Marianus Scotus of Mainz

Marianus Scotus (1028–1082 or 1083), was an Irish monk and chronicler^[1] (who must be distinguished from his namesake Marianus Scotus of Regensburg, d. 1088, abbot of St Peter's, Regensburg^[2]), was an Irishman by birth, and called Máel Brigte (Modern Irish Maelbhríde, "(Saint) Brigit's Servant").

Life

He was educated by a certain Tigernach, and having become a monk in 1052^[3] he crossed over to the continent of Europe in 1056, and his subsequent life was passed in the abbeys of St Martin at Cologne and of Fulda, and at Mainz. He died at Mainz, on December 22, 1082 or 1083,^[4] and was buried in Mainz Cathedral.

Marianus wrote a Chronicon, which purports to be a universal history from the creation of the world to 1082.^[5] The Chronicon was very popular during the Middle Ages, and in England was extensively used by John of Worcester and other writers.^[6] It was first printed at Basel in 1559, and has been edited with an introduction by Georg Waitz for the Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores (Bd. v). See also W. Wattenbach, Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen (Bd. ii., 1894).

See also

• Tilmo, Irish missionary, fl. 690.
• Aaron Scotus (died 1052)
• Marianus Scotus of Regensburg (died circa 1088)
• David Scotus (died 1139), chronicler
• Joseph Scottus (died near 800), Irish deacon, scholar, diplomat, poet, and ecclesiastic
• Johannes Scotus Eriugena (c. 815–877), Irish theologian
• Sedulius Scottus (9th century), Irish teacher, grammarian and Scriptural commentator

Work

• CHRONICA: ad Euangelij ueritatem,… first edition: Jacobus Parcus, Basel, 1559 One issue can be retrieved in the Stadtbibliothek Mainz [Sign. IV e:2°/93].

References

1. New Catholic Encyclopedia: Mab-Mor - Page 163 2003 "Marianus Scotus of Mainz, chronicler; b. Ireland, 1028; d. Mainz, Germany, Dec. 22, 1082 or 1083. Marianus (in Irish Moel Brigte) entered the monastery of Mag Bile (Moville, Co. Down) when he was 24 years old. He left Ireland in 1056, during ...":
2. Butler's Lives of the Saints Alban Butler, Paul Burns - 1998 - Volume 2 - Page 92 "Scotus of Regensburg to distinguish him from a contemporary, Marianus Scotus of Mainz, who died in 1082."
3.  William Turner (1913). "Marianus Scotus". In Herbermann, Charles. Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
4.  Kingsford, Charles Lethbridge (1893). "Marianus Scotus". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography 36. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
5. Leonard E. Boyle Medieval Latin Palaeography: A Bibliographical Introduction 1984 - Page 97 "the chronicle of Marianus Scotus of Mainz"
6. Naomi Reed Kline Maps of Medieval Thought: The Hereford Paradigm 2001 Page 221 "In particular she cites the importance of the Universal Chronicle of Marianus Scotus of Mainz which was brought to Hereford by Bishop Robert of Hereford (1079-95);"

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Marianus Scotus". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Reeves, William, On Marianus Scotus, of Ratisbon (Royal Irish Academy, 1860) (title details online at google.com)