Because of my
thorough enjoyment of his work, as well as because I have found him to be quite
an inspiration, here is a brief biography of the 12th century
historian, William of Newburgh. I plan to upload some of the most fantastical
–and possibly true – extracts of his most famous work as time goes by. But in
the meantime, I hope you enjoy the following.
William of
Newburgh was a 12th century historian who covered the history of
England between the Norman Conquest and his death in roughly 1198. Both his
birth date and death date are unclear, but he is thought to have been born in
1136. Also known as William Parvus, Guilelmus Neibrigensis, Wilhelmus Neubrigensis
and Willelmus de Novoburgo, he was also an Augustinian Canon from Bridlington,
Yorkshire.
He is most
famous for his work as a historian and his magnum opus was the History of
English Affairs, or the Historia rerum Anglicarum, which covered the period of
1066 and 1198.
This book is a
major source for its details about The Anarchy under King Stephen of England
and also covers how King Richard the Lionheart’s absence from his throne
affected Britain. It holds accounts that many have found fascinating –
including myself – about life in the 12th century. The History of
English Affairs is a prime source for stories of medieval Revenants – Western
European vampires – as well as being the only source of information about
Wimund, the only pirate bishop who held the Diocese of the Isle of Man. I am
amazed at its ease of reading and engaging fashion.
Edward Augustus
Freeman, the 19th century historian championed William of Newburgh
as ‘the father of historical criticism’, though this is now an out dated opinion.
Though, I personally have found that William of Newburgh’s articles compare
with much of the research that I have done. I find his neutrality refreshing
for an academic of his period.
I will admit to
being proved wrong. William of Newburgh is very critical of King John – who
ruled in Richard the Lionheart’s place during the early Crusades – who he
describes as ‘nature’s enemy’.
On a side note,
I found it curious that in the History of English Affair’s coverage of the
reign of King John there is no mention of a certain Robin Hood. Nor have I
found there to be any episodes of interest or references to anyone or anything
that could be construed as this National Hero or his activities.
Newburgh is
thought to have based his work on reliable sources. In fact, William of
Newburgh rails against those that don’t follow this principal. He reasons that
if a history text isn’t, then how can it be classed as a history. Specifically
he snipes at Geoffrey of Monmouth – who popularised the exploits of King
Arthur, his Knights of the Round Table and Merlin. Newburgh says about
Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae: “only a person ignorant of ancient
history would have any doubt about how shamelessly and impudently he lies in
almost everything.” On of William’s primary chagrins is that Geoffrey of
Monmouth’s history conflicts with the accounts of the Venerable Bede’s in
almost every way.
Much like a
Northern Walter Mapp – of whom he was a contemporary – Newburgh’s history is
peppered with stories he has heard about Revenants. Stories about the dead
returning were popular during this period as the belief that souls could return
from their grave was surprisingly common at during this period. Although they
are a small part of his work, they are popular with those interested in the
occult and with folklore.
There are other
stories recorded in William’s history about acts of God and the supernatural,
such as when two suns were seen over Northern France. Though he expresses a
conviction that these events have significance, he doesn’t go into them with
any detail. He regularly says that it is not his place to question or critique
these too deeply. Though he expresses a genuine astonishment and amazement at
these episodes, I think that this shows his wish to stay with the facts in the face
of the fantastical.
In later days,
he composed an exposition on the Biblical book, the Song of Songs and three
sermons on both liturgical texts and also Saint Albans. For those of a
Christian persuasion, these are well worth searching for.
I will be occasionally
posting extracts from William of Newburgh’s History of English Affairs. I hope
that these ‘true episodes of historical horror’ meet curious eyes.
The full version
of the History of English Affairs can be found at http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/williamofnewburgh-intro.asp
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