Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence

Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence (also Garnier de Pont-Sainte-Maxence ) was a 12th century French poet from Pont-Sainte-Maxence ( Oise ). He wrote a biography of the later canonized London Chancellor of the Exchequer and Archbishop of Canterbury , Thomas Becket , which he completed in 1174, four years after Becket's death. It is now considered an important historical source for the life of the saint.

La Vie de Saint Thomas Le Martyr ( The Life of Saint Martyr Thomas ) is one of the oldest works in French dialect. It consists of 5872 rhyming Alexandrians in stanzas of five lines each. In addition to its documentary importance, the work also has a high literary value.

Guernes, a traveling scholar , knew Thomas as Chancellor of King Henry II of England before he became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 and subsequently Henry's opponent. His murder in 1170 caused outrage across Europe, was generally attributed to Henry II and made his grave a place of pilgrimage; In 1173 he was canonized. During this time La Vie de Saint Thomas Le Martyr was created .

In addition to Guernes' own memories, his text relies to a large extent on source documents such as letters and official documents on the conflict between Becket and the king. He explains the complicated dispute about the delimitation of the ecclesiastical and secular jurisdictions and gives detailed descriptions of the place. Guernes also did personal research in Canterbury and, according to his own statements, interviewed all available eyewitnesses to the murder.

He clearly takes sides against Henry II and his advisors, who are accused of instigating the crime. The pilgrimage cult that was developing around Thomas Becket's grave also served him to question the king's claim to hegemony.

plant

• La Vie de Saint Thomas Becket. also La Vie de Saint Thomas le martyr.

literature

• Werner Hupka: The life of the holy martyr Thomas. Entry in Kindler's literary dictionary