In the early Middle Ages, the writing of history was largely the preserve of religious communities. Historical narratives served to glorify the community itself, the power of a secular ruler, or often both simultaneously. Divine providence was frequently woven into the history of a particular group, as illustrated by universal chronicles which, after recounting the essential episodes of sacred history, including the Apocalypse at the end of time, ultimately gave prominence to a specific land or people.
Over time, however, both voices and purposes multiplied, reshaping the ways in which history was written. In the twelfth century Bohemia, Cosmas of Prague was among the first to compose a history devoted to a particular people, the Czechs. Gradually, lay authors – initially drawn from the nobility and later from the urban bourgeoisie – also began to assert their voices, transforming both the form and the content of historiographical texts.
By the period 500–1500, sophisticated traditions of recording and interpreting the past existed across Europe, Byzantium, the Islamic world, India, China, and elsewhere. The course will thus adopt a global approach. It will examine the major genres of medieval historiography, including annals, universal histories, chronicles, and hagiography, and will trace how their relationships evolved in response to social and political change. It will also explore the role of audiences and the impact of the gradual democratization of literacy on historical writing. Finally, the course will consider the material and institutional resources available to historians, whether they were supported by religious communities, organized workshops, or more loosely by the commitment to a cause, in order to highlight the growing diversification of historical practice and its varied place within medieval society.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Define and critically discuss medieval concepts of history, memory, time, historical truth, and the authority of the past.
Explain the major traditions of historical writing in the medieval world, including Latin Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, Persian, Central Asian, Chinese, and Indian traditions.
Identify and distinguish different forms of medieval historical writing, including chronicles, annals, universal histories, biographies, genealogies, dynastic histories, inscriptions, court histories, and local histories.
Evaluate the purposes and functions of historical writing, including the preservation of memory, construction of identity, legitimization of political authority, and justification of dynastic or religious claims.
Compare different medieval approaches to historical time and continuity, including Christian universal history, Islamic universal history, Byzantine historical traditions, Chinese dynastic cycles, and regional or dynastic traditions in South and Central Asia.
Analyze the role of institutions and communities in producing and preserving historical knowledge, including monasteries, imperial courts, dynasties, religious institutions, cities, and local communities.
Assess the relationship between power and historical memory, examining how rulers, dynasties, religious institutions, and communities shaped representations of the past to establish legitimacy and identity.
Interpret medieval historical sources critically, considering authorship, audience, genre, purpose, context, selection of evidence, and the relationship between historical narrative and political or religious interests.
Assessment
• Preparation for and participation in class (20% of the final grade): this part of the grade is based on diligent preparation for and active participation in class discussions, particularly discussions of assigned readings. Attendance and preparation are mandatory. Please notify both instructors in advance about any absences.
• Reading questions (40% of the final grade): weekly reading questions will be provided to guide students’ engagement with the selected texts. Students are required to submit their answers to these questions for feedback three times during the course of the term, by 17.00 on the day before the session. The answers to the reading questions are mostly evaluated for what they demonstrate about a student’s engagement with and understanding of the text in question; issues of academic prose style are of secondary importance.
• Final assignment (60% of the final grade): in the final assignment, students apply the knowledge acquired throughout the course to an author and text/manuscript/series of images of their choice.
- Instructor: Eloise Adde