Marbodius of Rennes

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"Marbodius" redirects here. For the Marcomannic king, see Marbod.

Marbodius (c. 1035 - 11 September 1123) was a medieval poet, schoolmaster and chancellor in Angers, then Bishop of Rennes in Brittany, ecclesiastical writer and hymnologist.

[edit] Biography

He was born near Angers in Anjou, France. He received his early education at Angers under Rainaldus, a disciple of Fulbert of Chartres.

After teaching some time at the cathedral school of Angers, he was put at the head of the educational system of the city and Diocese of Antwerp by Bishop Eusebius Bruno in 1067. Later he became archdeacon and in 1096 Urban II appointed him bishop of Rennes. In his youth he indulged in many excesses, but from the time he became bishop his life was without reproach. In 1104 he was present at the Council of Tours, and in 1109 Bishop Rainaldus of Martigne made him administrator of the Diocese of Angers while he himself made a journey to Rome.

At the age of eighty-eight he resigned his diocese and withdrew to the Benedictine monastery of St. Aubin at Angers where he died.

[edit] Writings

His works were first published at Rennes in 1524. A new and enlarged edition was published by Beaugendre (Paris, 1708), reprinted in Patrologia Latina. They can be divided into those that he wrote while at the cathedral school, and those that were written after he became bishop. The former include a wide range of innovative lyric and frankly erotic poetry, the most radical of which was suppressed in the early 18th century and not recovered until more than two hundred years later, as well as the popular treatises "Book of Gems" (Liber lapidum/Liber de lapidibus or Lapidarius) and "Figures of Speech" (De ornamentis verborum), and the Liber decem capitulorum.

Works written after his elevation comprise many lives of saints, various epistles and some elegantly written hymns. A French translation of his hymns was edited by Ropartz (Rennes, 1873).

[edit] Sources