History and Memory in the Carolingian World

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Jul 29, 2004 - History - 337 pages
The writing and reading of history in the early Middle Ages form the key themes of this book. The primary focus is on the remarkable manifestations of historical writing in relation to historical memory in the Frankish kingdoms of the eighth and ninth centuries. It considers the audiences for history in the Frankish kingdoms, the recording of memory in new genres including narrative histories, cartularies and Libri memoriales, and thus particular perceptions of the Frankish and Christian past. It analyses both original manuscript material and key historical texts from the Carolingian period, a remarkably creative period in the history of European culture.
 

Contents

Introduction History and memory in the Carolingian world
1
Carolingian history books
28
Paul the Deacons Historia langobardorum and the Franks
60
The Carolingians on their past
84
Politics and History
120
Kingship and the writing of history
133
Social memory commemoration and the book
156
History and memory in early medieval Bavaria
174
The reading of history at Lorsch and St Amand
186
Texts authority and the history of the church
218
Christianity as history
245
Conclusion History and its audiences in the Carolingian world
265
Bibliography
284
Index of manuscripts
323
General index
327
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

Rosamond McKitterick is Professor of Medieval History in the University of Cambridge. Her previous publications include The Carolingians and the Written Word (Cambridge University Press,1989), The Frankish Kings and Culture in the Early Middle Ages (1995) and The New Cambridge Medieval History Vol II c.700-c.900 (ed. 1995). She has presented many conference papers and lectured extensively at universities throughout Britain, continental Europe, North America and Australia. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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