Ranulf Higden
† Catholic_Encyclopedia ► Ranulf Higden
(HYDON, HYGDEN, HIKEDEN.)
Benedictine chronicler; died 1364. He was a west-country man, and was professed a monk at the Abbey of St. Werburg, Chester, in 1299. Beyond this nothing is recorded of his personal life and he is known only by his great work, the "Polychronicon", a universal history down to his own times. As it was the most complete history available during the fourteenth century, it enjoyed great popularity during that and the following age; though even the contemporary portion, in which Higden wrote the history of his own times down to 1342, is of no remarkable value. It was translated into English by John of Trevisa in 1387, and this translation was printed by Caxton in 1482, and by Wynkyn de Worde in 1495. A later translation, made early in the fifteenth century, has been published in the Rolls Series, in nine volumes. The introductions by the editors contain all available information and describe in detail most of the extant manuscripts, of which more than one hundred are known to exist. It was long believed that Higden, in compiling the "Polychronicon", had used an earlier work, the "Polycratica tempora" of one Roger of Chester, ending in the year 1314, though with a supplement down to 1339, but the editors of the "Polychronicon" have almost conclusively proved that "Roger of Chester" was in reality Ranulf Higden himself, who was commonly quoted simply as "Cestrensis". The error of a scribe in substituting Roger for Ranulf easily gave rise to the mistake. The following are works written by or attributed to Higden, still remaining in manuscript: "Speculum curatorum", written in 1340 (Balliol); "Ars Componendi Sermones" (Bodleian); "Paedagogicon" (Sion College); "Distinctiones Theologicae" (Lambeth); "Abbreviationes Chronicorum", attributed to John Rochefort. Other treatises are assigned to Higden by Bale, some, like the "Expositio super Job", "In Cantica Canticorum", "Sermones per annum", "Determinationes super Compendio", and "In litteram calendarii", without much probability; others are merely extracts from the "Polychronicon".
Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden monachi Cestrensis, with the English translations of John of Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century in Rolls Series (London, 1865-86), vols. I-II, ed. BABINGTON, III-IX, ed. LUMBY; HARDY, Descriptive Catalogue (London, 1862-71); GAIRDNER, Early Chroniclers of England (London, 1879); KINGSFORD in Dict. Nat. Biog., s.v. For a fuller bibliography see CHEVALIER, Repertoire des sources historiques du moyen age (Paris, 1905).
EDWIN BURTON
Transcribed by Herman F. Holbrook Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus per Iesum Christum
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Ranulf Higden — [ hɪgdən], englischer Geschichtsschreiber, Higden, Ranulf … Universal-Lexikon
Ranulf Higden — Ranulf Higdon Ranulf Higdon (également appelé Higden) (né vers 1299 dans l´Ouest de l´Angleterre et décédé vers 1363) est un chroniqueur anglais et un moine bénédictin du monastère de Saint Weburg à Chester où il vécut, selon lui, pendant 64 ans … Wikipédia en Français
Higden, Ranulf — (Ralph Hikedon) (ca. 1285–1364) Ranulf Higden was a Benedictine monk of Saint Werburgh's Abbey in Chester, who wrote several theological texts but is best known for his Historia polychronica, or Polychronicon a universal history in Latin prose … Encyclopedia of medieval literature
Ranulf Higdon — (or Higden) (c. 1280 c. 1363), was an English chronicler and a Benedictine monk of the monastery of St. Werburgh in Chester, wherein he lived, it is said, for sixty four years, and died at a good old age, probably in 1363. He is believed to… … Wikipedia
Higden, Ranulf — • Benedictine chronicler (d. 1364) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 … Catholic encyclopedia
Higden — [ hɪgdən], Higdon, Ranulf, englischer Geschichtsschreiber, ✝ Chester 12. 3. 1364; Benediktiner in der Abtei Saint Werburgh, Chester; verfasste neben exegetischen, homiletischen und anderen theologischen Werken, durch das Vorbild des Vinzenz von … Universal-Lexikon
Ranulf Higdon — (également appelé Higden) (né vers 1299 dans l´Ouest de l´Angleterre et décédé vers 1363) est un chroniqueur anglais et un moine bénédictin du monastère de Saint Weburg à Chester où il vécut, selon lui, pendant 64 ans. Biographie La principale… … Wikipédia en Français
Ranulf — The name Ranulf itself is a scottish variation of the old Norse name Randulfr, a Scandinavian cognate of Randolf, which means shield wolf , i.e. fierce as a wolf and uses a shield ; rand being rim (of a shield)) and wulf being wolf . Though this… … Wikipedia
Higden, Ranulf — ▪ British historian Higden also spelled Higdon born c. 1280, , western England died March 12, 1364, Chester, Cheshire English monk and chronicler remembered for his Polychronicon, a compilation of much of the knowledge of his age.… … Universalium
Higden, Ranulf or Ralph — (d. 1364) Chronicler, is believed to have been b. in the West of England, took the monastic vow (Benedictine), at Chester in 1299, and seems to have travelled over the North of England. His fame rests on his Polychronicon, a universal history… … Short biographical dictionary of English literature