Orderic Vitalis (; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk who wrote one of the great contemporary

chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...

s of 11th- and 12th-century

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

and Anglo-Norman

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

.Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 6 Working out of the

Abbey of Saint-Evroul Ouche Abbey or the Abbey of Saint-Evroul (; ) is a former Rule of St. Benedict, Benedictine abbey in Normandy, located in the present commune of Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois, Saint-Évroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois, Orne, Normandy. It has been clas ...

, he is credited with writing the ''Historia Ecclesiastica,'' a work detailing the history of Europe and the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

from the birth of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

into his own age. The son of a cleric, he was born into a noble family, claiming both English and Norman heritage. While he is known primarily for the ''Historia Ecclesiastica'', he also was able to ascend to various positions within the church including script master, librarian, and cantor. A prolific writer, he addressed various topics in his writings, both religious and secular. Modern historians view him as a reliable source.

Early life

Orderic was born on 16 February 1075 in

Atcham Atcham is a village, ecclesiastical parish and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Shropshire, England. It lies on the B4380 (once the A5 road (Great Britain), A5), 5 miles south-east of Shrewsbury. The River Severn flows round the villag ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, England, the eldest son of a French priest, Odelerius of

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Roger de Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, and had received from his patron a chapel there in 1082.Rozier, Charles C., Daniel Roach, Giles E.M. Gasper, and Elisabeth van Houts, eds. ''Orderic Vitalis: Life, Works and Interpretations'' (Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 2016), 57. Clerical marriage during the 11th century was slowly being restricted throughout Europe and resistance that officials in

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

faced from the clerical community in 1072 caused the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

to take a more cautious approach. This led to a policy announced in 1076 by the Council of Winchester whereby clerics who were already married were allowed to keep their wives, while marriage was henceforth forbidden for unmarried clerics. As a result, Odelerius was able to retain his family. Orderic was one of the few monks who were of mixed parentage as his mother was of English heritage. Although the identity of his mother is unknown, it is known that she was English and Orderic idenfified with this heritage. Despite this, historians such as

Marjorie Chibnall Marjorie McCallum Chibnall (27 September 1915 – 23 June 2012) was an English historian, medievalist and Latin translator. She edited the ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' by Orderic Vitalis, with whom she shared the same birthplace of Atcham in S ...

have inferred an animosity toward his mother from the omission of mention of her in his writings, whereas he expressed admiration for his father in his writings. When Orderic was five, his parents sent him to an English monk, Siward by name, who kept a school in the Abbey of SS Peter and Paul at

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

. Orderic received from Siward a basic education in reading and writing as well as the history of the English people.Chibnall, Marjorie, ''The World of Orderic Vitalis'' (Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1984), 11. At the age of ten, Orderic was entrusted as an

oblate In Christianity (specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person associated with a Benedictine monastery or convent who is specifically dedicated to God and service. Oblates are i ...

to the

in the

Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple, King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a r ...

, which Montgomery had formerly despoiled but, in his later years, was loading with gifts. The parents paid thirty

marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks A collective trademark, collective trade mark, or collective mark is a trademark owned by an organization (such ...

for their son's admission; he expresses the conviction that they imposed this exile upon him from an earnest desire for his welfare. Odelerius's respect for the monastic life is attested to by his own entry, a few years later, into a monastery which the earl had founded at his persuasion. Orderic, however, for a long time likened himself to "

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

in a strange land". He did not know a word of French when he reached

. His book, though written many years later, shows that he never lost his English cast of mind or his attachment to the country of his birth.

Monastic life

When Orderic reached the legal age for

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

as a monk, his monastic superiors gave him the

religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should n ...

of "Vitalis" (after a member of the legendary

Theban Legion The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christianity, Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Roman Egypt, Egypt —"six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — consisting of Christian soldiers who were marty ...

Christian martyr In Christianity, a martyr is a person who was killed for their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In the years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake, or ...

s) because they found it difficult to pronounce his English baptismal name of Orderic, a name he says was the same as the priest who baptised him. In the title of his great chronicle, he prefixes the old to the new name and proudly adds the epithet ''Angligena'' ("English-born"). Orderic became a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

in 1093, and a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

in 1107. He left his cloister on several occasions, speaking of having visited Croyland,

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

(1105) and

Cluny Abbey Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with t ...

(1132). He turned his attention at an early date to literature, and for many years appears to have spent his summers in the

scriptorium A scriptorium () was a writing room in medieval European monasteries for the copying and illuminating of manuscripts by scribes. The term has perhaps been over-used—only some monasteries had special rooms set aside for scribes. Often they ...

. Eventually Orderic earned the position of master scribe, copying numerous works as well as overseeing and working with other scribes at the monastery. According to Charles Rozier, Orderic also served as librarian and

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

for the abbey. As librarian he catalogued the large collection of works at Saint-Evroul's library and provided edits to some of the works himself. His role as cantor included overseeing daily liturgy and duties of officials during mass at the abbey. Orderic's first literary efforts were a continuation and revision of

William of Jumièges William of Jumièges (born c. 1000 – died after 1070) () was a contemporary of the events of 1066, and one of the earliest writers on the subject of the Norman conquest of England. He is himself a shadowy figure, only known by his dedicatory let ...

' ''Gesta normannorum ducum'', a broad history of the Normans and their dukes from the founding of Normandy, which Orderic carried forward into the early twelfth century. He also added information about earlier periods from other sources, for example

William of Poitiers William of Poitiers (, ; 10201090) was a Norman priest who served as the chaplain of Duke William II of Normandy (William the Conqueror), for whom he chronicled the Norman conquest of England in his ''Gesta Willelmi ducis Normannorum et regis ...

' ''Gesta Guillelmi'', and included information not found elsewhere. As Orderic used Norman sources but wrote from an English perspective, his account of the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

is balanced, he is sympathetic to both sides. This attitude persists in his ''Historia Ecclesiastica''. At some time between 1110 and 1115, Orderic's superiors ordered him to write the history of Saint-Evroul. The work, the ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' (''Ecclesiastical History''), grew under his hands until it became a general history of his own age. Saint-Evroul was a house of wealth and distinction. War-worn knights chose it as a resting place for their last years. It routinely entertained visitors from southern Italy, where it had established new foundations, and from England, where it had extensive possessions. Thus Orderic, though he witnessed no great events, could be well informed about them. Orderic is a vivid narrator; his character sketches are admirable as summaries of current estimates. His narrative is full of digressions that surprise readers who expect a strictly chronological ordering of events, but it has been argued that the digressions reflect Orderic's sense of the connections between events (between the foundation of Saint-Evroul and the Norman Conquest of Southern Italy, for example) and his desire to include as much of his monastic colleagues' memories in his ''History'' as possible. It would thus be a truly collective work. Orderic relays much invaluable information not provided by more methodical chroniclers. He throws a flood of light upon the manners and ideas of his own age, and he sometimes comments with shrewdness upon the broader aspects and tendencies of history. His narrative breaks off in the middle of 1141, though he added some finishing touches in 1142. He reports that he was then old and infirm (that year he would have reached the age of 67 years); he probably did not long survive the completion of his great work.

The ''Historia Ecclesiastica''

The ''Historia Ecclesiastica'', described as the greatest English social history of the Middle Ages, falls into three sections: # Books i and ii give the history of Christianity from the

birth of Christ The Nativity or birth of Jesus Christ is found in the biblical gospels of Matthew and Luke. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in Roman-controlled Judea, that his mother, Mary, was engaged to a man named J ...

. After 855 this becomes a bare catalogue of

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

s, ending with the name of Innocent I. These books Orderic added in 1136–1141 as an afterthought to the original scheme. # Books iii through vi form a history of Saint-Evroul, the original nucleus of the work. Planned before 1122, they were mainly composed in the years 1123–1131. The fourth and fifth books contain long digressions on the deeds of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

in Normandy and England. Before 1067 these are chiefly derived from two extant sources: William of Jumieges' ''Gesta Normannorum Ducum'' and

' ''Gesta Guillelmi''. For the years 1067–1071 Orderic follows the lost portion of the ''Gesta Guillelmi'', and is therefore of the first importance. From 1071, he begins to be an independent authority. Notices of political events in this part of his work are far less copious than in the later books. # Books vii through xiii relegate ecclesiastical affairs to the background. In this section, after sketching the history of France under the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

and early

Capet The House of Capet () ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328. It was the most senior line of the Capetian dynasty – itself a derivative dynasty from the Robertians and the Karlings. The direct line of the House of Capet came to an e ...

dynasties, Orderic takes up the events of his own times, starting from about 1082. He has much to say concerning the

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

, the

papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, the Normans in Sicily and Apulia, the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

(for which he follows

Fulcher of Chartres Fulcher of Chartres ( in or near Chartres – after 1128; ; ) was a priest who participated in the First Crusade. He served Baldwin I of Jerusalem for many years and wrote a Latin chronicle of the Crusade. Life Fulcher was born . His appointment ...

and Baudri of Bourgueil, but with notable alterations) and contemporary fashion such as long pointed shoes. But his chief interest is in the histories of the three brothers: Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy,

William Rufus William II (; – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The third son of William the Co ...

and

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

. He continues his work, in the form of annals, up to the defeat and capture of

Stephen of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne '' jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 113 ...

at Lincoln in 1141. The historian

states that Orderic used now-lost '' pancartes'' (cartularies or collections of charters) of various Norman monastic houses as sources for his historical writings.Chibnall "Charter and Chronicle" ''Church and Government'' pp. 12–13 Orderic addressed both contemporaries and future generations, intending for his work to be studied by monks and novices learning about the history of the monastery and its benefactors. The work as a whole was not widely read in the Middle Ages, though individual parts of it were popular and circulated. The ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' is usually cited by abbreviation of the author's name rather than the title; that is, either as ''Ord. Vitalis'' or ''Ord. Vit.'' followed by volume and page numbers.

Secular commentary

Throughout his writings, Orderic spoke on a great deal of secular topics ranging from the violence of Norman conquest, the right to rule and inheritance, the strength of government, the make up of various courts and their military structure. Most of these writings were produced during the reign of King Henry I.Chibnall, Marjorie, ''The World of Orderic Vitalis'' (Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1984), 123. Much of Orderic's intended audience included knights and nobility who would have had a vested interest in these topics. Knights that frequented the

often were waiting for their inheritance to come about or others who hoped to increase their standing through their service to a household. This would explain why we see the subject of inheritance and right to rule in his works. Orderic echoed the reasoning of William's conquest while still taking issue with several aspects of the conquest. Specifically, he spoke on the acquisitions of English lands by Norman lords, describing the acquisitions as plunder. On the subject of plunder, Orderic stands out amongst his peers for his critique of

Bohemond I of Antioch Bohemond I of Antioch ( 1054 – 5 or 7 March 1111), also known as Bohemond of Taranto or Bohemond of Hauteville, was the prince of Taranto from 1089 to 1111 and the prince of Antioch from 1098 to 1111. He was a leader of the First Crusade, leadi ...

whom he believed to have used the mission of the crusades as an excuse to gain power for himself.Chibnall, Marjorie, ''The World of Orderic Vitalis'' (Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1984), 127. He also spoke on the role of clerics in the battlefield. He emphasized his reasoning for only contributing to violence on behalf of the king, laymen, or other clerics.Nakashian, Craig M, “Orderic Vitalis and Henry of Huntingdon: Views of Clerical Warfare from Inside and Outside the Cloister,” In ''Between Sword and Prayer: Warfare and Medieval Clergy in Cultural Perspective,'' ed. Radoslaw Kotecki, Jacek Maciejewski, and John S. Ott. Leiden (NL: Brill, 2018), 163. Orderic's thoughts on marriage permeated into his writing, probably from the experience he had with his father's clerical marriage and the absence of his mother. One example of his marriage views come from the arrangement of Bertrade of Montfort. When her uncle, William, Count of Éverux, arranged for Bertrade to marry

Fulk of Anjou Fulk of Anjou (, or ''Foulques''; – 13 November 1143), also known as Fulk the Younger, was the king of Jerusalem from 1131 until 1143 as the husband and co-ruler of Queen Melisende. Previously, he was the count of Anjou as Fulk V from 1109 t ...

, Orderic wrote disparagingly of Fulk's character in recognition of how she was being used for the sake of power.Chibnall, Marjorie, ''The World of Orderic Vitalis'' (Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1984), 129. When Bertrade eloped with the already married King Philip I of France, he changed his tone and admonished them all, describing Bertrade as a concubine and Fulk and Philip I both as adulterers.

Notes

Sources

* * Chibnall, Marjorie, ''The World of Orderic Vitalis'' (Oxford, 1987). * * Nakashian, Craig M. “Orderic Vitalis and Henry of Huntingdon: Views of Clerical Warfare from Inside and Outside the Cloister.” In ''Between Sword and Prayer: Warfare and Medieval Clergy in Cultural Perspective'', edited by Radoslaw Kotecki, Jacek Maciejewski, and John S. Ott. Leiden, NL: Brill, 2018. * * Rozier, Charles C., Daniel Roach, Giles E.M. Gasper and Elisabeth van Houts (eds) ''Orderic Vitalis: Life, Works and Interpretations'' (Woodbridge, Boydell Press, 2016).

External links

*
Latin Chroniclers from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Centuries: Orderic Vitalis
from '' The Cambridge History of English and American Literature'', Volume I, 1907–21.
(Orderic) The Battle of Bremule
excerpts translated by Marjorie Chibnall.

excerpts translated by David Burr.

excerpts translated by Thomas Forester.
The first written European ghost story appears in book II of the Ecclesiastical History and is transcribed here
* , trans. by Thomas Forester, with an introduction by

François Guizot François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator and Politician, statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics between the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 and the Revoluti ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orderic Vitalis Benedictine scholars Benedictine writers 1075 births 1140s deaths 12th-century English historians English people of French descent English expatriates in France English Benedictines French Benedictines 12th-century French Roman Catholic priests English chroniclers Clergy from Shropshire Burials in Normandy 12th-century writers in Latin Writers from Shropshire