The Life of King Edward Who Rests at Westminster: attributed to a monk of Saint-Bertin

by Frank Barlow (translator)

The anonymous Life of King Edward written about the time of the Norman Conquest, is an important and intriguing source for the history of Anglo-Saxon England in the years just before 1066. It provides a fascinating account of Edward the Confessor and his family, including his wife Edith, his father-in-law Earl Godwin, and the queen's brothers Tostig and Harold (who became king in 1066). The foundations of the legend of St. Edward the Confessor are apparent from the version of the work supplied by the unique manuscript of circa 1100. Barlow explores the problems raised by this anonymous and now incomplete manuscript and examines the development of the cult of St. Edward. He also investigates the life and works of Goscelin of St. Bertin, a possible author. For this second edition, Barlow has not only undertaken a complete revision of the book, but recent discoveries have enabled him to reconstruct in part the lacunae in BL Harley MS 526 with texts closer to the original.

Genres: Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

A Fellow of both the British Academy and the Royal Society of Literature, Frank Barlow was Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Exeter, where he taught from 1953 until his retirement in 1976. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1989 for his contributions to historical scholarship.

Reviews

[Best British Biographies · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Frank Barlow published his biography of Edward the Confessor in 1970, it was not his first contribution to studies of the king, Six years earlier, he published a translation of a much older Latin work, Vita Eadwardi regis qui apud Westmonasterium requiescut, or The Life of King Edward, who rests at Westminster. Written in the early 12th century, it is attributed to “an anonymous monk of Saint-Bertin” whose identity is unknown to us today. Though the text was likely revised and portions of it are missing, it offers nonetheless a rare near-contemporaneous account of Edward’s life and reign.

For the rest of my review, click on this link:

https://www.bestbritishbios.com/2020/...