With the appearance of the Thorney liber vitae all three libri vitae from medieval England are now available in modern editions.Footnote ¹ Medieval libri vitae belong to the category of memorial texts, preserving the names of individuals commemorated in the community’s prayers; some are separate enterprises, others are entered in pre-existing manuscripts in the community’s possession. The Thorney list begins with entries inserted into a tenth-century gospel book in the time of Abbot Gunter (1085–1112). The earliest sections draw upon pre-existing material dating from the reign of Cnut (1016–35) and continuations were made in various stints throughout the twelfth century, with two names, those of Henry iii and of Edward i’s queen, Eleanor, being added in the thirteenth century. The lists record 686 names, but since the commoner ones recur frequently, it is difficult to estimate how many individuals are commemorated.

The core of the volume is an extended text of the liber vitae entries based on the transcript made by the late Cecily Clark (d. 1992), who herself took over the work after the death of Olof von Feilitzen (d. 1976). The various scribal stints were identified and dated by the late Neil Ker (d. 1982), and both the text and Ker’s dates have been checked by Lynda Rollason and Richard Gameson. In the text of the liber vitae each stint is clearly defined and dated, and the full-colour facsimile (which includes not only the liber vitae entries but also the fifteenth-century list of abbots, the twelfth-century relic-list, the canon tables and other relevant materials) is followed by another in black and white, in which the same scribal stints have been delineated, for ease of reference. This transparency is evident throughout the volume, which is commendably user-friendly, enabling the reader to engage with the source itself as well as the conclusions of the various contributors. In the four introductory essays, Lynda Rollason sets the making and use of the Thorney liber vitae in the context of the abbey’s history from its beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages, Richard Gameson examines the tenth-century gospel book, probably hailing from Brittany, into which the liber vitae entries were inserted, John Insley provides an introduction to the personal names and Katharine Keats-Rohan reviews the prosopographical challenges that they present. The printed text of the liber vitae is followed by Richard Gameson’s study of its codicology and palaeography.

The Onomasticon is based on the work of Olof von Feilitzen, continued by Cecily Clark and updated and reorganised by John Insley. The names, all of which are cross-referenced to the labelled stints in the printed text, are arranged under Celtic, continental Germanic, Old English (dithematic and monothematic), Latin, Greek and Biblical, and Scandinavian forms, plus a few that cannot be precisely assigned. A detailed prosopographical survey follows, prepared by Katharine Keats-Rohan, containing notes on all the persons so far identified, whether ecclesiastics (both regular and secular), abbots and monks of Thorney, royalty, aristocrats or gentry and their followers. Two entries receive detailed treatment because of their intrinsic interest: the ‘goldsmith’s’ entry, which records a gift of bullion to the abbey, is analysed by John Insley (on the language), Julia Crick and Tessa Webber (on the palaeography), and Rory Naismith deals with the entry for the moneyer, Turstan of Stamford. These sections are followed by John Insley’s discussion of the language of the earliest entries, which refer back to the time of Cnut (folios 9v, 10r and 10v), and Lynda Rollason’s analysis of the relic-list. There are full indexes, both for the name-forms and for individual persons. As it stands, the Thorney liber vitae is a list of names and, while much can be deduced from their form and context, their greatest value emerges when they can be associated with the individuals whom the monks of Thorney wished to commemorate. For this reviewer the detailed prosopographical list is especially relevant, but there is plenty to interest other specialists, whether codicologists, palaeographers or linguists, as well as historians working on the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Much can be deduced by looking at those who were not entered into ‘the book of life’. There is, for instance, no mention of Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, even though it was he who instituted Benedictine life at Thorney in the tenth century. The explanation might be that in the time of Abbot Gunter, when the compilation of the liber vitae in its current form began, Thorney was concerned to maintain a distance from the resurgent abbey of Peterborough, also founded by Æthelwold, perhaps with Thorney as a dependent cell. Similar considerations might explain why the liber vitae appears to skip over the reign of Edward the Confessor, when the abbey was part of the ecclesiastical empire ruled by Leofric, Abbot of Peterborough. The name of King Cnut, on the other hand, figures prominently at the head of its earliest section, perhaps because the abbey enjoyed more independence in the days of the Danish kings. Such considerations emphasise the fact that, like many similar texts, the Thorney liber vitae deals not only with piety but also with property and politics. This comprehensive edition will furnish future researchers with insights into such matters for a long time to come.