefs and superstitions.
Despite the wealth of
themes and contents, the real protagonists of Dominus - The code of destiny,
however, are others.
With this new literary
publication, in fact, the author focuses her attention on the life of the
convent, on that of the friars and nuns who scrupulously observe the
Benedictine rules and who not only dedicate their lives to prayer, meditation,
and sacred rites, but also to the manual transcription of ancient texts, as well
as to commercial activities that allow each monastery to operate as an
independent, self-governing and self-sufficient entity. Purely spiritual
aspects such as, precisely, the question of the continuous struggle between
Good and Evil emerge predominantly. The Spirit, in fact, aims at purity and
harmony with divinity, while the Flesh, being weak, often has great difficulty
in aligning with it even when it has dedicated its existence to serving God.
Faith that, to prove itself, must overcome the tests that Life puts before the
human being to refine him and prepare him for further assignments also plays an
indispensable role in this novel.
The ability to have and
keep an unshakable faith when under pressure, to recognize the power of prayer
as an instrument of union with God, and to accept your call by becoming your
tools deemed suitable to undertake a specific path and to bring it to
completion are the critical aspects of this literary work. The latter dramatically emphasizes the
importance that Spirituality, or in her case Religion, plays in the author's
life.
Another fascinating
element that emerges in this work is some women's fundamental role during the
Middle Ages. Among them, we find Trotula de Ruggero, Magistra of the Salerno
Medical School, who specialized in women's health and became famous throughout
medieval Europe for her studies, writings, and her therapies, and Hildegard of
Bingen. The latter was a German Benedictine nun, beatified by the Catholic
Church, writer, mystic, theologian, healer, and prophetess, who throughout her
life had many visions that were transcribed and have come down to us today.
This is a book written, in harmony with this author's style, in a very fluid and pleasant way that attracts the reader from start to finish making him immerse - between fantasy and reality - in the intriguing and equally fascinating medieval world. It also honors the substantial role that some abbeys such as Goleto and Montevergine exercised in history.
A reading that I
recommend to everyone.
