Philip De Thaun

Philip de Thaun was the first Anglo-Norman poet. He is the first known poet to write in the Anglo-Norman French vernacular language, rather than Latin. Two poems by him are signed with his name, making his authorship of both clear. A further poem is probably written by him as it bears many writing similarities to his other two poems.

Philip's earliest work is a work on the calendar, which is called variously ''Comput'', ''Cumpoz'', ''Compuz'', or ''Computus''. Drawing on earlier works, he set forth ways to calculate dates, information on etymologies of the days of the week, and zodiacal lore. His second work – called variously ''Bestiaire'', ''Bestiary'', or ''Li Bestiaire'' – is a bestiary, a translation of an earlier Latin work on animals – both actual and legendary. His last known poem is ''Le Livre de Sibile'', a translation of an earlier Latin poem on prophecies of a sibyl.

Life

Philip was probably a member of the noble family that held Than or Thaon in Normandy, near Caen. Humphrey was a chaplain to Eudo Dapifer, who was an official for Prince Henry, later King Henry I of England. Paul Meyer disagrees with attributing noble birth to Philip, arguing instead that he was from an unknown background.Beer "Thaun, Philip de" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''

Writings

Three works by Philip survive. Two are signed with his name and are thus securely in his authorship. These works are those on the calendar and the bestiary.Pickens "Literary Activity" ''Romance Notes'' p. 208 A third work, although not signed with Philip's name, is probably by him.

''Comput''

The first of Philip's works is the ''Comput'', ''Cumpoz'', ''Compuz'', or ''Computus''. According to Ian Short, who edited the modern edition of it, it was written in 1113; other scholars date it to between 1113 and 1119. The ''Comput'' contains the first surviving example of scientific, or technical French.O'Donnell "Gloss to Philippe de Thaon’s ''Comput''" ''French of Medieval England'' pp. 13–34 It is the first work on calendars to appear in French.Wogan-Browne, et al. ''Vernacular Literary Theory'' p. 363 Philippe's intent in creating the ''Comput'' was to improve the pastoral care provided by secular clergy, and he seems to have followed the example of earlier Old English computi in doing so.O'Donnell "Gloss to Philippe de Thaon’s ''Comput''" ''French of Medieval England'' pp. 27–29

The ''Comput'' deals with the calendar, and is written in hexasyllabic couplets, using as its sources Bede, Chilperic of St Gall, Pliny the Elder, and Garlandus Compotista, as well as an obscure clerk of Henry I's named Thurkil.O'Donnell "Gloss to Philippe de Thaon’s ''Comput''" ''French of Medieval England'' p. 27 According to the scholar Geoff Rector, it is "not so much an aid to computistical calculations as a grammarian's poetic compilation of biblical and classical knowledge". Rector further states that it contains "etymologies of the days of the week" and explanations of the various zodiac signs. It was dedicated to Philip's uncle, Humphrey. Rector suggests that the dedication was intended to help the author be noticed by King Henry, as Humphrey's master Eudo was close to the king.

Six manuscripts survive of the work survive from the 12th century – three in the British Library, one at Cambridge University, one at Lincoln Cathedral, and one in the Vatican Library. The prologue of the work states that there were tables to help calculate dates that went with the work, but they do not survive in any of the extant manuscripts.O'Donnell "Gloss to Philippe de Thaon’s ''Comput''" ''French of Medieval England'' pp. 13–14

Bestiary

Philip's second work is the ''Bestiaire'', ''Bestiary,Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' p. 497 or ''Li Bestiaire'', dedicated to Queen Adeliza of Louvain, second wife of Henry I of England. It was a bestiary, a medieval literary genre describing and depicting the natural world, with details of legendary animals indiscriminately mixed with more reliable information.Coredon ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms'' pp. 39–40 Philip's ''Bestiaire'' was written between 1121 and 1139 in French.Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' p. 45 Philip may have written the ''Bestiarire'' partly because of the interest of Adeliza's husband, in wildlife as well as hunting.Krappe "Historical Background" ''Modern Language Notes'' pp. 326–327 There are some indications that after 1154 Philip changed the dedication of this work to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the new wife and queen of the Henry's grandson King Henry II of England, who had just ascended the throne of England.O'Donnell "Gloss to Philippe de Thaon’s ''Comput''" ''French of Medieval England'' p. 32

The ''Bestiarie'' is a translation of the ''Physiologus''. The ''Physiologus'', in the words of Meradith McMunn, provided "information about real and imaginary animals".McMunn "Bestiary Influences" ''Beasts and Birds'' p. 134 Philip's work is a poem mostly in rhyming hexasyllabic couplets, with the final three hundred or so lines in octosyllabic verse. It is divided into a prologue, the main body of the work, and an epilogue. The main body consists of thirty-eight chapters, of which thirty-five are on animals and the other three are on precious stones. Although the translation is not regarded as a great literary work, it is the earliest surviving translation of the ''Physiologus'' into French and is a critical reference for Anglo-Norman French. The ''Bestiaire'' is one of two works from medieval England that relates the story that a crocodile cries when it eats a human. This story is the basis for the phrase "crocodile tears".Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' p. 675 Philip's work is also one of only two by French writers to give a physical description of the legendary creature the phoenix.Mermier "Phoenix" ''Beasts and Birds'' p. 76 Philip also ascribed to the lion the ability to draw a circle in the ground with its tail. This circle would keep any prey from leaving the lion's circle.McMunn "Bestiary Influences" ''Beasts and Birds'' p. 135

The ''Bestiarie'' has three manuscripts still surviving.

Other works

Philip's last surviving work is ''Le Livre de Sibile''. This work is a translation into French of a Latin poem, the '' Prophecy of the Tibertine Sibyl''. Philip dedicated his translation to Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I.Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' p. 656 It is also in hexasyllabic verse and also includes some information from a work by Adso of Montier-en-Der entitled ''Libellus de Antichristo''. The only extant manuscript of ''Le Livre'' does not have any indication that the work was by Philip, however. The main support for its attribution to Philip is the similarity of style between it and the two known works by Philip.Pickens "Literary Activity" ''Romance Notes'' p. 209

Three other works have occasionally been attributed to Philip but are not considered to be definitely written by him. These are the ''Debat de l'ame et du corps'' and two lapidaries – one alphabetical and one apocalyptic. The ''Debat'', or in English ''Debate between Body and Soul'', is a short poem again in hexasyllabic couplets, and takes the form of a debate between the two things mentioned in its title.Rector "''En Sa Chambre''" ''Medium Aevum'' p. 105

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12th-century English writers
12th-century French writers
12th-century English poets
12th-century French poets
12th-century translators