An Annotated Bibliography of Printed and Online Primary Sources for the Middle Ages
Stubbs, William, ed., Memorials of Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. (London: Longman & Co. (Rolls Series, No. 63), 1874). View Source Online
Text name(s): Memorials of St. Dunstan
Number of pages of primary source text: 472
Medieval Author(s): Adelard of Bath Aelfric Capgrave, John Eadmer of Canterbury Osbernus William of Malmesbury
Dates: 924 - 988
Archival Reference: S. Gall MS.; Ashmolean MSS.; BL Cottonian MSS. Tiberius A. 15, Vespasian A. 14, Cleopatra A. 13, Nero E. 1; Lambeth MSS.; Paris MSS.; Corpus Christi MSS.
Original Language(s): Latin;
Translation: Original language included.
Translation Comments:
Geopolitical Region(s): England;
County/Region:
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Record Type(s): Hagiography Letter |
Subject Heading(s): Clergy - Monks, Nuns, Friars Clergy - Priests, Bishops, Canons Diplomacy Early Germanic Peoples: Goths, Franks, etc. Economy - Crafts and Industry Education / Universities Government Literature - Devotional Material Culture: Food, Clothing, Household Monasticism Nobility / Gentry Papacy Piety Poverty / Charity Religion - Institutional Church Royalty / Monarchs Saints Saints - Cults / Relics Travel / Pilgrimage Women / Gender |
Apparatus: Index Glossary Introduction
Comments:
This volume contains six different versions of the Life of St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Saints lives were written for the purpose of arousing pious affection and for praising holy men and women, not for recounting events accurately. Although they are not a good source to construct a historical narrative, they do reflect phases of religious thought, provide details about local traditions, and illustrate the education people received. The memorials of Dunstan, therefore, can play an important role in filling in our knowledge of the later half of the tenth century. Dunstan was an important man. He was the King Edgar’s (959-975) chief minister and was so popular that he was canonized soon after his death. Two of the lives in this volume were written within 25 years of his death in 988. They were written by individuals who knew Dunstan and are an accurate reflection of the early myths surrounding the saint. The remaining texts (including one by William of Malmesbury and one by Capgrave) illuminate the evolution of his story over time. The letters preserved by these chroniclers and other sources relating to Dunstan are also included in this volume.
Introduction Summary:
In his introduction Stubbs assesses the historical value of Saints’ Lives and of Dunstan’s Lives in particular. He then discusses the authorities used in this volume and the literary history of the cycle before giving a chronology of Dunstan’s life.
Cataloger: SES