Ekkehard IV

Ekkehard IV (born 980?, Alsace [now in France]—died Oct. 21, 1069?, Sankt Gallen [now in Switzerland]) was a teacher, glossarist, writer, famous as one of the principal authors of Casus Sancti Galli (“The Events of Sankt Gallen [St. Gall]”)—an important history of the monastery.

He grew up at Sankt Gallen, being educated by the celebrated German scholar Notker Labeo, Ekkehard I’s nephew. From sometime after 1022 until 1031 he was director and teacher of the cathedral school of Mainz, where he became known for his vast store of knowledge, earning the patronage of the emperor Conrad II.

Returning to Sankt Gallen, Ekkehard began work on the Casus, begun and carried on by others. Casus records traditions of the ancient abbey and, despite its uneven Latin and inaccuracies, supplies a valuable source for contemporary history and culture. About 1030 Ekkehard revised and corrected a Waltharius, which he claims in Casus to have been written by Ekkehard I. Since the mid-20th century scholars have disputed Ekkehard I’s authorship of the famous Waltharius.

Among Ekkehard IV’s other important literary works is the Liber benedictionum (“Book of Benedictions”), a collection of inscriptions, blessings, and poems (some of them his own and others attributed to Notker Labeo). Ekkehard was also known to have been a skillful church musician.