ALANUS of the Rock (*de Rupe, de la Roche, van den Clip*). - Dominican preacher, promoter of the Rosary, born in Brittany around the year 1428, died at Zwolle on 8 September 1475. He entered the Dominican convent at Dinant, in the diocese of Saint-Malo. He studied philosophy and theology at Saint-Jacques in Paris, where—after having been at Lille in 1460—he lectured on the *Sentences* in the year 1461–62, continuing his teaching at Douai (1464–65), at Ghent (1468–70), and at Rostock in Mecklenburg, where he became master in theology.
In 1460 he encouraged the first steps taken at Lille toward the restoration of regular observance. Returning to Paris with Fra Pagano Dolon and a certain Fra Marco—all three affiliated with Lille in 1462—he promoted observance there. Separated from the Paris province, the convent at Lille united with the reformed Dutch congregation, which held its first chapter at Lille in 1464 under the presidency of the Master General Conrad of Asti. On the occasion of another chapter at Lille (1475), he completed the *Apologia of the Psalter*. Shortly afterward he is found at Douai, then at Tournai, where he dedicated the *Apologia* to Bishop Ferrico of Cluny. After visiting the charterhouse at Hérinnes, he went to Ghent, and in 1474 to Zwolle. A. was often called *blessed*; however, his cult is not confirmed.
Already on 25 May 1476 the chapter of his congregation ordered the collection of his writings. In 1498 a first collection appeared in Stockholm and a second also in Sweden, while German translations were published especially at Augsburg and Ulm before 1500. Andreas Coppenstein printed (Freiburg 1619, other editions Cologne 1624, Naples 1630, 1642, 1660), though in an arbitrary manner, under the title *B. Alanus redivivus, de Psalterio seu Rosario Christi et Mariae tractatus*, five texts by A. (*Apologia; Relationes, revelationes et visiones; Sermones s. Dominic Alano revelati; Sermones et tractatuli; Exempla seu miraculis*), probably already revised beforehand by others.
To A. are also attributed: *Compendium psalterii B. Mae Trinitatis et s. Mariae*; *La confrairie du psautier de Notre Dame* (published in the 16th century); *Expositio in regulam s. Augustini* divided into 15 chapters according to the mysteries of the Marian Psalter.
Important is A.’s role in the *Rosary movement*. As his writings so too his sermons concerned the “Psalter of the Virgin,” that is, a manner of praying to the Madonna by reciting 150 Aves, divided by a *Pater* into decades, and uniting to the vocal recitation the meditation on the mysteries of the Redemption.
A. avoided the profane denomination of “rosary,” preferring for the devotion he promoted the designation “Marian Psalter”; indeed, he declared to know by revelation that Mary entrusted St. Dominic with the *institution of the “Psalter.”* It should be noted, however, with Echard, that “revelation” at that time signified merely a rhetorical device to gain the attention of listeners and readers. The pre-existing custom of reciting 50 or more Aves was accepted by A., but fixed at 150 Aves. Regarding the meditation on the mysteries that were added to the Ave then ending with “Jesus”—recall the 50 clauses of the Carthusian Dominic of Prussia—A. also followed the usage already in force. His merit was to have ordered the vocal part and the meditations, and above all to have founded the Confraternity of the Virgin’s Psalter, drafting special statutes. The first confraternity was erected by him at Douai in 1470. Spiritual heirs, such as Fr. Michael François of Lille, Cornelius van Sneek, SPRENGER, JACOB (v.) at Cologne, propagated the Marian rosary and the confraternities of this prayer.