Aelred of Rievaulx was a 12th-century English Cistercian monk, historian, and abbot. Born in Hexham around 1110, he spent his youth serving in the Scottish royal court before entering the monastery at Rievaulx in 1134. He eventually rose to become the abbot of Rievaulx, leading the community from 1147 until his death in 1167. A prolific writer, he produced various historical chronicles and spiritual treatises, most notably exploring the theological significance of human companionship and friendship within the monastic life.