Polychronicon

The Polychronicon was a universal history written by Ranulf Higden, an English monk and chronicler, around the 14th century. It covered world geography and history from Creation to his own time, drawing from approximately 40 sources. Modeled after the seven days of Creation, the work was divided into seven books.1

While the Polychronicon is noted for including accounts of miracles and supernatural events, it offers valuable insight into the historical, geographical, and scientific knowledge of the 14th century. Higden himself completed the work up to the 1340s, with continuations added later. A chronicle is a historical account arranged chronologically without analysis or interpretation.12