Meir of Norwich facts for kids

Meir ben Elijah of Norwich, also known as Meir of England, was an important Jewish poet who lived in England during the 1200s. He is remembered as one of the best Jewish poets of the Middle Ages in England.

Who Was Meir ben Elijah?

We don't know many details about Meir ben Elijah's life. Some historians believe he might have been among the Jewish people who had to leave England in 1290. This event is known as the Edict of Expulsion. It is also possible that Meir was the son of a person named Elias Levesque.

What Kind of Poems Did He Write?

Meir ben Elijah wrote a long, sad poem and fifteen shorter ones. These poems were found in an old book kept at the Vatican. A scholar named Abraham Berliner published them in 1887.

One special poem was called Oyevi bim’eirah tikkov. This means 'Put a Curse on My Enemy'. It spoke out against the unfair treatment Jewish people faced in England during his time. His poems were inspired by different styles of Jewish religious poetry. These styles came from both Eastern Europe (called Ashkenazic) and Spain or Portugal (called Sephardic). These religious poems are known as piyyutim.