HERMAN OF FRITZLAR: The putative author or collector of a life of the saints which, according to its own statement, was written in the years 1343-49. It consists of a preface followed by a number of sermons on the lives of the saints, written in the dialect of central Germany and valuable for the descriptions they contain of contemporary life in Germany and the Romance countries. Mingled with the legendary material are speculations of a mystic character bearing the imprint of the later Eckhartian thought. The author must have traveled extensively in southern Europe, but it is now known that it is incorrect to attribute to Herman an important part in the compilation, which was largely the work of the writer of the manuscript. The collection goes back to an earlier aggregation of sermons collected by the Dominican Gisiler of Slatheim (Schlotheim, n .w. of Erfurt), in which, with still earlier sermons, the compiler included some of his own delivered at Erfurt before 1337. Probably Gisiler was the composer of both oollmtions, the latter being made at the suggestion of Herman, some of whose experiences were added to the contents of the first work.
Bibliography: F. Pfeiffer, Deutsche Myatiker des roiarzehnten Jahrhunderta, i., pp. xiu.-xxii., 1-258, 408-472, 570-574, Leipsic, 1845; W. Preger, Geechirhu der deutaden Myatik im Mittelalter, ii. 91 sqq., 160 sqq., 426 sqq., 447 sqq., Leipsic, 1881; ADB, viii. 118-119.
HERMAN OF LEHNIN. See Lehnin Prophecy.
HERMAN OF RYSWICK: Heretic; burned at the stake in The Hague Dec. 14, 1512. His name and the place of his condemnation indicate that he was a Netherlander. In 1502 he was condemned to life imprisonment on charges of heresy by the inquisitor Johannes van Ommaten, and perhaps would have come to the stake at that time, had he not expressed repentance for his views. It is not known how long or where he was imprisoned. But he escaped, and began again to teach his heresies and promulgate them in writing. In 1512 he was tried, and after his admission that he had written the numerous heretical books laid before him, he was
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Among the heresies of Herman were the assertions that the world exists from eternity; there are neither good nor bad angels; there is no hell and no personal continuance after this life; Aristotle and his commentator, Averroes, approached truth most closely; Jesus was a fool and miserable dreamer, a seducer of simple men; he spoiled the whole world and saved nobody, and it is lamentable that so many have been murdered for his sake and for the sake of his foolish Gospel; everything he did is in contradiction with human nature and pure reason; he is not the son of almighty God.
Bibliography: Bernhard of Lutzenburg, Catalogue hereti corum, book if., Cologne, 1529; P. Fredericq, Corpus docu mentarum inquisitionis . . . Neeriandica·, i. 494, 501-503, Ghent, 1889; W. Moll, Kerkgeschiedenis van Nederland, ii. 3, pp. 104-108, 375, 378, Arnheim, 1864-71.
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