Rodulfus Glaber facts for kids

Rodulfus Glaber (born around 985, died 1047) was a Benedictine monk from the 11th-century. He was also a famous writer who kept records of history, known as a chronicler.

His Life Story

Rodulfus Glaber was born in a place called Burgundy in the year 985. When he was just twelve years old, his uncle, who was also a monk, sent him to live in a monastery. A monastery is a special place where monks live and dedicate their lives to religious study and work.

However, Glaber had a bit of a rebellious spirit. He was eventually asked to leave the monastery because he didn't always follow the rules. After that, he spent a lot of his life moving from one monastery to another.

Becoming a Writer

Around the year 1010, Glaber joined the Abbey of St. Benignus near a city called Dijon. There, he met an important religious leader named Abbot William of Volpiano. William was interested in making changes and improvements within the church.

In 1028, Glaber traveled to Italy with William. It was William who encouraged Glaber to write his most important work. This work was a history book called Historiarum libri quinque ab anno incarnationis DCCCC usque ad annum MXLIV. This long title means "History in five books from 900 AD to 1044 AD."

Glaber dedicated his history book to another important church leader, Odilo of Cluny, who was the Abbot of Cluny. Today, some copies of Glaber's Historiarum still exist, including the one he wrote himself!

After William of Volpiano died in 1031, Rodulfus Glaber also wrote a book about William's life. Later that year, Glaber moved to the Abbey of Saint-Germain en Auxerre. The monks there asked him to help write or fix the special messages on their church altars and on the tombs of saints. After this work was done, Glaber started traveling again. He eventually went to Cluny, where he passed away in 1047.

His Important Writings

Rodulfus Glaber is most famous for his book, Historiarum. He likely started writing it around 1026 while at the Abbey of Cluny, and finished it later at the Abbey of Saint-Germain en Auxerre.

What His History Book Is About

Glaber's Historiarum was meant to be a history of the church. He mostly wrote about events happening in the center of France. But sometimes, he also included stories from places as far away as Scotland and Southern Italy.

In his writings, Glaber often showed support for leaders who wanted to improve the church. These included emperors like Henry II and Henry III, and King Robert II of France. However, he also criticized other leaders, such as Conrad II and Pope Benedict IX.

Why His Work Is Important Today

While Glaber's book isn't always perfectly accurate with dates or locations, it is still very valuable to historians. It helps us understand what life was like in Europe during the 10th century. It also gives us a peek into the beliefs and culture of people at the end of the time sometimes called the "Dark Ages" and the start of the new millennium.

Large parts of Glaber's writings are mentioned in a book called The Year 1000 by a French author named Georges Duby. Glaber's Historiarum was first printed in 1596.