Map Maker Biography: Matthew Paris (c. 1200 - 1259) Part I
Matthew Paris: Benedictine Monk, Chronicler, Cartographer, and Diplomatic Historian of the High Middle Ages
Based on his extant works and the myriad historical references to him, Matthew Paris emerges from the annals of medieval historiography as one of the most accomplished and multifaceted intellectuals of the 13th century. A polymath Benedictine monk of the Abbey of St. Albans in England, long considered the country’s premier monastery, Matthew Paris distinguished himself as a historian, chronicler, cartographer, illustrator, social critic, and occasional royal emissary.
His legacy is uniquely situated at the intersection of monastic scholarship and the trending political currents of Plantagenet England. Though the precise details of his birth and early years remain obscure, it is generally held that he was of Norman aristocratic descent - a status which would have afforded him access to formal education in Latin grammar, rhetoric, and ecclesiastical history, and may in part explain his ease of movement within elite circles.
His choice of St. Albans Abbey - a foundation of venerable prestige built on the site of England’s first Christian martyr’s shrine - reflects both a commitment to spiritual vocation and, arguably, a calculated selection of an institution known for its intellectual rigor and political relevance. The Benedictine order, renowned for its insistence on ora et labora (prayer and work), offered Paris the necessary stability and scholarly infrastructure to pursue wide-ranging intellectual endeavors. His rise within the abbey likely involved not only religious dedication but also a demonstration of his exceptional competence in the scriptorium, where manuscripts were copied, illuminated, and safeguarded. Their work took place as illustrated in this image from the Eadwine Psalter of a twelfth century scribe at work with the tools of his trade in his hands.
Paris’s duties at St. Albans went far beyond the internal obligations of monastic life. As the abbey’s official historiographer, he inherited and extended the work of earlier abbey chroniclers, notably Roger of Wendover, whose annals Paris revised and expanded with critical precision. Paris also supervised the abbey's manuscript production and is believed to have personally overseen or executed much of the illumination in his own works - a rarity among chroniclers of his stature.
Matthew Paris's self portrait with his name in upper right
Although cloistered for much of his life, his role as a chronicler and diplomat required periodic travel. His visits to London were strategic for acquiring news, accessing chancery records, and liaising with royal and ecclesiastical officials. In 1248 under the auspices of King Henry III, Paris was dispatched to Norway and charged with conveying entreaties to King Haakon IV, from both Pope Innocent IV and King Louis IX of France. His mission included inviting Haakon to join the seventh crusade, and petitioning him to reinforce alliances at a time when all northern Europe’s political landscape was complicated and deeply interconnected, and included hostilities such as those between the Holy Roman Emperor (Frederick II) and the Papacy.
In Norway Paris engaged in serious ceremonial diplomacy, experiences which offered the English rare insight into Scandinavian affairs. So successful were his diplomatic endeavours that he was later invited to officially superintend the reformation of the Benedictine monastery of Nidarholm located on the island of Munkholmen in the Trondheim Fjord, the sea approach to the city of Trondheim, Norway.
Coat of arms of King Hakon IV
Chronica Majora
Paris’s Chronica Majora, his magnum opus, is a monumental historiographical undertaking. Far more than a simple annal, the work provides an expansive narrative of universal history from Creation to Paris’s own era. Structured to appeal both to monastic readers and to the broader literate elite, the Chronica reflects Paris’s strong conviction that history must serve as moral instruction, a guide to perceived divine providence manifest in worldly affairs. The chronicle provides unparalleled insight into 13th-century English and European politics, along with detailed descriptions of ecclesiastical conflicts, and of international diplomacy.
One of the most distinctive features of the Chronica Majora is its integration of vignettes and cartography, with thoughtful illustrations depicting the events of the day. Among Matthew’s most famous illustrations was his drawing from life of an elephant - a fantastical creature so far as most people in England were concerned. The elephant was given to King Henry III in 1255 by French King Louis IX of France, who had received the elephant as a gift from the Emir of Egypt. Paris saw the elephant while it was housed in the Tower of London. Another version of an elephant is also to be found in the Chronica. His drawings, especially the one featured immediately below were considered, and indeed are, more realistic than many depictions contemporary to his day. Both illustrations are from his Chronica Majora.
We hope you will join us a week from now for a closer look at the Chronica Majora of Benedictine polymath, Matthew Paris.
