Hi everyone,
In week 3 we're going to be talking
about a famous text known as the Life of Charlemagne by Einhard. There
are some leading questions in the reading guide which we'll be trying to
answer. In order to kick us off, I've selected (what I hope are) some
thought-provoking images gathered from the webosphere to show the
different ways in which Charlemagne and the idea of Empire have been
linked. I hope these will help you to think about the kinds of messages
of cultural and political superiority that are being sent in the text,
as well as in these visual representations. Note
that these images also come from different periods. Does the image of
Charlemagne's power seem to have changed much over time? How?
1. A denier (small denomination coin) of Charlemagne, with the inscription KAROLVS IMP AVG, "Charles, Emperor Augustus". (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris); 2. A 9th century equestrian statue of Charlemagne. (Le Louvre); 3. Charlemagne in an initial from a 9th century manuscript, written in Carolingian miniscule. (BnF, Lat 5927); 4. A 14th century manuscript painting of Charlemagne being crowned Holy Roman Emperor by pope Leo III. (BnF, Fr 2813); 5. A 15th century manuscript painting of Charlemagne building his new capital at Aix-la-Chapelle. (BnF, Fr 6465); 6. Portrait of Charlemagne by Albrecht Dürer, late 15th century. (Nuremberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum). All these images sourced from Wikimedia Commons, or the BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) website.
 |
| Einhard, as scribe. (14th century; BnF, Fr 2813). Wikimedia commons. |
Other contemporaries wrote about
Charlemagne too. You can check out the Life of Charlemagne by the
fabulously-named Notker the Stammerer here. Both Notker and Einhard's lives are available together in a Penguin edition, Two Lives of Charlegmagne, which is in the library if you want to know more.
PS.
While we're talking Carolingians, I can't resist showing you this photo
of me meeting Rosamond McKitterick - one of the world's foremost
scholars of this period - at a conference in the UK in 2010. There's
more to this than me showing off; I think it's important to
realise that the historians whose work we are reading are actually real
people! A number of Rosamond's wonderful works on this period are on the
extended reading list and come very highly recommended! (No wonder I'm looking pretty pleased with myself...)
