Medieval Sourcesonline from Manchester University Press

Medievalsources

Late Merovingian France [Enter]
History and hagiogarphy, 640-720
by Paul Fouracre and Richard A. Gerberding

This unique collection of documents in translation brings together the seminal sources for the late Merovingian Frankish kingdom. It interprets the chronicles and saints' lives rigorously to reveal new insights into the nature and significance of sanctity, power and power relationships.

These sources make available a range of seventh and early eighth-century texts, five of which have never before been translated into English. It opens with a broad-ranging explanation of the historical background to the translated texts and then each source is accompanied by a full commentary and an introductory essay exploring its authorship, language and subject matter. The sources are rich in the detail of Merovingian political life. Their subjects are the powerful in society and they reveal the successful interplay between power and sanctity, a process which came to underpin much of European culture throughout the early Middle Ages.

Entry to page one of the collection of documents for browsing and reading. A full contents list below is provided so you can find the document you are searching for quickly. Please note the list of contents below only work if you have a Netscape 4.7 browser or above. The contents are reproduced within the document itself enter here.

CONTENTS:
Introduction
The seventh century in its historical context
Sources and historians: hagiography and history
Merovingian Latin: the language of the sources

I: Liber Historiae Francorum
(The Book of the History of the Franks)

II: Vita Domnae Balthild
(The Life of Lady Balthid, Queen of the Franks)

III: Vita Audoini Episcopi Rotomagnesis
(The Life of Audoin, Bishop of Rouen)

IV: Acta Aunemundi
(The Deeds of Aunemund)

V: Passio Laudegarii
(The Suffering of Laudegar)

VI: Passio Praejecti
(The Suffering of Praejectus)

VII: Vita Sanctae Geretrudis and the Additamentum Nivialense de Fuilano
(The Life of St Geretrud and the Nivelles supplement to the Vita Fursei concerning Folillan)

VIII: The First Section of Annales Mettenses Priores
(The Earlier Annals of Metz)

Bibliography

For links to other sources visit the Manchester Medievalportal.