religious associations of men in Europe. They resembled a Franciscan group, with whom they were later often confused. Of unknown origin, they first appeared at Louvain in 1220 and soon spread throughout the Netherlands and into Germany, France, and Italy.
Found on
http://www.encyclo.co.uk/visitor-contributions.php
The beghards or beguards were a religious body which arose in Flanders in the thirteenth century. They disclaimed the authority of princes, and refused to submit unconditionally to the rules of any order, but bound themselves to a life of extreme sanctity without necessarily quitting their secular vocations. They were persecuted in the latter half ...
Found on
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/browse/CXB.HTM
No exact match found.
