Poppleton manuscript facts for kids

The Poppleton manuscript is a very old book from the 1300s. It was probably put together by a monk named Robert of Poppleton. He was a Carmelite friar and lived near Hulne, near Alnwick. This special book has many different writings inside. It even has an old map of the world! Today, you can find it in a big library in Paris, France.

What Makes the Poppleton Manuscript Special?

This manuscript is super famous because it holds seven important documents about Scotland from the Middle Ages. Some of these documents are found only in this book. Historians consider them very important sources of information. The first six documents were likely put together in Scotland in the early 1200s.

The Seven Important Documents

Here are the special documents found in the Poppleton manuscript:

• de Situ Albanie: This text seems to be an introduction to the next five or six documents. The Poppleton manuscript has the only copy of this important writing.
• Cronica de origine antiquorum Pictorum (which means Chronicle on the Origins of the Ancient Picts): This part is about the Picts and Scots. It includes parts from other old writings, like those by Isidore of Seville and Nennius.
• A List of Kings of the Picts: This is a list of the ancient Pictish kings. It starts with some old myths before listing the kings. Unlike other similar lists, this one stops when Cináed mac Ailpín became king. It also mentions a story about the founding of a monastery at Abernethy by King Nechtan.
• Chronicle of the Kings of Alba: This is a short history of the Kings of Alba (an old name for Scotland). It covers the time from King Cináed mac Ailpín (who died in 858) up to King Cináed mac Maíl Coluim (who ruled around 995). Just like de Situ Albanie, the Poppleton manuscript has the only copy of this chronicle.
• A List of Dál Riatan and Scottish Monarchs: This document combines two lists of kings. It begins with the legendary Fergus Mór mac Eirc and goes all the way to William I.
• A Genealogy of William I: This is a family tree for King William I. It traces his family line back to Adam, through a figure named Gaidhel Glas. It's a translation of an older Gaelic family tree.
• A Foundation Legend of St Andrews: This story tells about how St Andrews was founded. It might not have been put together by the same person who wrote de Situ Albanie. This is because it doesn't quite fit with the other documents and their main ideas.

Why is the Manuscript Important to Historians?

Historians have learned a lot from the Poppleton manuscript. Many articles have been written about the Scottish parts of this book. It has helped us understand more about Scotland's past.