Arnold, born in
Brabant, the son of a certain Fulbertus was first a career soldier before settling at the
Benedictine St. Medard's Abbey, Soissons,
France. He spent his first three years as a
hermit, but later rose to be
abbot of the monastery. His
hagiography states that he tried to refuse this honor and flee, but was forced by a
wolf to return. He then became a
priest and in 1080,
bishop of Soissons, another honor that he sought to avoid. When his
see was occupied by another bishop, rather than fighting, he took the opportunity to retire from public life, founding the
Abbey of St. Peter in Oudenburg. As abbot in Oudenburg, Arnold
brewed beer, as essential in medieval life as water. He encouraged local peasants to drink beer, instead of water, due to its "gift of health". During the process of brewing the water was boiled and thus freed of pathogens, making the beer safer to drink. The beer normally consumed at breakfast and during the day at this time in Europe was called
small beer, having a very low alcohol content, and containing spent yeast. It is likely that people in the local area normally consumed small beer from the monastery, or made their own small beer at the instructions of Arnold and his fellow monks. During one outbreak of sickness, Arnold advised the local people to avoid consuming water, in favor of beer, which advice effectively saved lives. One miracle tale says, at the time of an epidemic, rather than stand by while the local people fell ill from drinking water, Arnold had them consume his monastery brews. Because of this, many people in his church survived the plague. This same story is also told of
Arnulf or Arnold of Metz, another patron of brewers. ==Legacy==