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Networks and narratives: the 'Liber Exemplorum' and the intellectual milieu of the Franciscan order in thirteenth-century Ireland
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Date
2024
Authors
Dukelow, Natasha
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
The Liber Exemplorum (LE) is a collection of exempla written by an English Franciscan friar, who worked and lived in Ireland in the second half of the thirteenth century. The LE has been previously known only from an incomplete fourteenth-century copy of the text found in Durham Cathedral Library MS B.IV.19, but recent research has uncovered a more complete fifteenth-century copy found in Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn MS S 361. This second copy, represented by the Bonn manuscript, offers insights into the structure and content of the original text as well as information about the friar who created the exempla collection and the context in which it was created.
This thesis examines the LE text in both manuscripts to uncover details about the original thirteenth-century exempla collection, including its form, its authorship and its intended purpose. Additionally, the thesis analyses textual sources used by the compiler and his motivations for creating the collection. The study also discusses the social, cultural and political environment in Ireland during the compiler’s time, including his views on royal authority and the secular clergy, and the information provided in the exempla reveals the compiler’s and the Franciscan order’s attitudes towards such matters. It explores the compiler’s connections with other Franciscan friars and religious individuals, thus shedding light on the vibrant network of friars in Ireland and their links to England and the Continent.
This thesis, therefore, aims to offer a glimpse into the life and concerns of this individual friar, revealing details about his worldview and experiences. It also provides evidence on various aspects of medieval Irish society and the early period of the Franciscan province of Ireland.
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Keywords
Franciscan , Liber Exemplorum , Exempla , Preaching , Medieval Ireland
Citation
Dukelow, N. 2024. Networks and narratives: the 'Liber Exemplorum' and the intellectual milieu of the Franciscan order in thirteenth-century Ireland. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.