Middle+English+Glosses



**The Ormulum**

This translation is important not so much for what it says, but for how it says it. Scholars say that the Ormulum could not have been written after 1180 AD. The contains an English paraphrasing of the Gospels and Acts, accompanied by commentaries and interpretation of doctrine. Amazingly little is known about the author of the Ormulum. There are a few things we can gloss from hints left in the book itself. It was written by an Augustinian abbot named Orm. Since this name is common in the dialects north of the Danelaw, most scholars suspect that Orm lived and worked at Bourne Abbey in Lincolnshire--the Augustinian abbey in the region. He wrote the book at the request of his brother who, like himself, was concerned with the influx of French influence and the changes in the language. They feared that priests were becoming unable to speak properly. Because of this Orm took great pains in his spelling and meter to assure that all words were pronounced and stressed correctly. That an a pattern of repetition makes the Ormulum a treasure for linguists. Links: The Ormulum Project

Richard Rolle

One of the most fascinating things about Richard Rolle's work was that it was not the product of a priest or monk. Rolle never joined the priesthood. He was a mystic, preferring to seek awareness of God through experience. He was born in 1290, and studied at Oxford. When he was about nineteen he left the university. Fearing the influence of society's temptations, he bacame a hermit. For nearly three years he lived alone on land owned by a friend, spending his days in quiet contemplation before he had his first mystical experience. He described his sense of awareness with God and self as a feeling of warmth, a sweetness accompanied by the sound of music.

With his newfound awareness he returned to scholarly pursuits in Paris where he studied theology and exegesis, or interpretation and commentary on religious themes. Returning to England he became a spiritual advisor to nuns living at the abbey in Hampole. Although educated in Latin, he wrote his works in the Vernacular. He translated several parts of the Bible, including glosses of the Psalms in northern and southern dialects.

Rolle died of the plague in 1349. After his death people reported experiencing miracles at his graveside. A cult was built around his teachings and apparent mystic power, but it was short lived.

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