Gervase of Tilbury ( Latin : Gervasius Tilberiensis ; c. 1150–1220) was an English canon lawyer , statesman and cleric. He enjoyed the favour of Henry II of England and later of Henry's grandson, Emperor Otto IV , for whom he wrote his best known work, the Otia Imperialia .
20-399: Otia Imperialia ("Recreation for an Emperor") is an early 13th-century encyclopedic work, the best known work of Gervase of Tilbury . It is an example of speculum literature . Also known as the "Book of Marvels", it primarily concerns the three fields of history, geography, and physics, but its credibility has been questioned by numerous scholars including philosopher Gottfried Leibniz , who
40-553: A judge of canon law. In 1198, Otto – the Holy Roman Emperor after 1209– appointed Gervase Marshal of the Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles . Gervase married into a local family, and they bought him a palace. Gervase accompanied Otto to Rome in 1209 on the occasion of his Imperial coronation. In 1210, Gervase was enmeshed in the papacy's struggle with his patron Otto, who was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III . Gervase spent
60-744: A knight named Osbert Fitz Hugh once tested the story, and legend has it that he defeated the phantom knight, even stealing his horse as a prize, but was wounded in the thigh by his opponent’s javelin on departing. Some legends are found only in the Otia imperialia , including two later included in Thomas Keightley ’s influential The Fairy Mythology . One describes the “neptunes” or “portunes,” diminutive humanoids found in France and England, which help peasants finish their domestic chores, but also delight in leading English travellers’ horses into mud. Another
80-579: Is a compendium of marvels. Like Honorius of Autun ’s Imago mundi and Vincent of Beauvais ’s Speculum naturale , the Otia imperialia contains fables attributed to Pliny the Elder and Solinus , as well as other tales and folk beliefs, including the Fairy Horn, a Gloucester variety of the widespread fairy cup legend ; the supernatural powers of Virgil ; the folk belief that a priest's cloak could be viewed as an element pitting good Christians against
100-438: Is a level space ringed with entrenchments with a single point of entry, like a gate. A very ancient legend exists, preserved in popular tradition, that if a warrior enters this level space at dead of night by moonlight and calls out 'Knight to knight, come forth', he will at once be faced by a warrior armed for fight, who charging horse against horse, will either dismount his adversary or himself be dismounted. Gervase recounts that
120-464: Is the Grant, a creature of English legend which resembles “a yearling colt, prancing on its hind-legs” and which runs through towns to warn of impending fire. This belief persisted well into the 20th century around Cambridgeshire, albeit applied to hares. During the following three centuries, it was much read, and it was twice translated into French: by Jean d'Antioche in the 13th and Jean de Vignay in
140-619: The Liber exceptionum ( Richard de Saint-Victor , Jean Châtillon), the De proprietatibus rerum ( Bartholomeus Anglicus ), and the Speculum naturale ( Vincent of Beauvais ). Gervase's Otia imperialia is an encyclopedic work concerning history, geography, physics, and folklore, in the manner of speculum literature. It is sometimes associated with the Ebstorf Map , to the extent that some claim
160-796: The 14th century. Gottfried Leibniz, who edited parts of it, called it a "bagful of foolish old woman's tales", while its modern Oxford University Press editors less dismissively report "a wealth of accounts of folklore and popular belief". Catholic apologists respect it most of all for the support it offers of Innocent's papal claims in his conflicts between Church and Empire. Portions of it were printed in Historiie Francorum Scriptores ( André Duchesne , 1641), and by Joachim Johann Mader (1673). Large portions were published in Scriptores Rerum Brunsvicensium (G. G. Leibnitz, 1707–10). The third part of Otia
180-674: The Count of Blois William of Champagne , Archbishop of Reims , where Gervase's famous attempt to seduce an unwilling girl precipitated her condemnation by the archbishop as a Cathar . Some time after 1183 Gervase found service at the court of William II, the Norman king of Sicily , who had married Henry's daughter Joan . William gifted him a villa at Nola , in Campania. After the King of Sicily's death in 1189, Gervase moved to Arles and became
200-661: The Devil; and the first recorded instance of the Wandlebury Legend , which Gervase summarizes as follows: In England, on the borders of the diocese of Ely , there is a town called Cantabrica , just outside which is a place known as Wandlebria , from the fact that the Wandeli, when ravaging Britain and savagely putting to death the Christians, placed their camp there. Now, on the hill-top where they pitched their tents,
220-436: The dates as between 1209 and 1214 and numerous authors state it was published c.1211. These earlier dates must be questioned, however, as the Otia contains stories that take place in 1211 and later. S. E. Banks and James W. Binns, editors and translators of what is considered to be the definitive version of the Otia , suggest that the work was completed in the last years of Otto IV's life, saying "it seems most likely [...] that
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#1732779872468240-515: The map was meant to accompany the text, but this is a subject of continued debate. The text is divided into three parts ( decisiones ). The first is a history of the world from the Creation to the Flood. The second is a geographic treatise on the regions of the known world, as divided between Noah’s three sons. The third section, parts of which have been reprinted separately from the rest of the book,
260-515: The next years, from 1210 to 1214, writing the Otia Imperialia ("Recreation for an Emperor") for his patron. He also wrote a Vita abbreviata et miracula beatissimi Antonii ("Shortened life and miracles of the most blessed Antony") and a Liber de transitu beate virginis et gestis discipulorum ("Book of the passing of the blessed virgin and acts of the disciples"). Details of his latter years are uncertain. It has been suggested that, after
280-534: The reconciliation of Pope Alexander III and Frederick Barbarossa . He spent some time in the service of Henry II of England , and of his son, Henry the Young King . For the latter, he composed a Liber facetiarum (‘Book of entertainment’), now lost, as well as the basis for what would become the Otia Imperialia . After 1189, Gervase moved to Arles, where he became a Judge. Gervase accompanied Otto of Brunswick to Rome in 1209 for his imperial coronation and
300-546: The resounding defeat of Otto and his English ally John at the Battle of Bouvines (1214), Gervase was forced to retire to the duchy of Braunschweig , where he became provost of Ebstorf. He later died there. It is apparent that his work was known to the authors of the Ebstorf world map ( c. 1234–40). It is recorded by Ralph of Coggeshall that he became a canon in later life, and other evidence suggests that he may have been
320-571: The work was sent to Otto sometime in 1215", due to the inclusion of the death of William the Lion , King of Scotland , which took place in 1214, and the fact that King John was still living while it was written; John died in 1216. Of English origin, Gervase was born in Essex but had family ties to Wiltshire. He travelled widely, studied and taught canon law at Bologna , was in Venice in 1177, and at
340-404: Was alerted to the fact that it contains many mythical stories. Its manner of writing is perhaps because the work was written to provide entertainment to Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV . However, many scholars consider it a very important work in that it "recognizes the correctness of the papal claims in the conflict between Church and Empire ." It was written between 1210 and 1214, although some give
360-625: Was edited by Felix Liebrecht and published by Carl Rümpler (1856). Gervase of Tilbury Gervase was of the son of a knight of the Honor of Rayleigh. He was born around 1150 in West Tilbury , in Essex , a manor in the hands of Henry of Essex, although some say that he was brought up in Rome, this is highly improbable He travelled widely, studied and taught canon law at Bologna . He
380-531: Was enmeshed in the papacy's struggle with his patron Otto, who was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III . Gervase employed the next years, from 1210 to 1214, writing the Otia Imperialia for his patron. The Otia was written at a time when other encyclopedic descriptions of the world were being produced and translated, such as the Summarium Heinrici , the Hortus deliciarum ( Herrad of Landsberg ),
400-530: Was in Venice in 1177, at the reconciliation of Pope Alexander III and Frederick Barbarossa . He spent some time in the service of Henry II of England , and of his son, " Henry the Young King ". For Henry, he composed a Liber facetiarum (‘Book of entertainment’), now lost, as well as the basis for what would become the Otia Imperialia . He also served William of the White Hands , the brother of
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