Writing History for the King

ISBN-13: 9780801451317 / Angielski / Twarda / 2013 / 272 str.

Charity Urbanski

Opis

Writing History for the King is at once a reassessment of the reign of Henry II of England (1133 1189) and an original contribution to our understanding of the rise of vernacular historiography in the high Middle Ages. Charity Urbanski focuses on two dynastic histories commissioned by Henry: Wace's Roman de Rou (c. 1160 1174) and Benoit de Sainte-Maure s Chronique des ducs de Normandie (c. 1174 1189). In both cases, Henry adopted the new genre of vernacular historical writing in Old French verse in an effort to disseminate a royalist version of the past that would help secure a grip on power for himself and his children. Wace was the first to be commissioned, but in 1174 the king abruptly fired him, turning the task over to Benoit de Sainte-Maure.Urbanski examines these histories as part of a single enterprise intended to cement the king s authority by enhancing the prestige of Henry II s dynasty. In a close reading of Wace s Rou, she shows that it presented a less than flattering picture of Henry s predecessors, in effect challenging his policies and casting a shadow over the legitimacy of his rule. Benoit de Sainte-Maure s Chronique, in contrast, mounted a staunchly royalist defense of Anglo-Norman kingship. Urbanski reads both works in the context of Henry s reign, arguing that as part of his drive to curb baronial power he sought a history that would memorialize his dynasty and solidify its claim to England and Normandy."