Notker Physicus (died 12 November 975), sometimes called Notker II, was a monk at the

Abbey of Saint Gall The Abbey of Saint Gall (german: Abtei St. Gallen) is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot w ...

, active as a physician, painter, and composer. Besides ''physicus'' ("the physician"), he was also nicknamed ''piperis granum'' (pepper grain) on account of his strict discipline.

Life and career

Concerning his life it is only known that in 956 or 957 he became ''cellarius'' (cellarer), and in 965 ''hospitarius'' (hospitaller) at the

. He made several paintings, which were extolled by

Ekkehard IV Ekkehard IV ( 980 – c. 1056) was a monk of the Abbey of Saint Gall and the author of the ''Casus sancti Galli'' and ''Liber Benedictionum''. Life According to the testimony in his "Chronicle" (especially in view of his statement that he had heard ...

, who also mentions some

antiphon An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominently ...

s and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

s, including "Rector aeterni metuende secli". Notker is probably to be identified with the ''Notker notarius'' (a

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

) who enjoyed great consideration at the court of

Otto I of Germany Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of Henr ...

on account of his skill in medicine, and whose knowledge of medical books is celebrated by Ekkehard. In 940 this Notker wrote at

Quedlinburg Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of in ...

the confirmation of the immunity of Saint Gall. This is in accord with the great partiality later shown by the Ottos towards the monk, as when they visited Saint Gall in 972. Another Notker, who died on 15 December 975, was a nephew of Notker Physicus. No documentary information concerning him is available until his appointment as Abbot of Saint Gall in 971. Otherwise also the sources are silent concerning him, except that they call him ''abba benignus'' (benign abbot) and laud his unaffected piety.

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Physicus, Notker 975 deaths Medieval German physicians Medical writers 10th-century painters Medieval male composers Year of birth unknown 10th-century physicians 10th-century composers 10th-century German writers 10th-century Latin writers