Colman nepos Cracavist
Encyclopedia
Colman called nepos Cracavist ("grandson of Cracavist"), was a Hiberno-Latin
author associated with the Carolingian Renaissance
. His poetry is full of classical allusions and quotations of Virgil
. He may have been a cleric at Rome
, as the manuscript which nicknames him states; there were several such Colmans at Rome in the ninth century. He may be one of those responsible for spreading the cult of Saint Brigid in Italy. One manuscript suggests he was a bishop.
. These are Columbanus Fidolio, Ad Hunaldum, Ad Sethum, Praecepta vivendi, and the celeuma. Since the former was in manuscript by c.790 and the latter was probably used by Paul the Deacon
(d.c.800), their poet's dates are set to the late eighth century. It is possible that Colman was merely the imitator of Columban. He would certainly have had access to the latter's works if he lived in Italy.
There survives a notice of some books gifted by a priest named Theodore to Bobbio (Breve de libris Theodori Presbyteri) that lists: Martyrologium Hieronymi, et de arithmetica Macrobii, Dionisii, Anatolii, Victorii, Bedae, Colmani, et epistolae aliorum sapientum liber i. Whether the Colman is the poet "nepos Cracavist" or another is unknown, likewise are the books of his donated.
lyrical vignette which is the earliest poem about Saint Brigid, incipit
Quodam forte die caelo dum turbidus imber ("One day, when a rain-storm happened to be raging in the heavens"). It survives in two manuscripts now at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
. The better reading is in BN lat. 18095, where his poem is titled "Versus Colmani episcopi de sancta Brigida" (Verses of bishop Colman of saint Brigid). This manuscript, place of origin unknown, was for some time in Notre-Dame-de-Paris. The other, BN nouv. acq. lat. 1615, a ninth-century manuscript from Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire
called the Liber sancti Benedicti Floriacensis, is a compilation of astronomy
in which Colman's verses are found under the rubric
"Colmanus nepos Cracavist in Roma virtutem hanc sanctae Brigitę praedicavi" in a section titled "De peritia cursus lunae et maris".
In the composition of his vignette, Colman relied on the prose sources Cogitosus
and the Vita Brigidae prima, as can be seen from his conflation of their accounts of Brigid's hanging her robe from a sunbeam: Cogitosus says as if from beam, the Vita as if on a rope. Colman uses both similes to describe the miracle. The poem may have been designed for use by a biographer composing a vita of Brigid.
to a fellow Irishman, also named Colman, who was returning to Ireland
. He himself wrote the title for the piece in two hexameters: Colmano versus in Colmanum perheriles / Scottigena ficti patriae cupidum et remeantem. Colman expresses regret that he will be left behind, but the poem is absent the personal pleading and admonition typical of its genre (and exemplified by fellow Carolingian poets Walahfrid Strabo and Gottschalk of Orbais). Colman speaks of himself as an old man at the time of this writing, though his countryman is young.
This poem is found alongside the Brigid piece in the manuscript known as BN nouv. acq. lat. 1615 and also in Reg. 15 B. xix in the British Museum
, London
. This last manuscript was written at Reims
in the ninth century and was for a long time MS no. CCV at the Abbey of Saint-Remi
.
Hiberno-Latin
Hiberno-Latin, also called Hisperic Latin, was a learned sort of Latin literature created and spread by Irish monks during the period from the sixth century to the tenth century.-Vocabulary and Influence:...
author associated with the Carolingian Renaissance
Carolingian Renaissance
In the history of ideas the Carolingian Renaissance stands out as a period of intellectual and cultural revival in Europe occurring from the late eighth century, in the generation of Alcuin, to the 9th century, and the generation of Heiric of Auxerre, with the peak of the activities coordinated...
. His poetry is full of classical allusions and quotations of Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
. He may have been a cleric at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, as the manuscript which nicknames him states; there were several such Colmans at Rome in the ninth century. He may be one of those responsible for spreading the cult of Saint Brigid in Italy. One manuscript suggests he was a bishop.
Connections with Bobbio
On the basis of similarity in prosody, he has also been identified as the composer of certain poems traditionally assigned to Columban, the saint and founder of Bobbio AbbeyBobbio Abbey
Bobbio Abbey is a monastery founded by Irish Saint Columbanus in 614, around which later grew up the town of Bobbio, in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is dedicated to Saint Columbanus...
. These are Columbanus Fidolio, Ad Hunaldum, Ad Sethum, Praecepta vivendi, and the celeuma. Since the former was in manuscript by c.790 and the latter was probably used by Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon , also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred, Barnefridus and Cassinensis, , was a Benedictine monk and historian of the Lombards.-Life:...
(d.c.800), their poet's dates are set to the late eighth century. It is possible that Colman was merely the imitator of Columban. He would certainly have had access to the latter's works if he lived in Italy.
There survives a notice of some books gifted by a priest named Theodore to Bobbio (Breve de libris Theodori Presbyteri) that lists: Martyrologium Hieronymi, et de arithmetica Macrobii, Dionisii, Anatolii, Victorii, Bedae, Colmani, et epistolae aliorum sapientum liber i. Whether the Colman is the poet "nepos Cracavist" or another is unknown, likewise are the books of his donated.
Poem of Saint Brigid
Colman wrote a 34-hexameterHexameter
Hexameter is a metrical line of verse consisting of six feet. It was the standard epic metre in classical Greek and Latin literature, such as in the Iliad and Aeneid. Its use in other genres of composition include Horace's satires, and Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to Greek mythology, hexameter...
lyrical vignette which is the earliest poem about Saint Brigid, incipit
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
Quodam forte die caelo dum turbidus imber ("One day, when a rain-storm happened to be raging in the heavens"). It survives in two manuscripts now at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
. The better reading is in BN lat. 18095, where his poem is titled "Versus Colmani episcopi de sancta Brigida" (Verses of bishop Colman of saint Brigid). This manuscript, place of origin unknown, was for some time in Notre-Dame-de-Paris. The other, BN nouv. acq. lat. 1615, a ninth-century manuscript from Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire
Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire
Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.This town hosts the Abbaye de Fleury, also known as the Abbaye de Saint Benoît . Founded around 630, it is one of the oldest abbeys of the Benedictine rule...
called the Liber sancti Benedicti Floriacensis, is a compilation of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
in which Colman's verses are found under the rubric
Rubric
A rubric is a word or section of text which is traditionally written or printed in red ink to highlight it. The word derives from the , meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th century or earlier...
"Colmanus nepos Cracavist in Roma virtutem hanc sanctae Brigitę praedicavi" in a section titled "De peritia cursus lunae et maris".
In the composition of his vignette, Colman relied on the prose sources Cogitosus
Cogitosus
-Biography:Cogitosus was a monk of Kildare who wrote the oldest extant vita of Saint Brigit, Vita Sanctae Brigidae, around 650. There is a controversy as to whether he was related to Saint Brigit....
and the Vita Brigidae prima, as can be seen from his conflation of their accounts of Brigid's hanging her robe from a sunbeam: Cogitosus says as if from beam, the Vita as if on a rope. Colman uses both similes to describe the miracle. The poem may have been designed for use by a biographer composing a vita of Brigid.
Envoi to Colman
Colman also wrote a short farewell poemEnvoi
In poetry, an envoi is a short stanza at the end of a poem used either to address an imagined or actual person or to comment on the preceding body of the poem.-Form:...
to a fellow Irishman, also named Colman, who was returning to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He himself wrote the title for the piece in two hexameters: Colmano versus in Colmanum perheriles / Scottigena ficti patriae cupidum et remeantem. Colman expresses regret that he will be left behind, but the poem is absent the personal pleading and admonition typical of its genre (and exemplified by fellow Carolingian poets Walahfrid Strabo and Gottschalk of Orbais). Colman speaks of himself as an old man at the time of this writing, though his countryman is young.
This poem is found alongside the Brigid piece in the manuscript known as BN nouv. acq. lat. 1615 and also in Reg. 15 B. xix in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This last manuscript was written at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
in the ninth century and was for a long time MS no. CCV at the Abbey of Saint-Remi
Abbey of Saint-Remi
The Abbey of Saint-Remi is an abbey in Reims, France, founded in the sixth century. Since 1099 it has conserved the relics of Saint Remi , the Bishop of Reims who converted Clovis, King of the Franks, to Christianity at Christmas in AD 496, after he defeated the Alamanni in the Battle of...
.