Gerald of Wales

Giraldus Cambrensis (* 1146 in Manorbier Castle in Pembrokeshire, † 1223 in Lincoln), Welsh Gerallt Cymro, more known under the German translation of his Latin name, Gerald of Wales, was a Cambro -Norman nobleman. He was archdeacon, at the same time but also a writer, diplomat, politician Church, historian, folklorist and poet.

Life

He was born on Manobier Castle in Wales as Gerald de Barri. His father was the Anglo-Norman nobleman William de Barri, his mother was Anghared, a daughter of the Welsh princess Nest ferch Rhys and her husband Gerald, the castellan of Pembroke Castle. As a nephew of the Bishop of St David's Gerald enjoyed a religious education in Gloucester and decided early on to pursue a church career. Therefore went to Paris to study. It was only in 1172, he returned from the mainland and first entered the service of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Eventually he became Archdeacon of Brecknock ( Brecon today / Wales). He hoped to succeed his uncle in office, but his promotion to the bishopric of St Davids beat fails several times, causing him repeatedly to leave Wales, and even to travel to Rome to Pope Innocent III. to appeal. In 1176 Gerald went back to Paris for four years, a third time just before 1190th

In spite of that setback in the career of Gerald did not give up: It was in 1184 chaplain of King Henry II of England and been chosen to accompany the king's son, John Lackland on a military expedition to Ireland. This mission, which until 1186 took two full years, was the starting point of his literary career, because Gerald now started writing travel reports with local historical descriptions. The reports were published in 1188 as Topographia Hibernica.

Since he had put its usefulness demonstrated, Gerald was selected in 1188 to accompany the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baldwin of Exeter on a recent pastoral visit, now through Wales. This trip was mainly utilized to recruit participants for the Third Crusade. His account of this journey, the Itinerarium Cambriae from 1191, became a valuable historical document. Gerald completed his opus with a report on King Henry's conquest of Ireland ( Expugnatio Hibernica ).

As a candidate of the Welsh nobility Gerald tried again in 1198 to the episcopate of St. David, probably with the intention to establish an archbishopric, and thus to achieve the independence of Canterbury. Without adequate support from the royal family, he fought the unfavorable for him decision Hubert Walter, the Archbishop of Canterbury, repeatedly, but eventually gave in vain appeal to the Pope and spent from 1203 the rest of his life with academic studies, where he works brought forth for religious instruction and diplomacy.

During this time he became reconciled even with the royal house, from whom he received a small pension. After 1216 lose track of him. Gerald of Wales died 1223 in Lincoln.

Works

Gerald of Wales tended to be anecdotal history, so the historiographical value of his writings by today's standards is somewhat limited. His trip reports on Ireland, the Expugnatio Hiberniae and Topographia Hiberniae, and the Welsh about his home, Descriptio Cambriae and the Itinerarium Cambriae, however, contain as many local historical and folkloric details that they represent an inexhaustible treasure trove for the study of British history of everyday life. In addition to these major works Gerald also wrote autobiographical works, biographies of significant men and saints church, pastoral writings, letters, poems, songs, and treatises on canon law.

  • Topographia Hibernica ( 1188 )
  • Expugnatio Hibernica ( 1188 )
  • Itinerarium Cambriae ( 1191 )
  • Descriptio Cambriae ( 1194)
  • De principis instructione
  • De rebus a se gestis
  • De iure et statu ecclesiae Menevensis
  • Gemma ecclesiastica
  • Speculum ecclesiae
  • Creed electorum
  • Invectiones
  • Retractationes
  • Vita sancti Hugonis Lindensis
  • Vita Galfridi archiepiscopi Eboracensis
  • Vita sancti Ethel Berti
  • Vita sancti Remigii
  • Vita sancti Davidii

Lost:

  • Duorum speculum
  • Vita sancti Karadoci
  • De fidei fructu fideique defectu
  • Cambriae mappa

Swell

  • The history and topography of Ireland, translated and introduced by John J. O'Meara, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1985 ( = " Topographia Hibernica ").
  • The Autobiography of Gerald of Wales, ed. and translated by HE Butler, Boydell Press, Woodbridge, inter alia, 2005 ( reprint of 1937).
  • The English Conquest of Ireland: A.D. From 1166 to 1185. Mainly from the " Expugnatio Hibernica " translated and introduced by Frederick J. Furnivall, Boydell & Brewer, Woodbridge, Suffolk, inter alia, 1998 ( reprint of the edition of 1896).
  • Description of Wales. An ethnographic description of the Middle Ages by Giraldus Cambrensis, ed. and translated by Philip M. Schneider, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-8280-2668-1 ( = " Descriptio Cambriae ").
Lincoln, England Cambro-Norman Gerald de Windsor Baldwin of Forde Lexikon des Mittelalters Integrated Authority File
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