De nugis curialium (Medieval Latin: "Trifles of courtiers") is the major surviving work of the 12th century Latin author Walter Map. He was an English courtier of Welsh descent , probably born in Herefordshire, whose studies and employment took him to Canterbury, Paris, Rome and to several royal and noble courts of western Europe. The book takes the form of a series of anecdotes of people and places, offering many sidelights on the history of his own time. Some are from personal knowledge, and apparently reliable; others represent popular rumours about history and current events, and are often far from the truth.