Grimlaicus

Grimlaicus or Grimlaic was a cleric who lived in ninth- or tenth-century Francia, probably around Metz.^[1] He is known only for the book he wrote on how to lead a solitary life within a monastic community, the Regula Solitariorum (nl). This was the first known rule written for hermits in the Latin West, drawing heavily on the Rule of St Benedict. The Regula begins with a prologue, followed by 69 sections, or chapters.^[2] Grimlaicus dedicated the compilation to his namesake, a priest. The latter, Mabillon conjectures, lived at the papal court during the pontificate of Formosus.^[3]