In 1990 Davis Ganz published his book " Corbie in the Carolingian Renaissance.' In that very impo... more In 1990 Davis Ganz published his book " Corbie in the Carolingian Renaissance.' In that very important work he claims that right from the beginning the abbey of Corbie was an establishment of a very special status. It was a royal foundation, a new development in late Merovingian monasticism. Earlier foundations had enjoyed royal patronage and protection but had depended on the initiative of clerics or nobles. The development of royal foundations was the result of a new monastic policy, which determined the function of the abbey in the politics of 659-754. Corbie also became one of the most important centers of Carolingian Renaissance. Its library and scriptorium were of the richest in Western Europe and the Abbey was a home for a few notable scholars. During the abbacies of Charlemagne's cousins-Adalhard and Wala, the links with the court were most crucial, but Corbie remained somewhat independent of royal control. In fact, Abbots Adalhard and Wala established a tradition of opposition to royal policy of Charlemagne and Louis PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
This presentation will address two of the main methods with which the eleventh-century historian,... more This presentation will address two of the main methods with which the eleventh-century historian, Adam of Bremen, described both individuals and nations in his opus Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum. Adam was a canonicus and a schoolmaster of the unified Archbishopric of Hamburg and Bremen between the late 1060s and the mid 1070s. These were particularly trying years for Adam's church, and his Gesta was composed in an attempt to meet these challenges. Adam strove to demonstrate that his see had allies and sympathizers, even if the actual state of affairs was always more complicated. To this end, he developed a unique writing process, which allowed him to identify and emphasize friendly entities. This paper will examine the methods Adam used in his narrative approach and in his work with the sources that enabled him to achieve his goals as an author.
Very often modern research tends to see in official conversion of Viking rulers and kings a cruci... more Very often modern research tends to see in official conversion of Viking rulers and kings a crucial point of Christianisation of Scandinavia. Many of medieval writers and chronicles celebrate baptism of certain ruler as a significant point in the career of the missionary and his Church. The newly converted ruler was expected to spread Christianity within his lands and people and to cooperate with specific European Church in both missionary and administrative fields. In that case, his Christian piety and the number of the converts were introduced and celebrated as a virtue and a sign of the king’s real power in his realm.
In this paper, I would like to argue that the conversion of the ruler was not always necessary in order to introduce Christianity into Scandinavian lands. I would like to suggest that Christian missionaries could have achieved much more by convincing the kings and rulers to cooperate, without persisting on the official conversion.
In 1990 Davis Ganz published his book " Corbie in the Carolingian Renaissance.' In that very impo... more In 1990 Davis Ganz published his book " Corbie in the Carolingian Renaissance.' In that very important work he claims that right from the beginning the abbey of Corbie was an establishment of a very special status. It was a royal foundation, a new development in late Merovingian monasticism. Earlier foundations had enjoyed royal patronage and protection but had depended on the initiative of clerics or nobles. The development of royal foundations was the result of a new monastic policy, which determined the function of the abbey in the politics of 659-754. Corbie also became one of the most important centers of Carolingian Renaissance. Its library and scriptorium were of the richest in Western Europe and the Abbey was a home for a few notable scholars. During the abbacies of Charlemagne's cousins-Adalhard and Wala, the links with the court were most crucial, but Corbie remained somewhat independent of royal control. In fact, Abbots Adalhard and Wala established a tradition of opposition to royal policy of Charlemagne and Louis PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
This presentation will address two of the main methods with which the eleventh-century historian,... more This presentation will address two of the main methods with which the eleventh-century historian, Adam of Bremen, described both individuals and nations in his opus Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum. Adam was a canonicus and a schoolmaster of the unified Archbishopric of Hamburg and Bremen between the late 1060s and the mid 1070s. These were particularly trying years for Adam's church, and his Gesta was composed in an attempt to meet these challenges. Adam strove to demonstrate that his see had allies and sympathizers, even if the actual state of affairs was always more complicated. To this end, he developed a unique writing process, which allowed him to identify and emphasize friendly entities. This paper will examine the methods Adam used in his narrative approach and in his work with the sources that enabled him to achieve his goals as an author.
Very often modern research tends to see in official conversion of Viking rulers and kings a cruci... more Very often modern research tends to see in official conversion of Viking rulers and kings a crucial point of Christianisation of Scandinavia. Many of medieval writers and chronicles celebrate baptism of certain ruler as a significant point in the career of the missionary and his Church. The newly converted ruler was expected to spread Christianity within his lands and people and to cooperate with specific European Church in both missionary and administrative fields. In that case, his Christian piety and the number of the converts were introduced and celebrated as a virtue and a sign of the king’s real power in his realm.
In this paper, I would like to argue that the conversion of the ruler was not always necessary in order to introduce Christianity into Scandinavian lands. I would like to suggest that Christian missionaries could have achieved much more by convincing the kings and rulers to cooperate, without persisting on the official conversion.
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Talks by Dimitri Tarat
In this paper, I would like to argue that the conversion of the ruler was not always necessary in order to introduce Christianity into Scandinavian lands. I would like to suggest that Christian missionaries could have achieved much more by convincing the kings and rulers to cooperate, without persisting on the official conversion.
Papers by Dimitri Tarat
In this paper, I would like to argue that the conversion of the ruler was not always necessary in order to introduce Christianity into Scandinavian lands. I would like to suggest that Christian missionaries could have achieved much more by convincing the kings and rulers to cooperate, without persisting on the official conversion.