Sedulius Scottus

Sedulius Scotus or Scottus (fl. 840–860) was an Irish teacher, Latin grammarian and scriptural commentator who lived in the 9th century. During the reign of the Emperor Lothair (840–855), he was one of a colony of Irish teachers at Liège. Sedulius is sometimes called Sedulius the Younger, to distinguish him from Coelius Sedulius (a 5th-century poet). The usual Irish form of the name is Siadhal, but he appears to have been called Suadbar. It is quite probable that towards the end of his days he went to Milan, following the example of his countryman, Dungal, who established a school at Pavia. When and where he died is unknown.

In search of warmer land to accommodate their growing population, the Norse Vikings made their way into Iceland during the mid-ninth century. Those already occupying the land, Irish monks, were driven out of their monasteries by force. A monk by the name of Sedulius Scottus was among them, and his search for refuge led him to the city of Liège He went on to document this journey in one of his poems, Flamina Nos Boreae or A Great Wind-Enter Sedulius. While in Liège, Sedulius Scottus is believed to have stayed with Bishop Hartgar, who would later be addressed in much of Sedulius' poetry. He would become so fond of Bishop Hartgar that after the man's death, Sedulius wrote a lament in his honor. Sedulius also wrote to other prominent figures of his time, including Empress Ermengarde, King Louis, and Charles the Bald. It appears from the manuscript records of the 9th century that there was a teacher at St. Lambert, Liège, who was known as Sedulius Scotus, and was a scribe and a poet.

In Liège, there was a plague during Sedulius' stay, which he would document in his poem Contra Plagam. Between this event, and the return of the Norse Vikings to Liège, several scholars such as George Whicher, author of The Goliard Poets, have assumed that Sedulius perished in Liège. However, it is also generally accepted that Sedulius moved from Liège to Milan later in his life, but no official date has been assigned to this move. This thought is attributed to the relationship developed between Sedulius and Archbishop Tado of Milan, for whom he wrote the poem Tado, Benigne Vide, or Easter's Greetings.

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