Lollardy

Quick Facts: Who was Lollardy?

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Lollardy

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A proto-Protestant Christian movement challenging Church authority through reform.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Lollardy was a proto-Protestant Christian religious movement that was active in England from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic theologian who was later dismissed from the University of Oxford in 1381 for heresy. The Lollards' demands were primarily for reform of Western Christianity. They formulated their beliefs in the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards. Lollard, Lollardi, or Loller was the popular derogatory nickname given to those without an academic background, educated (if at all) mainly in English, who were reputed to follow the teachings of John Wycliffe in particular.

Career & Major Achievements

By the mid-15th century, "lollard" had come to mean a heretic in general. The alternative term "Wycliffite" is generally accepted to be a more neutral term covering those of similar opinions, but having an academic background. The term is said to have been coined by the Anglo-Irish cleric Henry Crumpe, but its origin is uncertain. The earliest official use of the name in England occurs in 1387 in a mandate of the Bishop of Worcester against five "poor preachers", nomine seu ritu Lollardorum confoederatos. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it most likely derives from Middle Dutch lollaerd ("mumbler, mutterer"), from a verb lollen ("to mutter, mumble").

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The word is much older than its English use; there were Lollards in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 14th century who were akin to the Fraticelli, Beghards, and other sectaries similar to the recusant Franciscans. Originally the Dutch word was a colloquial name for a group of buriers of the dead during the Black Death, in the 14th century, known as Alexians, Alexian Brothers or Cellites. These were known colloquially as lollebroeders (Middle Dutch for "mumbling brothers"), or Lollhorden, from Old High German: lollon ("to sing softly"), from their chants for the dead. Middle English loller (akin to the verb loll, lull, the English cognate of Dutch lollen "to mutter, mumble") is recorded as an alternative spelling of Lollard, while its generic meaning "a lazy vagabond, an idler, a fraudulent beggar" is not recorded before 1582. Two other possibilities for the derivation of Lollard are mentioned by the Oxford English Dictionary: Latin lolium, a weedy vetch (tares), supposedly a reference to the biblical Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24–30); the surname "Lolhard" of an eminent Franciscan preacher in Guyenne, who converted to the Waldensian way.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1381: 1381 Milestone — It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic theologian who was later dismissed from the University of Oxford in 1381 for heresy.
2. 1387: 1387 Milestone — The earliest official use of the name in England occurs in 1387 in a mandate of the Bishop of Worcester against five "poor preachers", nomine seu ritu Lollardorum confoederatos.
3. 1582: 1582 Milestone — Middle English loller (akin to the verb loll, lull, the English cognate of Dutch lollen "to mutter, mumble") is recorded as an alternative spelling of Lollard, while its generic meaning "a lazy vagabond, an idler, a fraudulent beggar" is not recorded before 1582.

Notable Quotes by Lollardy

“Summe folys cummyn to churche thynckyng to see the good Lorde — what shulde they see there but bredde and wyne?” (1517)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Lollardy

True or False: “The Lollards universally accepted the doctrine of transubstantiation as required by the Roman Catholic Church.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Lollards, particularly John Wycliffe, rejected transubstantiation because they believed it implied the destruction of matter rather than its mere imbuing with Christ's body.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Erik of Pomerania — Historical peer (Born in 1381) (1381): King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, ruling over the Kalmar Union.
• John Ball (priest) — Historical peer (Died in 1381) (1381): English priest central to the Peasants' Revolt, known for radical sermons on social equality.
• Charles II of Navarre — Historical peer (Died in 1387) (1387): King of Navarre, a pivotal, self-interested player in the Hundred Years' War.
• Iizasa Ienao — Historical peer (Born in 1387) (1387): Founder of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, a traditional Japanese martial art.
• Akechi Mitsuhide — Historical peer (Died in 1582) (1582): A prominent samurai general of the Sengoku period, known for his betrayal of Oda Nobunaga.
• Altan Khan — Historical peer (Died in 1582) (1582): Mongolian prince and leader of the Tümed Mongols, patron of the Gelug school.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lollardy