Search

The mendicant orders and vernacular Irish learning in the late medieval period
Edel Bhreathnach
Journal:

Irish Historical Studies / Volume 37 / Issue 147 / May 2011

Published online by Cambridge University Press:

04 February 2015, pp. 357-375

Print publication:

May 2011
- Article
- - You have access
- PDF
- Export citation
The significant contribution of the mendicant orders, and especially the Franciscans, to medieval European and English literature has for long been a subject of much detailed examination by scholars. It has been argued that the spiritual ethos and style of communication to society of the Franciscans, articulated by St Francis himself, brought about a greater use of vernacular languages throughout Europe in lyrical poetry and preaching and in catechetical and devotional texts. While earlier religious communities had fostered certain types of texts, such as exegetical works and saints’ lives, the new orders of friars had a greater impact on a wider section of society.

Search Results