Module Information

In the 1130s, the English chronicler Henry of Huntingdon explained that only brutes and beasts did not know history. Of these, the former were far worse: animals could not know about their past; brutes chose not to. From the outset, knowing one's history was thus a sign of civilisation. To be truly civilised, a community needed to have a past. This module explores how writers in high medieval Europe tried to meet these expectations. It will proceed in three overlapping steps:

What was history? That is, when people started writing chronicles, how did they decide to write it? What types of history were there? Also, just why was it assumed to be a mark of civilisation? What was special about it?

What were the challenges of writing history? Most importantly perhaps, how did one get reliable information? How could truth be ascertained?

And what did this mean in practice? That question will be explored in relation to a series of case studies of a type of writing history that proved popular well into the nineteenth century.

By the end of the module you will have an understanding of the major chronicle sources from high medieval Europe, their reasons for being written and their relationships to each other. You will also be able to consult the editions of these sources with confidence and therefore study them in greater depth.

Weekly 2-hour seminars:

1. Introduction: understanding medieval chronicles
2. Thinking about history
3. The quest for origins
4. Ekkehard IV of St Gall
5. Instruction and edification
6. Status and learning
7. The Book of Settlement
8. Problems of writing history
9. In search of lost chronicles
10. Geoffrey of Monmouth