Historical narratives and Christian identity on a European periphery : early history writing in Northern, East-Central, and Eastern Europe (c. 1070-1200) / edited by Ildar H. Garipzanov.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Garipzanov, Ildar H.

Series:

Medieval texts and cultures of Northern Europe

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historiography--Scandinavia--History--To 1500.

Historiography--Europe, Eastern--History--To 1500.

Historiography--Europe, Central--History--To 1500.

Christianity and literature--Scandinavia--History--To 1500.

Christianity and literature--Europe, Eastern--History--To 1500.

Christianity and literature--Europe, Central--History--To 1500.

Identification (Religion)--History--To 1500.

Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern)--Europe--History and criticism.

Literature and history--Europe--History--To 1500.

Literature and history.

History.

Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern).

Identification (Religion).

Christianity and literature.

Historiography.

Europe.

Central Europe.

Eastern Europe.

Scandinavia.

Physical Description:

xiii, 292 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Turnhout : Brepols, 2011.

Summary:

Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe is a series which opens up a dedicated forum for comparative work on northern European medieval literature, history, and society and their significance in the modern world. It promotes dialogue between anglophone and continental medievalists and addresses the need for transcultural perspectives on Europe's medieval origins in a way that is distinctive both in scope and in academic orientation. The focus is on the medieval texts and cultures of the British Isles, northern and central mainland Europe, and Scandinavia. The chronological range of the series is from c. 800 AD to c 1600 ad. Each volume makes available to an international readership excellent new work, offering ways of reading texts, cultures, and. institutions that speak to the contemporary world.

This volume presents the first comprehensive overview of the major early historical narratives created in Northern, East-Central, and Eastern Europe between c. 1070 and c. 1200, with each chapter providing a short introduction to the narrative in question. Most chapters are written by established experts in their fields, who have published critical editions of the discussed narratives, their English translations, or analytical works dealing with early history writing in corresponding regions. However, the volume is more than just a summary of various narratives. Despite being written in such different languages as Latin, Old Norse, and Old Church Slavonic, these narratives played similar roles for their reading audiences, in that they were crucial in the construction of Christian identity in the lands recently converted to Christianity. The thirteen authors contemplate the extent to which this identity formation affected the nature of narrativity in these early historical works. The authors ask how the pagan past and Christian present were incorporated in the texture of the narratives, and address the relative importance of classical and biblical models for their composition and structure. By addressing such questions, the volume offers medievalists a coherent comparative study of early history writing in the peripheral regions; of medieval Europe in the first centuries after conversion. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Christianity and Paganism in Adam of Bremen's Narrative / Ildar H. Garipzanov Garipzanov, Ildar H. 13

Part 1 Early Scandinavian Historical Narratives in Latin

2 Two Early Twelfth-Century Views of Denmark's Christian Past: Ailnoth and the Anonymous of Roskilde / Michael H. Gelting Gelting, Michael H. 33

3 Historia Norwegie and Sven Aggesen: Two Pioneers in Comparison / Lars Boje Mortensen Mortensen, Lars Boje 57

4 Theodoricus Monachus: The Kingdom of Norway and the History of Salvation / Sverre Bagge Bagge, Sverre 71

Part 2 Early Scandinavian Historical Narratives in Old Norse

5 The Two Ages in Ágrip afNdregs konunga sqgum / Theodore M. Andersson Andersson, Theodore M. 93

6 Íslendingabok: The Creation of an Icelandic Christian Identity / Else Mundal Mundal, Else 111

7 Whetting the Appetite for a Vernacular Literature: The Icelandic Hungrvaka / Jonas Wellendorf Wellendorf, Jonas 123

Part 3 Early Historical Narratives in East-Central Europe

8 A New Chosen People? Gallus Anonymus's Narrative about Poland and its Rulers / Zbigniew Dalewski Dalewski, Zbigniew 145

9 Christian Identity in the Chronicle of the Czechs by Cosmas of Prague / János M. Bak Bak, János M. 167

10 'Morepaganismo': Reflections on the Pagan and Christian Past in the Gesta Hungarorum of the Hungarian Anonymous Notary / László Veszprémy Veszprémy, László 183

Part 4 Early Historical Narratives in Eastern Europe

11 Christian Chronology, Universal History, and the Origin of Chronicle Writing in Rus' / Oleksiy P. Tolochko Tolochko, Oleksiy P. 205

12 Pagan Past and Christian Identity in the Primary Chronicle / Donald Ostrowski Ostrowski, Donald 229

13 Christian Identity in the Early Novgorodian Annalistic Writing / Timofey V. Guimon Guimon, Timofey V. 255.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9782503533674

2503533671

OCLC:

751665537