Blessed Elinandus
Blessed Elinandus (born c. 1160 AD in Froidmont, Oise, France; died c. 1229 AD in Froidmont Abbey, Oise, France) — most likely Hélinand of Froidmont — was a French Cistercian monk, preacher, poet, and theologian who had been a celebrated troubadour poet at the court of King Philip II Augustus of France before his conversion and entry into the monastic life. He is venerated in the Cistercian tradition as a holy monk. His feast day is February 3.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Elinandus
| Blessed Elinandus | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | February 03 |
| Profession | Cistercian monk at Froidmont Abbey; preacher; theologian; poet; chronicler; former troubadour at the court of Philip II Augustus; 12th-13th century French monastic intellectual |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Cistercian Order; Froidmont Abbey (daughter of Clairvaux); Picardy monastic tradition; medieval French Cistercian intellectual life |
| Patronage | Cistercian monasteries; poets who convert; writers; chroniclers; Froidmont; Picardy; those who leave worldly careers for religious life |
| Attributes | White Cistercian habit; book (Verses on Death / Chronicon); quill (chronicler and poet); memento mori (skull) |
| Birthplace | Pronleroy (or Froidmont region), Oise, Picardy, France |
| Death Place | Froidmont Abbey, Oise, Picardy, France |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; Blessed Elinandus (Hélinand of Froidmont, c. 1160-c. 1229) was a French Cistercian monk at Froidmont Abbey in Picardy; before his conversion around 1182-1187, he had been a celebrated troubadour poet and court entertainer at the court of Philip II Augustus of France; after his conversion he entered the Cistercian monastery of Froidmont (Froidimont, near Beauvais, Oise); he became a famous preacher and theologian, known for his sermons (Sermones) and his "Chronicon" (a universal chronicle); his most celebrated work is "Les Vers de la Mort" (Verses on Death), a poem written around 1194-1197 that circulated widely throughout medieval France; he is venerated locally in the Cistercian tradition |
| Primary Shrine | Froidmont Abbey, Oise, Picardy, France; February 3 feast |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; local feast in the Cistercian tradition and in Picardy |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Hélinand of Froidmont — venerated in Latin as "Elinandus" — was born around 1160, probably in the Picardy region of northern France. Before his conversion he was a celebrated troubadour poet and court entertainer at the court of King Philip II Augustus of France, one of the most brilliant European royal courts of the late 12th century.
Around 1182–1187 he underwent a deep religious conversion and entered the Cistercian monastery of Froidmont (Froidimont) near Beauvais in Picardy, a daughter house of Clairvaux.
As a monk he became a renowned preacher and theologian. His most celebrated work is Les Vers de la Mort (Verses on Death), an Old French moral poem written around 1194–1197, consisting of 50 strophes addressed to different classes of society urging them to meditate on death. It is one of the masterpieces of medieval French vernacular religious literature and an early precursor of the Dance of Death tradition.
He also wrote a vast universal Chronicon (Chronicle) tracing world history from the creation to around 1204 — preserved mostly in excerpts through Vincent of Beauvais's Speculum Historiale.
He died around 1229 at Froidmont. He is venerated locally in the Cistercian tradition. His feast day is February 3.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Pronleroy (or Froidmont region), Oise, Picardy, France
Death location: Froidmont Abbey, Oise, Picardy, France
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Feast day
February 3
Veneration
Blessed Elinandus (Hélinand of Froidmont, c. 1160–c. 1229) was a French Cistercian monk at Froidmont Abbey near Beauvais who had been a troubadour at the court of Philip II Augustus before his conversion; renowned for his moral poem "Les Vers de la Mort" and his universal "Chronicon"; venerated in the Cistercian tradition. Feast February 3.
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