Lollards, << LOL uhrdz, >> were followers of the English religious reformer John Wycliffe. Lollardism developed as a religious movement in the 1380’s. The Lollards preached obedience to God, reliance on the Bible as a guide to Christian living, and simplicity of worship. They rejected the richness of the Mass, most sacraments, and the supremacy of the pope. They denied that an organized church was necessary for salvation. Most Lollards were poor priests or people who were not members of the clergy. They wore long russet gowns, carried staffs, and lived on what they could beg. Henry IV of England, who became king in 1399, persecuted the Lollards because their views disagreed with religious law. But despite persecution, the movement gained many followers among the common people. The movement began to lose support after 1420.
The Lollards had little permanent effect on religious life in England, but they had great influence in Bohemia. There, John Hus was burned at the stake in 1415 for preaching Wycliffe’s doctrines. One hundred years later, Martin Luther embraced some of Hus’s ideas. In this way, the Lollards helped to pave the way for the Protestant Reformation.
