Jean de Venette

Jean Fillon called Jean de Venette (* 1307 in Venette at Compiègne; † after 1368 ), was a French poet, historian and chronicler of the Middle Ages.

Life

Jean de Venette came from rural conditions. He entered the Carmelite Order in 1339 and became prior of the Carmelite convent Place Maubert in Paris. From 1341 to 1366 he was provincial Master of the Order for France and has probably taught theology at the Sorbonne. De Venette undertook numerous journeys that have led him through the Auvergne, Provence, Champagne, there especially after Chalons, Troyes and Reims. In Reims, he witnessed the comet of 1368, he reported extensively on the. It is certain, therefore, that De Venette 1368 was still alive. However, he seems to have died within the next two years thereafter.

Works

De Venettes importance for historical research stems from the chronicle written by him and the fact that he was an eyewitness present at most of the events about which he reports. The chronicle was written in Latin, and covers the years 1340 - from 1368. They include time at the Chronicle Guillaume de Nangis ' at what led to speculation about whether De Venette itself in the footsteps of Guillaume de Nangis ' saw. De Venettes work was first published by Luc d' Achery ( Spicilegium, Volume III ). The entries of the years 1358-1359 are available in the original version, while the entries of previous years seem to have been revised. Detailed reports De Venette about the horrors of the plague years 1348-1349:

When writing the chronicle the sympathies De Venettes were the common people, whose life he gave much attention. Accordingly, he supported Étienne Marcel. Compared to the nobility and the English he often seems hostile. Formally, he fulfilled the French monarchy over while his fiduciary duty, he remained always her indomitable critics. With great independence of spirit he calls the excesses of the nobility as well as the resistance of the little people. In this respect, its position is different from the Froissart. The Latin, in which the chronicle was written, is stylistically a little mature. Since De Venette addition to the collection of bare facts but also describes his personal experiences, his report has a dramatic vitality that you previously hardly found.

In addition to his Latin chronicle De Venette also wrote a long French poem: La Vie des trois Mary. It was built around 1347 and extends over 35,000 verses. In the rambling text De Venette describes the legend of Saint Mary the mother of James the little ones, the (Mary) Salome of Galilee and of their maid. Woven find a recap of the history of Israel since Abraham and the Acts of the Apostles. It is now in the French National Library.