Guy Bishop of Amiens
Encyclopedia
Guy, Bishop of Amiens was an eleventh century churchman, in what is now the north-east of France.
Although the genealogy of early Ponthieu
and Boulogne
is scanty (and the 12th century versions unreliable, because of their efforts to tie the ruling houses of Boulogne and Ponthieu into earlier noble houses), it is most likely that Guy, the Bishop of Amiens, was the uncle (and not the brother) of Enguerrand II
and his brother Guy I of Ponthieu
. Count Enguerrand II's and Guy I's father Hugh II
was the son of Enguerrand I
by an earlier marriage: Enguerrand I evidently married a Boulognnais countess, the wife of Arnold II
, who died in battle: from this later marriage came Guy and his brother Fulk (later abbot of Forest l'Abbaye), and probably a Robert.
Bishop Guy was educated for a career in the church at the abbey of St Riquier
and was one of its most brilliant students. His teacher was abbot Enguerrand (called "the wise" d. 9 December 1045). Guy may have been an archdeacon by 1045, and was bishop by 1058. "His predecessor to the episcopate of Amiens, Fulk II, was caught up in the emerging struggle between the secular clergy, dominated by the political contentions of the great feudal families, and the reforming popes, with their bias in favour of monastic houses, which they often rendered exempt from episcopal jurisdiction." When Guy became bishop of Amiens
he inherited the legal struggles of his predecessor; this eventually resulted in Guy being suspended from his duties as bishop, although he continued to rule the see as lord.
He was in this state of papal disfavor at the time of the Norman Conquest. This may have been the (contributing) reason why bishop Guy composed the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio (Song of the Battle of Hastings
), as an effort to flatter the new Norman
king of England
, William I
, who was then in very high favor with the pope. But if so, bishop Guy's poem failed in its purpose. He was highly enough thought of at the Norman court to be assigned as Matilda of Englands
's chaplain when she went over to England for her coronation in 1068. But when bishop Guy died in 1075, he still had not regained his bishopric.
Although the genealogy of early Ponthieu
Ponthieu
Ponthieu was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged together to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France. Its chief town is Abbeville.- History :...
and Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
is scanty (and the 12th century versions unreliable, because of their efforts to tie the ruling houses of Boulogne and Ponthieu into earlier noble houses), it is most likely that Guy, the Bishop of Amiens, was the uncle (and not the brother) of Enguerrand II
Enguerrand II, Count of Ponthieu
Enguerrand II was the son of Hugh II count of Ponthieu. He assumed the county upon the death of his father on November 20, 1052.The Ponthievin alliance with duke William of Normandy had earlier been secured by the marriage of Enguerrand's sister, to duke William's uncle, William of Talou....
and his brother Guy I of Ponthieu
Guy I of Ponthieu
Guy I of Ponthieu was born sometime in the mid to late 1020s. He was the son of Count Enguerrand II and the grandson of Hugh II.-Caught between William of Normandy and Henry I of France:...
. Count Enguerrand II's and Guy I's father Hugh II
Hugh II of Ponthieu
Hugh II of Ponthieu was count of Ponthieu and lord of Abbeville, the son of Enguerrand I of Ponthieu. Evidently Hugh II was the half brother of Guy, who became the bishop of Amiens; Fulk, who became the abbot of Forest l'Abbaye; and Robert...
was the son of Enguerrand I
Enguerrand I of Ponthieu
Enguerrand I was the son of Hugh I count of Ponthieu.He was apparently married twice. By his first wife Adelaide, daughter of Arnulf, Count of Holland he had his heir, count Hugh II, and possibly a son named Robert...
by an earlier marriage: Enguerrand I evidently married a Boulognnais countess, the wife of Arnold II
Arnold II of Boulogne
Arnold II is a Count of Boulogne identified by Morton and Muntz as the one slain in battle by Count Enguerrand I of Ponthieu. Frank Barlow prefers to retain the traditional identification of the slain count as Baldwin I of Boulogne...
, who died in battle: from this later marriage came Guy and his brother Fulk (later abbot of Forest l'Abbaye), and probably a Robert.
Bishop Guy was educated for a career in the church at the abbey of St Riquier
Saint-Riquier
Saint-Riquier is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated northeast of Abbeville, on the D925 and D32 crossroads.-Abbey:...
and was one of its most brilliant students. His teacher was abbot Enguerrand (called "the wise" d. 9 December 1045). Guy may have been an archdeacon by 1045, and was bishop by 1058. "His predecessor to the episcopate of Amiens, Fulk II, was caught up in the emerging struggle between the secular clergy, dominated by the political contentions of the great feudal families, and the reforming popes, with their bias in favour of monastic houses, which they often rendered exempt from episcopal jurisdiction." When Guy became bishop of Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
he inherited the legal struggles of his predecessor; this eventually resulted in Guy being suspended from his duties as bishop, although he continued to rule the see as lord.
He was in this state of papal disfavor at the time of the Norman Conquest. This may have been the (contributing) reason why bishop Guy composed the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio (Song of the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
), as an effort to flatter the new Norman
Norman dynasty
Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the family that were the Dukes of Normandy and the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty came to power in 1154. It included Rollo and his descendants, and from William the Conqueror and...
king of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, William I
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
, who was then in very high favor with the pope. But if so, bishop Guy's poem failed in its purpose. He was highly enough thought of at the Norman court to be assigned as Matilda of Englands
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
's chaplain when she went over to England for her coronation in 1068. But when bishop Guy died in 1075, he still had not regained his bishopric.
Sources
- The Carmen de Hastingae ProelioThe Carmen de Hastingae ProelioThe Carmen de Hastingae Proelio is an early written source for the Norman invasion of England from September to December 1066, in Latin; attributed to Bishop Guy of Amiens, uncle to Count Guy of Ponthieu, who figures rather prominently in the Bayeux Tapestry as the vassal of Duke William of...
of Bishop Guy of Amiens, edited by Catherine Morton and Hope Muntz, Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1972. - The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio of Bishop Guy of Amiens, edited and translated by Frank BarlowFrank Barlow (historian)Frank Barlow CBE FBA FRSL was a British historian, known particularly for biographies of medieval figures.Barlow studied at St John's College, Oxford. He was Professor of History at the University of Exeter from 1953 until he retired in 1976 and became Emeritus Professor...
, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1999.