Jean Beleth
Encyclopedia
Jean Beleth was a twelfth-century French liturgist and theologian. He is thought to have been rector in a Paris theological college. That he was possibly of English origin was a hypothesis discussed by John Pits, and supported by Thomas Tanner
; but is no longer taken seriously.
around that time, probably teaching theology in Paris
, and recorderd in 1182 at Amiens
.
of his time; it was later printed (Rationale divinorum officiorum), and has been dated to 1162.
of the hagiography
known as the Legenda Sanctorum (Golden Legend
). Considering that one of the original authors of the hagiography most frequently named is one "Johannes Beleth", it is more likely that the 14th-century first French edition was a translation from a version of the Golden Legend written by Beleth.
Thomas Tanner (bishop)
Thomas Tanner was an English antiquary and prelate.-Life:He was born at Market Lavington in Wiltshire, and was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, taking holy orders in 1694...
; but is no longer taken seriously.
Life
Beleth is recorded at Tiron in 1135, studying at ChartresChartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
around that time, probably teaching theology in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and recorderd in 1182 at Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
.
Works
His Summa de Ecclesiasticis Officiis is a manual and now a source for the Christian liturgyLiturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
of his time; it was later printed (Rationale divinorum officiorum), and has been dated to 1162.
Jean Belet de Vigny
The 19th century editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica claimed that Jean Belet de Vigny (fl. 14th century) edited many important works including the edition and translation into FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
of the hagiography
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...
known as the Legenda Sanctorum (Golden Legend
Golden Legend
The Golden Legend is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that became a late medieval bestseller. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived, compared to twenty or so of its nearest rivals...
). Considering that one of the original authors of the hagiography most frequently named is one "Johannes Beleth", it is more likely that the 14th-century first French edition was a translation from a version of the Golden Legend written by Beleth.
Source
- Pierce Butler Legenda Aurea - Légende Dorée - Golden Legend: A Study of Caxtons Golden Legend, Johns Hopkins University dissertation, 1899
- Henry Summerson Jean Beleth in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004