Clemence of Barking facts for kids

Clemence of Barking was a Benedictine nun and writer who lived in England during the 1100s. She is known for translating the story of Saint Catherine from Latin into French. Her work is seen today as an important text that highlights the strength and roles of women.

Life at Barking Abbey

Clemence was a nun at Barking Abbey in England during the 12th century. This abbey was a very old and important monastery for nuns. It was founded around 666 AD and followed the rules of Saint Benedict.

Barking Abbey was special because it had close ties to the British royal family. Many of the abbesses (leaders of the abbey) were related to the royal family. This connection gave the nuns a lot of freedom and independence.

Because Barking Abbey was one of the wealthiest monasteries, the nuns had more chances to read and write. They even created their own religious texts. The abbey had a large library, which shows how important books and learning were there.

Clemence lived a quiet life, so we don't know much about her outside of her writings. She left her name in her translation of the Life of Saint Catherine. She wrote: "I who have translated [St. Catherine's] life, by name am called Clemence. I am a nun of Barking. For the love of her I undertook this work." This was a brave thing to do, as many women writers at the time remained anonymous.

The Story of Saint Catherine

Clemence of Barking is most famous for her translation of the Life of Saint Catherine. She changed the story from Latin, which only educated people could read, into everyday French. This meant more people could hear and understand the story.

Scholars today study Clemence's translation very closely. They believe she changed the story to show women in a more positive and powerful way. This was a very bold idea for her time.

Clemence's version of the story is considered one of the earliest stories of saints written in everyday language by a woman. This shows how important she was in the early development of English literature.

She wanted her translation to "please more those who hear it." By putting her name on the work and changing parts of the story, Clemence challenged old ideas about women. She showed that women could be strong, intelligent, and important leaders.

Works

• The life of St. Catherine, Ed. William MacBain, Anglo-Norman Text Society, Oxford, Backwell, 1964