Baldric of Bourgueil (fl. c. 1099-1102)

Historia Hierosolimitana
Carmina

Baldric was born in 1046 in Meung-sur-Loire. He entered the monastery of Saint-Pierre de Bourgueil of which he subsequently became abbot. He soon manifested a special gift for letters and a genuine passion for poetry. According to Yves de Chartres, he failed in his attempt to become bishop of Orléans in 1099, but in 1107 he succeeded in becoming bishop of Dol. He spent most of his days in England and Normandy: he especially enjoyed his stays at the priory of Saint-Samson-sur-Risle which was a dependency of Dol and in the other abbeys of the Basse-Seine region. He died in Préaux in 1130.

Like his contemporary Hildebert de Lavardin (1055-1133), who was both archbishop of Tours and a refined poet, Baldric was the representative of the 12^th century Renaissance which revived the tradition of the great secular authors of classical Latin literature. Baldric composed some 250 poems in Latin verse which were inspired by Virgil and Ovid. The poem to Adèle, countess of Blois (daughter of William the Conqueror), is famous for the description of the wall hanging decorating the princess's bedroom which is in all respects similar to the Bayeux Tapestry.

Baldric also applied himself to the work of hagiographer and historian. He largely contented himself with re-writing in refined Latin works already written in a more unsophisticated vernacular. He published the lives of Saint Samson and of Archbishop Hugues of Rouen. Taking as his inspiration the anonymous Gesta written by a Norman who had taken part in the first crusade (1096-1099), Baldric gave a more literary version of this expedition to the Holy Land in his Historia Hierosolimitana. At the request of first abbess of Fontevraud, he composed a life of the blessed Robert d’Arbrissel who was a friend of his. During a visit to Mont-Saint-Michel, he observed some relics (a small sword and small shield) considered to be those of the Archangel Michael: he carried out research and published a short narrative on these venerable objects entitled De scuto et gladio sancti Michaelis.

Pierre Bouet
ouen - Office universitaire d'études normandes
Université de Caen

 

EDITIONS

- Carmina : J.-Y. Tilliette, Baudri de Dol, Carmina, 2 vol., Genève, Droz, 1996- 2000.
- Historia Hierosolimitana : C. Thurot, Recueil des Historiens des Croisades, Historiens occidentaux, t. 4, Paris, 1879, p. 1-111.
- Epistula ad Fiscannenses : J.P. Migne, PL, 166, col. 1173-1182.
- De scuto et gladio : E. Robillard de Beaurepaire, Histoire générale du Mont-Saint-Michel au péril de la mer par Dom Jean Huynes, t.1, Rouen, 1873, p. 135-148.
- Translatio capitis sancti Valentini martyris Gemmeticum : AASS, Février, I, p. 758-762.

 

STUDIES

- Dalarun, J. L’impossible sainteté. La vie retrouvée de Robert d’Arbrissel, fondateur de Fontevraud, Paris, 1985.
- Delisle, L. " Notes sur les poésies de Baudri, abbé de Bourgueil ", Romania, 1872, p. 23-50.
- Pasquier, H. Un poète latin du XIe siècle : Baudri, abbé de Bourgueil, Paris, 1878.
- Tilliette, J.-Y. " La chambre de la comtesse Adèle… ", Romania, 1981, p. 145-171.