Odoran(Ne)
Odoran(ne)
a French monastic, was born in 985. Now little known, he enjoyed in his lifetime great celebrity. He cultivated letters with success and excelled even in mechanical arts. He was an inmate of the abbey of Saint-Pierre-le-Vif. in Sens, where he displayed his skill by two works, of which he speaks himself: a crucifix — a remarkable piece of workmanship — and a well, the structure of which, it seems, was original and singular. It is presumed that he was persecuted by envious brothers, because he dared to express himself upon consecrated dogmas in terms of offensive novelty. Obliged to flee from the abbey of Saint-Pierre upon the charge of anthropomorphism, he went to Saint-Denis, near Paris. From thence he was called to Dreux by king Robert, and queen Constance, who commissioned him to execute several shrines of great price. He died some time after 1045. We can appreciate neither the experience nor the merit of the goldsmith or then architect. We know, however, some of his writings. The principal is a Chronica rerum in orbe gestarum, which commences with the year 675, and ends with the year 1032. It is found in the large collection of the Historiensde Freance, vols. 8 and 10. It had already been published by Du Chesne. Odoran is also the author of a narrative of the Translation de Saint-Savinien, inserted by Mabillon in his. Ata, 8:254, and of a manuscript, Histoire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Pierre. See Hist. litter. de la France, v. 356.
