Higdon | |
|---|---|
 Ranulph Higden window | |
| Born | Ranulf Higden c 1280 West England |
| Died | (1364-03-12)12 March 1364 n/a |
| Resting place | Chester Cathedral |
| Occupation(s) | Monk and theology scribe |
| Employer | Benedictine Abbey in Chester |
Ranulf Higden orHigdon (c. 1280–1363 or 1364) was anEnglish chronicler and aBenedictine monk who wrote thePolychronicon, aLate Medievalmagnum opus. Higden resided at themonastery of St. Werburgh inChester after taking his monastic vow atBenedictine Abbey in Chester in 1299. Later in life he travelled to visit and counsel withKing Edward III. Higden's remains are buried inChester Cathedral.
Higden wrote many works, including thePolychronicon, Ars componendi sermones, andSpeculum curatorum. Higden began compiling thePolychronicon, a seven-book series about world history written inLatin, during the reign of Edward III. He is sometimes associated with theChester Plays, but there is also doubt surrounding this association.Ars componendi sermones andSpeculum curatorum address religious topics.
Ranulf Higden was born in about 1280 and is believed to have been born in the West of England. He joined St. Werburgh abbey in Chester, England in 1299. There, he may have worked in the abbey library and managed its scriptorium. He was also a preacher and taught other preachers. Already a known historian, Higden was invited to visit Edward III in August of 1352; during this visit he was under direction to bringPolychronicon and speak with the king's council. Higden was a part of the abbey for 64 years until his death. His death has been said to be between 1363 and 1364; in March 1363; on March 12, 1364; sometime during 1364; or around the feast of St. Gregory. He is buried in Chester Cathedral.[1]
Higden authored a chronicle commonly calledPolychronicon, which name comes from the longer titleRanulphi Castrensis, cognomine Higden, Polychronicon (sive Historia Polycratica) ab initio mundi usque ad mortem regis Edwardi III in septem libros dispositum. The work is divided into seven books, in imitation of the seven days ofGenesis, and, with exception of the first book, is a summary of general history.V. H. Galbraith described it as 'the most exhaustive universal history produced in medieval times and...the best seller of its age.' It belonged to St. Werburgh's Abbey during Higden's lifetime and was kept in the monastic library until the abbey shut down in 1540.[2]
The first book consists of 60 chapters and provides a geographical survey of the world. It starts with aprologue and a list of sourced authors. Its content covers Asia, Africa and Europe and concludes with several chapters describingGreat Britain. It relates events from theCreation to Nebuchadnezzar (Book 2); thebirth of Christ (Book 3); the arrival of theSaxons in England (Book 4); the arrival of theDanes in England (Book 5); theNorman Conquest (Book 6); and the reign of Edward III (Book 7). The first letters of each chapter create theacrosticpresentem cronicam conpilavit Frater Ranulphus Cestrensis monachis.[3]
E. Barber, who was the Archdeacon of Chester, described the text as a 'pleasant, easy-going Universal History' but not 'critical or scientific, or really historical.' While some people thought that Higden's writing was plagiarised from a man named Roger Higden,Edward Maunde Thompson thought that Roger Higden could have been the same person as Ranulf Higden.Francis J. Haverfield also acknowledged the possibility, but also thought that 'Higden was a great plagiarist' ; he wrote that plagiarising was not unusual for histories produced in Higden's time. Higden may have written the work to 1340 or 1342, later adding content up to 1352 or 1355 and perhaps beyond. Later,Polychronicon was extended to 1387.[4]
John Trevisa translated the text into English in 1387. Another translation was written by an anonymous writer in the 15th. century. Trevisa's version was revised and printed by Caxton in 1482, who added an eighth book containing content up to 1467.One section in Book 1 from the Latin text was published in a compilation assembled byThomas Gale in 1691. ThePolychronicon was a well-known text in the years it was reprinted and revised. ThePolychronicon was edited for theRolls Series and included the English translations as well as extensions of the history. This edition was criticised byMandell Creighton, who wrote that the editing was done in a 'perfunctory manner' and that the additions to thePolychronicon added little to the history. There are over 100 copies of the Latin or English versions held by libraries in theUK,Belgium,Ireland, theUSA,France,Spain, and theVatican City.[5]
Over time, after Higden’s death the Chester Plays were attributed to him with possible variations of his name. One of the name variations, Randal Higgenet, may not be the same person as Ranulf Higden, according toA. W. Pollard andThomas Warton. Higden’s contemporaries, Joseph C. Bridge says, made no mention of Higden writing the plays. One argument, made by author John Taylor, against Higden as the author of the plays is that the plays are written in English; most literature at the time was usually in French or Latin, and Benedictine monks translated other types of documents into English.[6]
InArs componendi sermones Higden outlines the qualities a preacher should have and describes Christ using several metaphors. Popular in the 14th. century, this text guides preachers on how to choose and write sermons, as well as gives sermon suggestions for different occasions. A recent translation ofArs componendi sermones, done by Margaret Jennings and Sally A. Wilson, was published in 2003.[7]
InSpeculum curatorum Higden writes about a variety of topics, including Christ’s teachings in the New Testament and divination. Much of the text is compiled fromDe Universo andDe Legibus by William of Auvergne; in this text, Higden’s sourced authors go uncited. After writing the text, Higden expanded it. V. H. Galbraith wrote thatSpeculum curatorum as well as Higden’s other theological writings are ‘of no great distinction.’[8]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Cousin, John William (1910). "Higden, Ranulf or Ralph".A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – viaWikisource.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
