If people were to compile a list of their favorite things to read, historical documents would make it onto few lists and historical inventories on even less. On the surface an inventory is possibly the one of the dullest documents that anyone could have the pleasure of reading. Yet, no matter the time or place an inventory is from, it can offer up a wealth of information. Reading an inventory for historical materials is not always about reading what is written but reading between the lines. Even without doing this, reading a historical document such as the 800 c. inventory of Charlemagne’s estate of Asnapium offers the reader an insight into the time, through what they did or didn’t include in the document.
There is not much known about Charlemagne’s estate of Asnapium, we do not know when it was built, how often Charlemagne visited this estate, or even its location. What can be speculated at however is the time of year that the inventory likely took place during the year 800, seeing as animals were listed with their young, i.e. sheep with lambs and cows with calves and harvest of grains were listed but there was no indication that the fruit trees had produced, it is likely that the inventory was taken during the spring or summer. It is also known this is one of the annual statements required by Charlemagne during this time and that gives us insight into the structure that Charlemagne headed. He wanted to know what was going on in his kingdom and on his own estates.
Perhaps most interesting about the manner in which the inventory was taken was by the uses of the measurements. The measurements given were not all of Gallic or Roman origin but a mixture of the two reasonably showing the mixture of Charlemagne and his kingdom. No...
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... dispensable and therefore it did not make since to the people in charge to list them in the yearly inventory.
On the surface an inventory may just be a list that tells the reader what there is at any given place but truly an inventory such as the one from Asnapium, can tell the reader so much more. As seen in the close reading of the Asnapium inventory, we not only learn about the verity of produce and animals on the estate but we can infer the kinds of people needed for up keep of such an estate. As the estate inventory not only lists the style of building but the people who could be working there the reader can gain an idea of the social structure for the area and time. An inventory alone may not be the first document that a historian may hope for but it is a document that can greatly help alongside other documents to create a fuller picture of any given time.
The collection Two Lives of Charlemagne contains two different biographies of Charlemagne who was a king of the Franks and a christian emperor of the West in the 8th century. The first biographical account was written by his courtier Einhard who knew him personally and well. On the other hand, the second account was penned by Notker the Stammerer was born twenty-five years after the king’s death. Even though these two versions indicate the same king’s life, there were many differences between the two. Einhard’s writing focused on the emperor’s official life and his military campaign. However, Notker provided more of a perspective about the king’s legacy and seemed more hyperbolic as well as mythical. This paper will compare and contrast the
- - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication
“He was born soon after 770 and was given his father’s name. The family sent him as a boy to the great monastery of Fulda, where he was educated, and made a grant to the abbey of land which they held in the Maingau. In the 790’s he was sent by the abbot to Charlemagne’s court, where he became the pupil of Yorkshireman Alcuin who had gone to teach there, and succeeded him as teacher at the palace school.”
Overall, I think there is some really great information out there about the lives of Charlemagne, no matter which version of himself you're looking into. What we really need to remember is that we currently have no way of knowing anything more about him than what has already been written down and, for the most part, based off a very personal opinion of Charlemagne. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it can make learning about Charlemagne a little tough; we just have to realize that there are some really great resources out there to inform us about his life, as long as you are taking the uncertainty and personal bias into account while doing the research, I think the information can be utilized extremely well.
The Relationship of Political and Religious Societies in the Age of Charlemagne, Based of Einhard's The life of Charlemagne sections 15-33
The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker are two medieval sources about the accounts of the life Charlemagne. Modern sources by Matthew Innes and Rosamond Mckitterick discuss how history was recorded during the medieval period and how it was suppose to be viewed in the early ages. Observing each of these sources helps get an understanding of how the writing of history is important in recorded history and how it affected how the history of Charlemagne was recorded.
“The apprenticeship of a King” describes how Charlemagne gained power through conquest and diplomacy. In 768, King Pippin died and his kingdom was divided between his two sons. Charles, the elder, and the younger was Carloman. The author says that little is known of Charles’ boyhood. When he was of the right age, it is recorded that he worked eagerly at riding and hunting. It was the custom of the Franks to ride and be practiced in the use of arms and ways of hunting. We may reasonably infer that acquiring these skills formed a major part of his early education. Charles was not a “man of letters” and the author makes no attempt at explaining this other than to point out that literacy was considered unimportant at that time for anyone other than the clergy and Charles didn’t become interested in “letters” until later in life. Bullough explains a number of experiences in public duties and responsibilities, which were assigned to Charles by his father, thus, giving him an apprenticeship to rule the kingdom. For some reason tension between Charles and his brother began shortly after their accession. The author explains a number of conflicts. The younger brother died however, at the end of 771 and a number of prominent people in his kingdom offered allegiance to Charles. Bullough names and explains those subjects. The result was the re-uniting of those territories, which helped to establish the kingdom of the Franks.
Charlemagne was a tall young man with light blond hair, and was described by his secretary as, “face laughing and merry. . . his appearance was always stately and dignified.” (World book 452) Charlemagne had great wit, but was stern at times. He had simple and moderate tastes; he enjoyed hunting, riding and swimming. Charlemagne had a large wardrobe with many Frankish dresses, linen shirts and breeches, silk-fringed tunics, hoses wrapped with bands, and for the winter he had coats made of otter or marten skins.
5. Howe, Helen, and Robert T. Howe. From the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. N.p.: Longman, 1992. Print.
However, the artefacts brought to England from Benin in 1897 were an anomaly. The craftsmanship and sophistication were such that some were reminiscent of the beautiful figures in the Hofkiche, Innsbruck 1502-1563 (plate 3.1.12. Visited...
The Frankish empire all started in 511 when Clovis I (c. 481-511) conquered the Visigoths and other tribes and became one of the early Merovingian, an early Salian Frankish dynasty, kings (McGill). Charles Martel, Charlemagne’s grandfather, once saved the Merovingian dynasty from the clutches of downfall, assuring his sons a position at the throne. About a hundred years later, in the seventh century, Charlemagne’s father, Pepin III, created the Carolingian dynasty under the Merovingian dynasty and overcame Childeric III, the Merovingian king. Now, the sole ruler was the Carolingian dynasty, which had always been in a position of more power. By doing this, he ensured his sons, Charlemagne and Carloman, a chance at the throne. The borders of this new dynasty were, at the time, France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. In addition, Pepin allied with Pope Stephen II, and...
1 Nestor the Chronicler, compiler. Cross, Samuel & Olgerd Sherbowitz-Wetzor, editors. The Primary Chronicle. Cambridge: The Medieval Academy of America. pg. 115
Howe, Helen, and Robert T. Howe. A World History: Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Volume 1. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1992. 533.
Ray, Benjamin. "17th Century Documents & Books." 17th Century Documents & Books. University of Virginia, 2002. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts on File, Inc.