Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Friday, 25 August 2023

St Louis


Today is the feast of St Louis - King Louis IX of France - who died on this day in 1270.

Saint Louis
St Louis
Image: worldhistory.edu.com

Blanche of Castile (detail), Dedication Page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France, Bible of Saint Louis (Moralized Bible), c. 1227-34, ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum (The Morgan Library and Museum, MS M. 240, fol. 8).

Queen Blanche of Castile, mother of St Louis and regent for him during his minority 1226-34, and when he was on Crusade 1248-52.

Image: smarthistory.org

These images are from a Parisian manuscript of a Bible moralisée commissioned by Queen Blanche for the instruction of the young King Louis in the years 1227-34. The illuminations and the significance of the volume are discussed at  Saint Louis Bible (Moralized Bible or Bible moralisée)

I have posted about the Bible in considerable detail in 2014 in St Louis and his Bible

The following year I shared a post from John Dillon on the Medieval Religion Discussion Group about the medieval iconography of St Louis. That can be seen at St Louis in medieval art

For an introductory account of his life and reign there is the Wikipedia entry about the King which can be seen at Louis IX of France

There is another similar online biography at Louis IX of France: Life and Major Accomplishments of the Saint King

One of the best known sources for the King’s biography is the Vie de St Louis written by Jean de Joinville ( 1224/5-1317 ). Joinville was a courtier who accompanied the King on his first Crusade and wrote his account of the Saint’s life for the future King Louis X, presenting it to him in 1309.

There are several modern editions available of the text and it can also be accessed online in an early twentieth century translation from the Fordham Medieval Soucebook website at Internet History Sourcebooks: Medieval Sourcebook

It is a very engaging and enjoyable narrative to read.

Jean de Joinville - Wikipedia

Jean de Joinville presents his life of St Louis to his great grandson King Louis X

Image: Notaria Urbina 

In 2019 a study of part of St Louis’s jawbone which survives in a reliquary at Notre Dame in Paris, as well as one of his shirts - and happily both were rescued from the fire there - revealed that the King probably died from scurvy and possibly dysentery rather than plague as has often been thought. Amongst the reports about this are articles in the Smithsonian Magazine at Fear of Foreign Food May Have Led to the Death of This Crusader King, in the Mail Online at French Crusader King Louis IX died of SCURVY, expert claims, on Live Science at Scientists Find Scurvy in Mouth of Long-Dead, Failed Crusader King and PhysOrg at Eat like the locals: How scurvy undid last crusader king - Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2019-06-locals-scurvy-undid-crusader-king.amp


In my quite lengthy post three years ago to mark this day I reproduced an informed commentary on the changes made in recent decades to the propers of the liturgy for today and also gave some thoughts as a historian on the life of this Saint-King. It can be seen at Commemorating St Louis


May St Louis pray for his descendants and for France, and for us all


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