Godfrey of St Victor

Godfrey of St. Victor (Geoffroy, Godefridus, Galfredus c. 1125 – c. 1195) was a French monk and theologian, and one of the last major figures of the Victorines. He was a supporter of the study of ancient philosophy, and the Victorine mysticism of Hugh of St. Victor and Richard of St. Victor.

He is also known under the alternative bynames of Breteuil and of Saint Barbara.

He is the author of two important works, Microcosmus and Fons Philosophiae, both written in the 1170s. Microcosmus is extant in an autograph (BM ms. 1002, dated c. 1178–1180), including two self-portraits. Parts of Godfrey's work are edited in Patrologia Latina, as Godefridus S. Victoris (notitia et fragenta, in vol. 196, as Gaufridus aput sanctam Barbaram in Neustria subprior canonicorum regularium (epistolae in vol. 205).

He had initially studied and taught the trivium at the University of Paris between the years 1144 and 1155 at the school on the Petit Pont founded by Adam of Balsham. Like his friend Stephen of Tournai, to whom he dedicated Fons philosophiae, he may have studied law at Bologna. He was prior at Saint-Barbe-en-Auge, and later entered St. Victor's Abbey, Paris, an Augustinian establishment of canons regular. A product of the secular schools, Godfrey is thought to have entered St Victor after becoming dissatisfied with Parisian intellectual culture. Godfrey was assigned to a priory at some point after 1173 – it is thought that his humanistic outlook may have displeased Walter of St Victor who had succeeded Richard of St Victor as prior. He returned to the Abbey in 1185-6, and served there as armarius, in which capacity he was responsible for the production and preservation of the abbey’s manuscripts, particularly those used in the liturgy. He remained there until his own death around 1194/6.

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