Goeznovius
Encyclopedia
Goeznovius also known as Goueznou, was a Cornish
-born Bishop of Léon
in Brittany
, who is venerated as a saint
in the region around Brest
and the diocese of Léon. According to his legenda he was born in Cornwall and became one of many of his countrymen who moved to the continent in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon invasions and helped to found the Brittonic
settlement in Armorica
that established it as Brittany. His dates are contradictory; he is sometimes said to have died in 675, but it is likelier he lived in the sixth century. His feast day is celebrated on October 25.
, known as the Legenda Sancti Goeznovii. The author names himself as William, a Breton
chaplain in the familia
of the otherwise-unattested Bishop Eudo of Léon, and gives a date of 1019 for the work. The Legenda includes a highly unusual preface detailing the history of Brittany's founding. This preface includes some episodes from Britain's traditional history
, and for those who consider it a testimony that is independent of Geoffrey of Monmouth
's Historia Regum Britanniae
, is an important document in establishing a historical basis for King Arthur
, as it includes the only early historical account of Arthur
that depicts him with no fantastic or legendary touches.
The preface describes the traditional story of Vortigern
, who usurps the British throne and invites Saxon warriors into the country as protection. The Saxons caused great suffering among the Britons, until they were largely driven out by the new king, Arthur. Arthur proceeded to win battles in Britain and in Gaul
but was eventually "summoned… from human activity," paving the way for the Saxons to return. The Saxon persecution caused many of the Britons to flee to Gaul, where they established Brittany.
J. S. P. Tatlock set out the signs that the preface to William's Legenda followed the outlines given by Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written around 1136, and that the date 1019 was a fiction. This conclusion has been challenged by Léon Fleuriot
. The preface includes material that is found in early sources but not in Geoffrey, suggesting that the author had access to some earlier document. The text may imply that Arthur succeeds Vortigern directly, whereas Geoffrey claims two kings reigned between them, Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther Pendragon
. This may establish a chronological fix for Arthur, placing his activities during the period of Saxon unrest in the mid-5th century. The mention of Arthur's battles in Gaul is also significant, as it may be a reference to British incursions there under the leader Riothamus
, whom some modern historians have identified with Arthur.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
-born Bishop of Léon
Diocese of Quimper-et-Léon
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Quimper , is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, who is venerated as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
in the region around Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
and the diocese of Léon. According to his legenda he was born in Cornwall and became one of many of his countrymen who moved to the continent in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon invasions and helped to found the Brittonic
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
settlement in Armorica
Armorica
Armorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany peninsula and the territory between the Seine and Loire rivers, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic coast...
that established it as Brittany. His dates are contradictory; he is sometimes said to have died in 675, but it is likelier he lived in the sixth century. His feast day is celebrated on October 25.
Legenda Sancti Goeznovii
Goeznovius is known through his hagiographyHagiography
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...
, known as the Legenda Sancti Goeznovii. The author names himself as William, a Breton
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
chaplain in the familia
Familia
Familia was the name of a Polish political party led by the Czartoryski magnates and families allied with them, and formed toward the end of the reign of King August II...
of the otherwise-unattested Bishop Eudo of Léon, and gives a date of 1019 for the work. The Legenda includes a highly unusual preface detailing the history of Brittany's founding. This preface includes some episodes from Britain's traditional history
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
, and for those who consider it a testimony that is independent of Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
, is an important document in establishing a historical basis for King Arthur
Historical basis for King Arthur
The historical basis of King Arthur is a source of considerable debate among historians. The first datable mention of King Arthur in a historical context comes from a Latin text of the 9th century - more than three centuries after his supposed floruit in 5th to early 6th century Sub-Roman Britain...
, as it includes the only early historical account of Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
that depicts him with no fantastic or legendary touches.
The preface describes the traditional story of Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
, who usurps the British throne and invites Saxon warriors into the country as protection. The Saxons caused great suffering among the Britons, until they were largely driven out by the new king, Arthur. Arthur proceeded to win battles in Britain and in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
but was eventually "summoned… from human activity," paving the way for the Saxons to return. The Saxon persecution caused many of the Britons to flee to Gaul, where they established Brittany.
J. S. P. Tatlock set out the signs that the preface to William's Legenda followed the outlines given by Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written around 1136, and that the date 1019 was a fiction. This conclusion has been challenged by Léon Fleuriot
Léon Fleuriot
Léon Fleuriot was a French academic specializing in Celtic languages and in history, particularly that of Gallo-Roman Brittany and of the Early Middle Ages....
. The preface includes material that is found in early sources but not in Geoffrey, suggesting that the author had access to some earlier document. The text may imply that Arthur succeeds Vortigern directly, whereas Geoffrey claims two kings reigned between them, Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
. This may establish a chronological fix for Arthur, placing his activities during the period of Saxon unrest in the mid-5th century. The mention of Arthur's battles in Gaul is also significant, as it may be a reference to British incursions there under the leader Riothamus
Riothamus
Riothamus was a Romano-British military leader, who was active circa AD 470. He fought against the Goths in alliance with the declining Roman Empire. He is called "King of the Britons" by the 6th-Century historian Jordanes, but the extent of his realm is unclear...
, whom some modern historians have identified with Arthur.
External links
- "Saint Goeznoveus". Catholic.org. Retrieved December 11, 2007.