Networks and narratives: the 'Liber Exemplorum' and the intellectual milieu of the Franciscan order in thirteenth-century Ireland

The Liber Exemplorum (LE) is a collection of exempla written by an English Franciscan friar, who worked and lived in Ireland in the second half of the thirteenth century. The LE has been previously known only from an incomplete fourteenth-century copy of the text found in Durham Cathedral Library MS B.IV.19, but recent research has uncovered a more complete fifteenth-century copy found in Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn MS S 361. This second copy, represented by the Bonn manuscript, offers insights into the structure and content of the original text as well as information about the friar who created the exempla collection and the context in which it was created. This thesis examines the LE text in both manuscripts to uncover details about the original thirteenth-century exempla collection, including its form, its authorship and its intended purpose. Additionally, the thesis analyses textual sources used by the compiler and his motivations for creating the collection. The study also discusses the social, cultural and political environment in Ireland during the compiler’s time, including his views on royal authority and the secular clergy, and the information provided in the exempla reveals the compiler’s and the Franciscan order’s attitudes towards such matters. It explores the compiler’s connections with other Franciscan friars and religious individuals, thus shedding light on the vibrant network of friars in Ireland and their links to England and the Continent. This thesis, therefore, aims to offer a glimpse into the life and concerns of this individual friar, revealing details about his worldview and experiences. It also provides evidence on various aspects of medieval Irish society and the early period of the Franciscan province of Ireland.

Grantor dc:publisher

University College Cork

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Dukelow, Natasha

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Krasnodebska - D'Aughton, Malgorzata
• Scully, Jeremiah D

• Franciscan
• Liber Exemplorum
• Exempla
• Preaching
• Medieval Ireland

Statement dc:rights

• © 2024, Natasha Dukelow.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10468/17528

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cora.ucc.ie:10468/17528