Anglicanus ortus: A Verse Herbal of the Twelfth Century

by Henry of Huntingdon, Winston Black (Editor)

Henry, archdeacon of Huntingdon, England (ca 1088-ca 1154) has been admired for centuries as the author of the monumental Historia Anglorum . The recent discovery of the Anglicanus ortus opens a new window onto this important English author as well as onto the uses of poetry and the knowledge of medicine in medieval England. Written entirely in Latin verse, the Anglicanus ortus describes the medicinal uses of 160 different herbs, spices, and vegetables. Henry drew on centuries of learned medicine to compose this work, employing the medical knowledge of ancient authors like Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides and of medieval scholars like Walahfrid Strabo, Macer Floridus and Constantine the African. This critical edition is based on the five extant manuscripts and includes a complete English translation on facing pages and a commentary on every poem. An extensive introduction describes the manuscript witnesses in detail, examines Henry?s poetic skill and use of sources, and establishes the place of the Anglicanus ortus in a pivotal era in the history of medicine and natural philosophy.

576 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Henry of Huntingdon (circa 1088 to circa 1158), was archdeacon of Huntingdon and a canon of Lincoln Cathedral. Wrote poetry, prose and a history of the English people down to the year 1154.