Date and Provenance
The Tractatus relates the journey of an Irish knight, Owein (a version of the Irish name Eoghan), to St Patrick's Purgatory in Loch Derg where he journeys through Purgatory and the Earthly Paradise. Owein's journey is dated by Henry of Saltrey to the reign of King Stephen of England between 1135 and 1154. Henry states that his source was Gilbert, a monk in Lincoln who visited Ireland in 1148 to found a monastery at Baltinglass. Since Gilbert spoke no Irish he was introduced to the knight Owein who became his interpreter during his two year stay in Ireland.
Read more about this topic: Tractatus De Purgatorio Sancti Patricii
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