1. MedievWorld1_fm_4pp.qxd

Becket, Thomas, Saint 97

See alsoANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BESTIARIES;
CHAUCER,WILLIAM.
Further reading:The Epic of the Beast, Consisting of
English Translations of the History of Reynard the Fox and
Physiologus(New York: E. P. Dutton, 1924); Nivardus,
Ysengrimus: Text,trans. Jill Mann (Leiden: Brill, 1987);
Thomas W. Best, Reynard the Fox(Boston: Twayne Pub-
lishers, 1983); Kenneth Varty, The Roman de Renart: A
Guide to Scholarly Work(Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press,
1998); Jan M. Ziolkowski, Talking Animals: Medieval
Latin Beast Poetry, 750–1150(Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press, 1993).

beatific vision In medieval thought the beatific vision,
promised to the “elect” by the Holy Scriptures, was the
knowledge of God “as he is” and “face to face.” They will
acquire it after their death, if saved. This Catholic doctrine
of the beatific vision was defined in the Middle Ages only
in 1336. Pope Benedict XII (r. 1335–42) ended contro-

versy unleashed by his immediate predecessor, JOHNXXII,

drawing an official end to more than a century of Scholas-

tic reflection on it.

Further reading:William J. Hoye, Actualitas omnium

actuum: Man’s Beatific Vision of God as Apprehended by

Thomas Aquinas (Meisenheim-am-Glan: Hain, 1975);

Christian Trottman, “Beatific Vision,” EMA, 1.157–158.

beauty aids SeeCOSMETICS AND BEAUTY AIDS.

Becket, Thomas, Saint(Thomas à Becket)(1117–

1170)archbishop of Canterbury, friend of King Henry II

Of NORMANancestry, Thomas Becket was born in LON-

DONprobably on December 21, 1117, the son of prosper-

ous London citizens, Gilbert and Matilda Becket. When

Thomas Becket was around 18 years old, he journeyed to

PARISto continue his studies at the University of Paris,

after an earlier education at Merton Priory in London. He

was not a great scholar, but his studies acquainted him

Bayeux Tapestry (actually embroidery). The coronation of Harold II, receiving the sword and scepter. Musée de la Tapisserie,
Bayeux, France (Erich Lessing / Art Resource)