Hériman of Tournai
Encyclopedia
Hériman of Tournai (1095–1147), the third abbot of St Martin of Tournai, was a chronicle
r of his abbey and, in many anecdotal accounts connected with the abbey, a social historian of the world seen from its perspective. Forced from his abbacy in 1136 by a contingent within the monastic community that asserted he had been lax in his enforcement of the Benedictine rule, he had the leisure while at Rome
to write his book, Restauratio sancti Martini Tornacensis, written in Latin
about fifty years after a local plague of 1090. He was a pupil of Odoardus, later Bishop of Cambrai
, whose example as a teacher he delineates at the start of his work, and who was the driving force behind the refounding of a neglected and undistinguished church dedicated to St Martin of Tours near Tournai
. Hériman's Restauratio has been edited and translated for the first time into English by Lynn Harry Nelson, who provided extended explanatory notes.
Following his expulsion from Tournai, Hériman spent some time at Laon
, where he joined the circle of Bishop Bartholomew de Jur. Bartholomew sent Hériman into Spain to recover the body of Saint Vincent of Zaragosa, which had been promised for Laon by Alfonso, king of Aragon, Bartholomew's kinsman. Though the relics were not forthcoming, Hériman had the opportunity to copy some Spanish Marian works by Ildefonsus of Toledo to which he added an account of Bartholomew's building programme at Laon, and his own miracle book
, De miraculis beatae Mariae Laudunensis, "of the miracles of Saint Mary of Laon". The work linked a revival in the spiritual life of Laon
under its bishop Bartholomew to the particular local interventions of the Virgin Mary
, whose relics were toured in central France and England to raise money for the rebuilding of Laon Cathedral, recently laid waste by fire. He wrote the account in the 1140s, pseudepigraphically, as if by a canon of the cathedral: in his address to Bartholomew he asserts, "I was reluctant to put my small name beneath them, so I have washed these miracles by a pretext under the name of the canons
of the church."
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
r of his abbey and, in many anecdotal accounts connected with the abbey, a social historian of the world seen from its perspective. Forced from his abbacy in 1136 by a contingent within the monastic community that asserted he had been lax in his enforcement of the Benedictine rule, he had the leisure while 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...
to write his book, Restauratio sancti Martini Tornacensis, written in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
about fifty years after a local plague of 1090. He was a pupil of Odoardus, later Bishop of Cambrai
Odo of Cambrai
Odo of Cambrai was a Benedictine monk, scholar and bishop. He was born at Orléans....
, whose example as a teacher he delineates at the start of his work, and who was the driving force behind the refounding of a neglected and undistinguished church dedicated to St Martin of Tours near Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
. Hériman's Restauratio has been edited and translated for the first time into English by Lynn Harry Nelson, who provided extended explanatory notes.
Following his expulsion from Tournai, Hériman spent some time at Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
, where he joined the circle of Bishop Bartholomew de Jur. Bartholomew sent Hériman into Spain to recover the body of Saint Vincent of Zaragosa, which had been promised for Laon by Alfonso, king of Aragon, Bartholomew's kinsman. Though the relics were not forthcoming, Hériman had the opportunity to copy some Spanish Marian works by Ildefonsus of Toledo to which he added an account of Bartholomew's building programme at Laon, and his own miracle book
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
, De miraculis beatae Mariae Laudunensis, "of the miracles of Saint Mary of Laon". The work linked a revival in the spiritual life of Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
under its bishop Bartholomew to the particular local interventions of the Virgin Mary
Marian apparitions
A Marian apparition is an event in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have supernaturally appeared to one or more people. They are often given names based on the town in which they were reported, or on the sobriquet which was given to Mary on the occasion of the apparition...
, whose relics were toured in central France and England to raise money for the rebuilding of Laon Cathedral, recently laid waste by fire. He wrote the account in the 1140s, pseudepigraphically, as if by a canon of the cathedral: in his address to Bartholomew he asserts, "I was reluctant to put my small name beneath them, so I have washed these miracles by a pretext under the name of the canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the church."