Charlemagne

Karel (Charlemagne), Elegast, and Eggeric are the three main protagonists of the medieval Dutch epos Karel ende Elegast. Each of them is a knight, but represents different characteristics. The Monarch, the Outlaw, and the Traitor share some chivalric values but present contrasts in their behaviour. This article examines these three characters and their relationships to chivalry. It focuses on the image of chivalry in the epos, and not on the historical aspects of knighthood. As it is one of the fi rst publications in Poland on Middle Dutch texts, it also outlines the chivalric literature in the medieval Low Countries.

Статья посвящена анализу социального и правового статуса раз-личных категорий зависимого населения, отраженных в «Капитулярии о поместьях» (Capitulare de villis vel curtis imperii), который был составлен
в 794–800 гг. Автор рассматривает статус и функции представителей управленческой верхушки в рамках поместья. Для различных категорий администрации в капитулярии существовало несколько обозначений:
управляющий — iudex, его помощники — iuniores, староста — maior, надсмотрщик — minister. Некоторые представители поместного управления обладали привилегированным положением. Вторая часть статьи посвя-щена рядовым обитателям королевских поместий — бывшим свободным франкам, оказавшимся под властью могущественного правителя вместе со своим имуществом, и различным категориям зависимых земледельцев (минестериалов, свободных франков, рабов, фискалинов и трибутариев,
провендариев). Автор показывает, что все эти представители социума относились к категории homines nostri (похожих по своему образу на homines regii в Рипуарской правде VII в.). Именно в «Капитулярии о поместьях» наиболее ярко прослеживается тренд, который заключался в постепенном слиянии различных категорий на протяжении VII–IX вв. в один зависи-мый слой, впоследствии ставший основой для массы сервов IX–XI вв., сидевших на землях своего господина, вносивших различные подати и исполнявших разнообразные повинности в его пользу.

This course examines the interconnected medieval worlds of Europe, Africa, and Eurasia from the death of Muhammad to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. Content extends from the emergence of Islam to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. After a survey of late antiquity, Unit One of the semester, “The Shattering of Mediterranean Unity?” (632-1031), concentrates on the rise of Islam and the development of three distinct civilizations in the Mediterranean Basin: the Latin West, Byzantium, and the Caliphates. Unit Two, “Recovery and Revival” (1031-1227), examines the struggle between church and state, crusading and holy violence, the rise of towns and states, and trends in late medieval religion. Particular attention is given to women, religious minorities, and other marginalized groups. Unit Three (1215-1453) explores the close of the Middle Ages as signaled by the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s.

Le pèlerinage de Charlemagne es un poema épico escrito y difundido en el siglo XII, que destaca por la narración de un viaje ficticio a Jerusalén. En una época donde la práctica de la peregrinación resultaba a la vez común y prestigiosa, la simulación de haber realizado ese viaje es recreada como un motivo de risa y de mofa por parte de unos héroes que no muestran ni arrepentimiento ni piedad religiosa. En: Xosé A. Neira Cruz (Coord.), Viajes y caminos: relaciones interculturales entre Italia y España. Santiago de Compostela: Campusculturae, 2016, pp. 143-151.

Pope Leo III (795-816) built two monumental representative rooms for banquets, court hearings and ceremonies in the Lateran. These, called triclinia, were inspired by ancient and byzantine models, rich in imperial symbolism.
The interiors of these buildings were decorated with marbles, paintings and, above all, mosaics in the main apses. The first celebrated the role of the pope as successor of Peter, vicar of Christ and medium for the transmission of the secular power from Constantine to Charlemagne. In the latter, the pope was usually represented taking part in a banquet with eleven diners in the central apse, where Christ, Peter and Paul were depicted, so that the pope become part of the group of the apostles, whose stories were represented on the walls. These magnificent buildings are unfortunately destroyed, so this paper offers a reinterpretation of these monuments by reviewing the literary and figurative evidences and taking new elements into account. It reveals that the choice of architectural models and iconographic programs was designed to build an iconic image of the papacy which emphasized the legacy of the ancient word, the pope’s role as an intermediary with Christ and his leadership over the temporal power.

Highlight
• This is the most detailed account to date on the health and disease status of Charlemagne, the Father of Europe.
• Based on ancient sources, we suggest that Charlemagne suffered from mild gout and died of an infectious pulmonary disease.
• Additionally, for the first time, we present evidence of mummification of Charlemagne's remains, emphasizing his unique historical role. Abstract In this article, a complete history of Charlemagne's mortal remains is outlined, including the first publication reporting on the most recent tomb opening in 1988. Besides exclusive bioarchaeological details – namely that his body was indeed mummified-a full clinical interpretation of the Emperor's final illnesses and death is given: a likely combination of osteoarthritis, gout and a recurrent fever caused by an infectious disease.

Abstract
In this article, a complete history of Charlemagne’s mortal remains is outlined, including the first publication reporting on the most recent tomb opening in 1988. Besides exclusive bioarchaeological details – namely that his body was indeed mummified - a full clinical interpretation of the Emperor’s final illnesses and death is given: a likely combination of osteoarthritis, gout and a recurrent fever caused by an infectious disease.
See also my other publication for this time period:
https://www.academia.edu/37498085/Pope_Joan._The_covered-up_pontificate_of_a_woman_or_a_fictional_legend_2018_

Mitoloji, Yeryüzünü, Evreni ve Evren karşısında insanın kavrayamadığı doğa olaylarını anlamaya çalışan ilkel insanın düşgücünün ürünüdür. Mitolojik düşünce ise, mantık öncesi düşünüş biçimidir ve gizemci bir bakıştır. Bir mitin içindeki tüm olup-biteninin; nedenlerinin ve gerekliliğinin günümüz bilimsel düşünce yapısı ve fiziksel dünya bilincimizle kavranması olası değildir.
        Ancak şu da bir gerçektir ki büyüsel örtülere bürünmüş bir mitolojik öykünün bile insanlık tarihinde bir gerçekliği vardır. İnsanın ilk çığlığı, korkusu, türküsü dillenmiş, söze dökülmüş, taşa kazılmış, şiire taşınmış ama en önemlisi tüm bunlar insanlığın genlerine, bilinçaltına yerleşmiştir.
Mitolojinin bu masalımsı halinden ötürü onu küçümseyen ve faydalı bir bilgi olarak görmeyen düşünüşe karşı Amerikalı yazar Thomas Bulfinch’in (15 Temmuz 1796 - 27 Mayıs 1867) hazırlamış olduğu bir eserdir bu çalışma. Bulfinch’e göre mitoloji iyi bir şekilde bilinmeden ne günümüz yazarlarını ne klasikleşmiş yapıtları ne de modern edebiyatı anlayabiliriz. Örneğin, Shakespeare’in eserlerindeki mitolojik kahramanlara ya da olaylara yapılan göndermelerin anlaşılamayacağını ileri sürer.  Bu sebeple de mitolojik hikâyeleri hemen hemen herkesin okuyabileceği bir dille kaleme almıştır bu yapıtında. Sadece bilimsel bilginin “faydalı” olduğu şeklindeki baskın görüşün artarak egemen olduğu bir dönemde, deneysel yöntemden yararlanarak mitoloji ile modern edebiyatı birleştirmiştir. Antik Çağ yazarlarından aktardığı örnekleri düzyazı şeklinde, modern edebiyattan alarak örtüştürdüğü örnekleri ise birebir çevirileriyle kullanmıştır. Biz de yazarın bu hassasiyetini göz önünde tutarak sizlere onun eserini, kendi düzenlediği biçimde sunmayı uygun gördük. Borges’in dediği gibi …Bir ağacın, bir yıldızın ya da bir kayanın canlı bir varlığı simgeledikleri gibi, Antik Çağ şiiri de düzyazı demekti.  Modern edebiyatta ise bunlar birbirinden ayrılmış disiplinlerdir artık.
Ülkemizde bugün herhangi bir okumuşa “mitoloji”yi sorduğumuzda, Helen ve Roma Mitolojileri akıllarına gelecektir. Kültürümüzün ve edebiyatımızın beslendiği Fars-İslam, Ural-Altay, Orta Doğu ve Doğu Mitolojisi ilk akla gelenlerden olmayacaktır. Bir Amerikalı olan Bulfinch hazırlamış olduğu bu eserde Hellen ve Roma mitolojilerinin yanı sıra kendi edebiyatlarına yansımış birçok göndermelerin kaynağı olan “Kara Avrupası ve “Kuzey Avrupa” mitolojilerine de uzun uzun yer vermiştir. Böylece hem klasik mitolojiyi, antik yazarlardan yaptığı kendi çevirilerinden ve kendi dilinden, döneminin gençlerine öğretiyor hem de bu sayede sözkonusu gençleri modern edebiyata yönlendiriyor.
Efsaneler Çağı’nı, Klasik Mitoloji’yi genç nesle aktarmadaki başarısıyla türünün ve döneminin ilk örneği olarak saymaktadır Marie Cleary. (Miscuit utile dulcı: Bulfınch's Mythology as a pedagogical prototype, Classical World 78.6 (1985), 591-596) ve ona göre Bulfinch, özsözünde belirttiği “bilgi mutluluk getirdiği takdirde ‘faydalı’dır” şeklindeki düşüncesine, Horatius’un "omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci (Faydalı olanla hoş olanı harmanlayan, oyun tamamını almış olur)" prensibini temel almış olduğuna dikkat çekmektedir.
        Bulfinch’in Mitolojisi,  yazarın farklı dönemlerde ele aldığı üç çalışmasının bir derlemesidir: Bunlardan, Efsaneler Çağı 1855; Şövalyeler Çağı 1858; Charlemagne Efsaneleri, Ortaçağ Romansları ise 1863 yıllarında ilk baskıları yapılmıştır.
Bu derlemeyi oluşturan bu üç kitap, beş bölüm halinde sunulmaktadır: Efsaneler Çağı: Tanrıların ve Kahramanların Öyküleri (The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes); Şövalyeler Çağı: Kral Arthur ve Şövalyeleri (The Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur); Mabinogeon (The Mabinogeon); İngiliz Soyunun Kahramanlık Mitleri (Hero Myths of the British Race); Charlemagne Efsaneleri Ortaçağ Romansları (Legends of Charlemagne or Romance of the Middle Ages).
        Eserin Türkçe çevirisi yapılırken, “Bulfinch’s Mythology, Avenel Books Crown Publishers Inc., New York 1978 Edition” adlı basım temel alınmış olup, mitolojide adı geçen Eski Yunanca ve Latince yer ve şahıs adları, mümkün olduğunca yazarın metnine sadık kalınarak Latince şekillerinde verilmeye çalışılmıştır. Bulfinch bu eseri, esas olarak Amerikan ve İngiliz halkına yönelik yazdığı için, onların kültüründe yer etmiş ancak Türk okuyucusunun anlamakta güçlük çekebileceği ve yabancı gelebilecek bazı noktalarda editör ve çevirmen açıklamalarının gerekli gördüğümüz yerlere eklemeyi de uygun gördük.
        Yaklaşık 150 sene önce yazılmış, Amerika ve Avrupa ülkelerinde klasikler arasına girmiş ve defalarca baskısı yapılmış bu eser, Türk okuyucusuna ilk kez, elinizdeki bu çeviri eserle sunulmaktadır. Bugüne kadar Türk bilim insanları ya da aydınları tarafından yazılan ya da diğer dillerden Türkçe’ye çevirilen mitoloji kitapları/ sözlükleri arasında, mitoloji ve mitolojik tarihin anlaşılmasında son derece “faydalı” ve önemli bir yere sahip olacağını düşündüğümüz eserin, son kısmına eklenen sözlük ile birlikte, yazarın da belirttiği gibi, oturma odanızın ya da kütüphanenizin en temel eserlerinden ve en önemli sözlükleri arasına gireceği ve büyük bir boşluğu dolduracağı inancındayız. 
Bülent Öztürk
İstanbul, 2011

Nell'anno 802 giungeva ad Aquisgrana per l'imperatore Carlo Magno un dono davvero fuori dal comune: un elefante, di nome Abul Abbas, che il califfo di Baghdad Harun al-Rashid aveva inviato a seguito della richiesta che lo stesso Carlo Magno gli aveva espressamente fatto qualche anno prima. Ma perché quell'inconsueto desiderio di Carlo? E che significato dare allo scambio di doni fra l'imperatore e il califfo? Quella dell'elefante di Carlo Magno può apparire la storia di una stramberia, la vicenda un po' triste di un povero animale finito a morire nel freddo clima germanico, ma in realtà tutta la vicenda, se attentamente interrogata, svela molto dei rapporti diplomatici del tempo, della politica del dono, del significato politico che il possesso di un elefante, come attribuito di regalità, poteva avere, e anche dell'immagine che allora l'Europa cristiana si faceva del mondo.

This is the second chapter on my final paper required for my Bachelor's thesis at the History Department of Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, titled “TODAS AS MULHERES DO REI”. In this chapter, I analyzed some of Charlemagne's relationships with the women in his life, based on Einhard's account in Vita Karoli.

It has long recognized that Byzantine art exerted a significant influence on the West. This is particularly been shown to be the case on art history. The eminently important question of the relationship of Latin to Byzantine neumatic notation has long been unclear – understandable because systematic comparative studies on the neumatic notations had not been undertaken.
Every investigation of connexions between Gregorian chant and Byzantine church music must give consideration to the fact that in the sixth, seventh and eight centuries the closest relationships must have existed between Rome and Constantinople. During this time period numerous chants of byzantine rite were introduced into the Roman Church.
My own investigations caused an enormous sensation. Suddenly amazing connections between Byzantine Church music and the notation of Gregorian chant were exposed. Numerous Latin neumes and corresponding Byzantine signs (semata) proved to be onomatically, paleographivally and semasiologically (semantically) related and in many cases identical.
The great number of names of Latin neumes have been shown to be borrowed words or borrowed translations from Middle Greek. The medieval classification of the Latin neumatic repertory comprise five classes and has the advantage that it is compatible with the typology of the Paleobyzantine signs: 1. neumae simplices (tonoi haploi); 2. neumae compositae (tonoi synthetoi); 3. ornamental neumes; 4. notae semivocales (hemiphona), 5. litterae significativae (grammata). The most frequently used litterae and the most important grammata have similar meanings. Comparing Byzantine and Latin notation we came to the conclusion that both had a partial stenographic character. Neumes like the quilisma, pressus and genarally speaking every sign based on different forms of the oriscus are considered as stenograpic signs. It could be shown that the closest connections existed between Paleobyzantine and Latin neumes.

Depuis le XIIIe siècle, la légende du Second Charlemagne était très enracinée en Italie, surtout à Florence, où une vieille tradition considérait le roi des Francs comme le bienfaiteur de la ville. Ce nouveau Charlemagne était attendu comme celui qui allait rétablir une époque de splendeur sur la terre permettant en même temps la réalisation d’une réforme de la société.
En 1545, un agent impérial, adresse au duc de Florence un précis sur la généalogie de Charlemagne et de Charles Quint écrit par Pietro Mareno. Ce livre renouait avec l'image mythique de Charlemagne et établissait une ligne directe entre Charles Quint et son ancêtre présumé.
Cette légende subira des modifications significatives pour être adaptée à la nouvelle situation politique de Florence, désormais sous le protectorat de l'Empire.

Contemporary discussions of Charlemagne’s posthumous reputation, particularly with regard to his morality, make frequent reference to the Visio Wettini. This text records a vision experience by Wetti of Reichenau in 824, wherein Charlemagne is seen suffering for his lax behavior toward the end of his life. This scene is now considered a potent criticism of Charlemagne from the more puritanical age of Louis the Pious, one only ambiguously answered by Einhard, and is considered an enduring blot on the emperor’s legacy. But this blot may just be modern perception. This paper will explore the reception of the Charlemagne episode in the Visio Wettini from the 9th century to the 18th. In this investigation, it becomes clear that the Visio Wettini’s comments about Charlemagne (who is only identified there in oblique fashion) very quickly became dissociated from Charlemagne himself, such that the passage either came to be ignored or was read without understanding that it referred to a particular individual. It was not until Mabillon’s edition of 1677 that Charlemagne was restored to ignominy in the Visio Wettini, and even this restoration had limited impact. The Visio Wettini may colour our perception of Charlemagne, but for centuries Charlemagne’s memory was safe from its stinging criticism.

There was a critical difference, between the kingdom built by the Frankish family of Clovis and the just-collapsed Roman Empire. This Merovingian kingdom was not ruled with the same degree of central control that Roman Caesars had possessed.  Reflecting Frankish tribal traditions, Merovingian kings ruled based on the loyalty of local/tribal leaders who kept their local power, but did carry out some of the king's orders in their territories.  These regional leaders included both tribal leaders/chiefs and descendants of Roman land owners.  These local leaders kept a substantial degree of local, independent control.

Through an examination of the fractured source material regarding Charlemagne's Imperial Coronation by Pope Leo III in 800, it is possible to discern that there was indeed a longer-term Imperial Strategy behind Charles' acceptance of the title Holy Roman Emperor.

Charlemagne imposed many linguistic reforms in an effort to restore Latin to what he saw as its original state of purity, thus effectively forcing the separation of the language of the Church from the language of the people. Modern French would be born from the latter.

Статья посвящена подробному рассмотрению пяти медальонов с изображениями батальных  сцен,  входящих в  состав  витража  «История  Карла  Великого» Шартрского  собора. Особое внимание автор обращает на идентификацию персонажей, а также сопоставляет представленные на клеймах мизансцены с более ранними памятниками средневекового искусства, затрагивает тему изображения в средневековом искусстве врага. В ходе исследования автор приходит к выводу, что батальные сцены витража «История Карла Великого» иллюстрируют не столько историю легендарного короля, сколько современный художнику мир готической эпохи.

in: Rob Meens et al. (eds.), Religious Franks. Religion and power in the Frankish Kingdoms: Studies in honour of Mayke de Jong (Manchester, 2016).


We have grown accustomed to viewing relations between the Carolingian court and the monasteries within the realm in terms of politics and economics. Confirmation charters and (land) grants are evidence of transactions with benefits for both parties, often very material in nature or closely related to worldly power. The relations with the abbey of Monte Cassino break this paradigm somewhat, not only because it was situated outside the Carolingian empire, but also because its spiritual prestige trumped any worldly benefit to be gained. This essay studies the interplay between power politics and religion in the Carolingians' relations with Monte Cassino.

Charlemagne and his coinage
Simon Coupland
The predominant image of the coinage of Charlemagne is undoubtedly the famous portrait type, yet research now shows that very few Franks would ever have seen one of these coins, and that they were never intended to become the regular currency. This means that their impact as a portrayal of the emperor’s power and prestige would have been extremely limited. While the portrait coinage has been intensively studied, the other two types – the light pre-reform coinage and the heavier monogram type introduced by a reform which can now be dated to 793 – have received little attention over the past 50 years. By focusing on these, particularly with the help of new data provided by single finds, it is possible to offer a wealth of new insights into the reign of Charlemagne. A raft of developments thus reveal that he not only exercised greater control over his mints than Pippin III had done, but also that he extended and strengthened that control. The amount of silver in circulation increased, due partly to the opening of new seams at the important silver mines in Melle, and partly to an increase in trade with Scandinavia in the north, and the Mediterranean and the Arab world in the south. Coins also circulated more widely and mixed more freely, with several mints striking oboles (half-deniers) for the first time. All this points to a an increasingly monetised economy, with more people in more regions using more coins for smaller transactions. The coinage also reveals a definite and deliberate policy of standardisation across the Empire, in contrast to Charlemagne’s more relaxed attitude to regional variation in other administrative areas.