Our discussion

These were our tutorial discussion points on Monday:

1. What is the relationship between local land holding and organisation, and cross-continental trade routes and goods? How are both of these things related to arguments about early medieval economics? How do they each fit into Davis’ discussion?
2. (According to Davis) what is Pirenne’s thesis? What assumptions underlie Pirenne’s conclusion that Muslim conquests brought about an economic standstill in Western Europe?
3. What objections does Davis raise to Pirenne’s thesis? What does he argue instead?
4. What is an economy of no outlets? What is an economy of restricted outlets? Which does Davis think characterised early medieval Europe? Why?
5. Which came first: Charlemagne or feudalism? (According to Davis) how did Pirenne argue the two are related?
6. What are Pirenne’s assumptions about coins? What does Davis argue about coins? What might money be used for? How did this affect what kinds of money existed?
7. What is the manorial system? Is it the same as feudalism? [How] are the two related?
8. What is the difference between Demesne and Tributary land?
9. What kinds of wealth did abbeys have? What kinds of surpluses might their lands generate?
10. What social and economic pressures resulted in the formation of big estates?
11. What is a serf? What is a colona? What is a servi? What does Davis argue about these words?
12. What were the effects on local society of cultivation in open fields, or in “bosky” land? What explanations can you offer for why land might have been cultivated in one way or the other?

Historical Argument Exercise Due

Don't forget your Historical Argument Exercise is due on Friday (30th March) by 5pm.

• The task is described in the Unit Guide
• It is worth 15%
• The word limit is 800 words
• The assignment should be submitted online via Blackboard
•  find Blackboard via the my.monash link to the right
• AND please hand in a hard copy to me in week 6 tutorials

 Any general questions about this assignment? Please post below.

[Update: here is the link to information about formatting

http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/OffCampus/Improve/9.1.html]

It's the economy, stupid!*

Hi everyone,

In week 4 we're going to be considering some heavy hitting economic theories about how medieval Europe worked. In particular, we're going to be comparing the theories of these two historians:
 

R.H.C. Davis

Henri Pirenne

Davis' work will form the basis of the Historical Argument Exercise, due in week 5, so come prepared to think about and discuss it in depth to assist in your preparation.

Remember, the first assessment task is also coming up next week. There will be an in-class test in the second lecture hour on Monday 19th March (unless you have already agreed an alternate arrangement with Clare and myself).


And just because I can't leave a whole blog post with no pretty pictures except photos of eminent old men, here's a completely gratuitous picture of Merton College, Oxford, where Davis worked for a time. It has, in my opinion, the most beautiful sounding bells in the world (or maybe they just make me nostalgic). You can hear them here.

Merton College, Oxford (Image by J. Gollner)

* This is a quote from Bill Clinton, nothing personal!

SBS goes Medieval

So, I forgot to mention this link to you: The Beauty of Maps
It's a documentary about the amazing Hereford Mappa Mundi, a thirteenth-century map of the known (and unknown) world. The link is active for the next 6 days, so take advantage quickly!

No rest for the wicked...

Please note that Monday is not a University holiday. Please join me for tutorials as normal.

This week's blog follows below.

Kathleen

Charlemagne and the Idea of Empire

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...)

Note room change!

Hi folks,

I'll email you individually, but for your reference please note that our tute will be in a different room from Monday 5th of March so that we have access to a data projector. Join me in Building 12 (Law building) G22 at 3pm.

Kathleen

(The coming week's tute blog follows below...)