Robert Mannyng

Ryan Perry (University of Kent at Canterbury)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

Born c. 1280
Died c. 1340
Activity 1303-1338

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Historian / Chronicler
Monk
Religious writer
Story-writer
Translator

Resources

Mannyng's Works

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Robert Mannyng of Brunne (now probably the town Bourne in south Lincolnshire) wrote two works in the first decades of the fourteenth century, the religious manual/ story collection

Handlyng Synne

and the verse history now variously known as “Mannyng's

Chronicle

” or

The Story of England

. Both works were translated and adapted from French and Latin sources, primarily Langtoft's

Chronicle

and the work attributed to William de Wadington Manuel des Pechiez, but utilising other sources including Wace and Bede. Mannyng's writings represent an attempt to provide non-Latinate and non-Francophone society with access to texts which the author has enjoyed in their original form. As he states in the prologue to

The Story of England

, he writes :

Not for þe lerid bot for þe lewed,For þo þat

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1215 words

Citation: Perry, Ryan. "Robert Mannyng". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 January 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11679, accessed 21 November 2024.]