824–830), was a poet who lived at the court of Pippin of Aquitaine, son of Frankish Emperor Louis I, and accompanied him on a campaign into Brittany in 824.
[1] Ermoldus was a cultured man with a knowledge of the Latin poets, and his poem, In honorem Hludovici imperatoris ("In honour of Emperor Louis"), has some historical value.
[4] Many scholars assume that because Nigellus was so passionate about being recalled from exile to return specifically to Aquitaine, that he was in fact Aquitainian but this is speculation.
[6] This has led some to suggest that he wasn't actually from Aquitaine but was simply interested in returning to courtly life at King Pippin's side.
[4] McKitterick explains that it is a mistake to assume that "education and learning were confined to clerics" as it was common for laymen and middle-class boys were also sent to schools.
Although he was a soldier, Ermoldus admits he wasn't a very good one, and he quotes King Pippin as telling him to stick to writing rather than pursuing his swordplay, which was useless against the Bretons.
[3] Being exiled at a church was commonly a punishment doled out to "criminal clerics" which is another reason many scholars are led to believe his status as a monk or priest.
[14] Overall the reason for his exile remains an unresolved mystery to scholars since we do not have any other primary sources that refer to Ermoldus Nigellus except what is written in his own works.
After Ermoldus Nigellus was exiled by Emperor Louis, he wrote two poems for King Pippin whose court he had been living at and whom he had fought for in Brittany in 824.
[15] He wrote these letters in a style that imitates Ovid and therefore attempts to reproduce the "literary atmosphere of early Carolingian courts" that was associated with "patronage and favour".
Ermoldus also explains that In honorem Hludowici should be used by King Pippin as a guide on how to rule a kingdom as Nigellus describes Emperor Louis as the perfect role model for kingship.
[8] This poem is often called into question for its historical reliability as it is intended to win Emperor Louis' favour, not report history.