Walter Map

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Walter Map

Walter Map (born 1140, died c. 1208–1210) was a medieval writer

English historians in the Middle Ages

English historians in the Middle Ages helped to lay the groundwork for modern historical historiography, providing vital accounts of the early history of England, Wales and Normandy, its cultures, and revelations about the historians themselves....
using Latin. Map has only one main work attributed to him for certain, De Nugis Curialium
De Nugis Curialium

De nugis curialium is the major surviving work of the 12th century Latin author Walter Map. He was an England courtier of Wales descent, probably born in Herefordshire, whose studies and employment took him to Canterbury, Paris, Rome and to several royal and noble courts of western Europe....
.

Life
He claims Welsh

Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
origin and to be a man of the Welsh Marches (marchio sum Walensibus); details in his writings suggest that he came from Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a Historic counties of England and Ceremonial counties of England Counties of England in the West Midlands Regions of England of England....
. He studied at the University of Paris

University of Paris

The historic University of Paris first appeared in the 12th century. In 1970 it was reorganized as 13 autonomous university . The university is often referred to as the Sorbonne or La Sorbonne after the collegiate institution founded about 1257 by Robert de Sorbon....
, apparently around 1160 when Gerard la Pucelle

Gerard la Pucelle

Gerard la Pucelle was an Anglo-French scholar of canon law, clerk, and Bishop of Coventry....
was teaching there. He had encountered Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion....
before 1162.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Walter Map'

Start a new discussion about 'Walter Map'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

Walter Map (born 1140, died c. 1208–1210) was a medieval writer

English historians in the Middle Ages

Life

He claims Welsh

Wales

Herefordshire

University of Paris

Gerard la Pucelle

Gerard la Pucelle was an Anglo-French scholar of canon law, clerk, and Bishop of Coventry....
was teaching there. He had encountered Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion....
before 1162. As a courtier of King Henry II of England

Henry II of England

Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France....
he was sent on missions to Louis VII of France

Louis VII of France

Louis VII, called the Younger or the Young, , was List of French monarchs, the son and successor of Louis VI of France . He ruled from 1137 until his death....
and to Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181....
, probably attending the Third Lateran Council in 1179 and encountering a delegation of Waldensians

Waldensians

Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian spiritual movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions....
. On this journey he stayed with Henry I of Champagne

Henry I of Champagne

Henry I of Champagne , known as "the Liberal", was count of Champagne from 1152 to 1181. He was the eldest son of Count Thibaut II of Champagne ....
, who was then about to undertake his last journey to the East.

Walter was holding a prebend in the diocese of Lincoln

Diocese of Lincoln

The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.It traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Diocese of Lindine founded in 678....
by 1183 and was chancellor of the diocese by 1186. Walter Map later became precentor

Precentor

A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "praecentor", meaning "the one who sings before" ....
of Lincoln, a canon

Canon (priest)

A canon is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christianity clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule .Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergyhouse or, later, in one of the houses within the precinct or close of a cathedral and ordering his life according to the orders or rules of the church....
of St Paul's, London and of Hereford

Diocese of Hereford

The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England; and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales....
and, in 1196, archdeacon of Oxford.

He was a candidate to succeed William de Vere

William de Vere

William de Vere was a medieval Bishop of Hereford....
as Bishop of Hereford

Bishop of Hereford

The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The Episcopal see is in the Hereford where the seat is located at the Hereford Cathedral which was founded as a cathedral in 676....
in 1199, but was unsuccessful. He was once more a candidate for a bishopric in 1203, this time as Bishop of St David's

Bishop of St David's

The bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral....
, but was once more not consecrated. He was still alive on May 28 1208 but had died by September of 1210. His death was commemorated on April 1 at Hereford Cathedral

Hereford Cathedral

The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Hereford Mappa Mundi, a medi?val map of the world dating from the 13th century....
.

Writings

Walter Map's only surviving work, De Nugis Curialium
De Nugis Curialium

De nugis curialium is the major surviving work of the 12th century Latin author Walter Map. He was an England courtier of Wales descent, probably born in Herefordshire, whose studies and employment took him to Canterbury, Paris, Rome and to several royal and noble courts of western Europe....
(Trifles of Courtiers) is a collection of anecdotes and trivia, containing court gossip and a little real history, and written in a satirical vein. Along with William of Newburgh

William of Newburgh

William of Newburgh or Newbury , also known as William Parvus, was a English historians in the Middle Ages and Augustinian canon from Bridlington, Yorkshire....
, he recorded the earliest stories of English vampires.

The Prose Lancelot cycle claims him as an author, though this is contradicted by internal evidence; some scholars have suggested he wrote an original, lost Lancelot

Lancelot

In the Arthurian legend, Sir Lancelot is one of the Knights of the Round Tables of the Round Table . He is typically considered to be one of the greatest and most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories....
romance that was the source for the later cycle. Map was alleged to have written a quantity of Goliardic poetry, including the satirical Apocalypse of Golias
Apocalypse of Golias

The Apocalypse of Golias is a satirical Latin poem of the 12th century, probably written in England or France. Like the Biblical Apocalypse, the poem is addressed to the "Seven Churches", but manuscripts differ as to whether they are the "Seven Churches in England" or "Seven Churches in Neustria"....
.

External links

from The Cambridge History of English and American Literature
The Cambridge History of English and American Literature

The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. Originally published in 1907-1921, the 18 volumes include 303 chapters and more than 11,000 pages, edited and written by a worldwide panel of 171 leading scholars and thinkers of the early twentieth century....
, Volume I, 1907–21.
from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English language encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia Press....
.