Robert Wace
FREE Catholic Classes
Poet, born at Jersey, about 1100; died at Bayeux, 1174. His maternal grandfather, Toustein, was a chamberlain to Duke Robert, and his family belonged to the nobility. When very young, as he was destined to the Church, he was sent to Caen to make his studies, and afterwards to Paris. Between 1130 and 1135 he returned to Caen, where he was appointed clerc lisant (reader) to King Henry I. Being in straitened circumstances, he began to write to increase his resources. The first one of his works that have come down to us are; "The Life of St. Nicholas"; "The Life of St. Margaret "; and the "Brut", better known under the title of "Geste des Bretons". The latter poem, presumably finished in 1155, was presented to Alienor, Queen of England ; the two other works had been written for wealthy lords who had books translated from Latin for their personal instruction. In 1160 he began his "Roman du Rou", or "Geste des Normanz", dedicated to King Henry II. In 1162 he accompanied the king at Fecamp, when the remains of Richard I and Richard II were removed. He was appointed canon of Bayeux not between 1155 and 1160, but between 1160 and 1170, according to his own authority. At the beginning of his poem, he says positively that when he began to write the Rou's history, in 1160, he was "a clerk of Caen", while in the second part (certainly composed after 1170) he states that he was granted a prebend in the church of Bayeux by King Henry.
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sacrifices of Faith: The Pro-Life Legacies of St. Gianna and Jessica Hanna
-
How to love God by caring for our bodies
-
Pope Francis calls for negotiations to End Russia-Ukraine War
-
Pope Francis Contemplates Return to U.S. for United Nations Assembly Address
-
Pope Francis Calls on Faithful to Embrace Faith, Hope, and Charity in New Teaching Series
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Monday, April 29, 2024
- St. Catherine of Siena: Saint of the Day for Monday, April 29, 2024
- Prayer for the Dead # 3: Prayer of the Day for Monday, April 29, 2024
- Daily Readings for Sunday, April 28, 2024
- St. Peter Chanel: Saint of the Day for Sunday, April 28, 2024
- Prayer before a Crucifix: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, April 28, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.