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Richer of Senones (sometimes inFrench: Richer le Lorrain) (circa 1190–1266) was a monk and chronicler ofSenones Abbey inLorraine, a traveller and one of the very few chroniclers or historians of theVosges whose works have survived complete.
He was born probably around 1190, quite possibly in the Val de Lièpvre (now inHaut-Rhin), perhaps a younger son of anAlsatian orLotharingian noble family. He studied atStrasbourg and was admitted to Senones Abbey under abbot Henri (1202–1225). In about 1218 Richer was sent as an ambassador of Senones toWürzburg whenTheobald I, Duke of Lorraine, was prisoner ofEmperor Frederick II, after the fire ofNancy and the siege ofAmance.
He travelled extensively throughout the Vosges, which he knew extremely well, and throughout Alsace and Lorraine, where he often encountered monks fromLièpvre Priory as well as monks fromSt. Denis' Abbey inParis, who had possessions in the Val de Lièpvre. He visited St. Denis' Abbey himself in 1223, probably together with monks from Lièpvre. He often visited the castles ofBilstein inUrbeis andÉchéry inSainte Croix-aux-Mines, as well as the renowned castle ofBernstein. He also knewGorze Abbey,[1]St. Evre's Abbey, Toul, and the abbey atSaint-Dié.
Richer is an enthusiastic recorder of his travels, and of religious stories and traditions that he has encountered. Unusually for the time, he is also a fine observer of landscapes, particularly the spectacular scenery of the Vosges, and takes great pains to describe what he has observed. A peculiarity of his language is the use of the word "Teudons"[2] to describe the inhabitants of Alsace.
HisLatin chronicles survive in nine copy manuscripts. Four date from the 16th century, two are translations, another two are from the 17th century and one is from 1826. The copies originate from the monasteries at Senones,Moyenmoutier andEtival.
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