Royal Frankish Annals
Encyclopedia
The Royal Frankish Annals or Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks ,are annals
covering the history of early Carolingian
monarchs from 741 to 829. Their composition seems to have soon been taken up at court, providing them with markedly official character. 19th-century editors assumed the text to have existed in five versions, which they dated to different moments during early Carolingians' rule. In particular, a revision of the annals was attributed to Frankish
historian Einhard
(c. 775 – 840) (therefore Annales qui dicuntur Einhardi), though a really convincing argument for his authorship is wanting. More recently, however, this whole picture has been deeply challenged and a strong case has been made by scholars that the annals, though composed at different phases, may have been edited altogether at a later stage. They are among the most important sources for the political and military history of the reign of Charlemagne
. They have been continued in the West Frankish Annales Bertiniani
and largely – but not always literally – employed by the early compilers of the East Frankish Annales Fuldenses
.
Annals
Annals are a concise form of historical representation which record events chronologically, year by year. The Oxford English Dictionary defines annals as "a narrative of events written year by year"...
covering the history of early Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
monarchs from 741 to 829. Their composition seems to have soon been taken up at court, providing them with markedly official character. 19th-century editors assumed the text to have existed in five versions, which they dated to different moments during early Carolingians' rule. In particular, a revision of the annals was attributed to Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
historian Einhard
Einhard
Einhard was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni, "one of the most precious literary bequests of the early Middle Ages."-Public life:Einhard was from the eastern...
(c. 775 – 840) (therefore Annales qui dicuntur Einhardi), though a really convincing argument for his authorship is wanting. More recently, however, this whole picture has been deeply challenged and a strong case has been made by scholars that the annals, though composed at different phases, may have been edited altogether at a later stage. They are among the most important sources for the political and military history of the reign of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. They have been continued in the West Frankish Annales Bertiniani
Annales Bertiniani
Annales Bertiniani, or The Annals of St. Bertin, are late Carolingian, Frankish annals that were found in the monastery of St. Bertin, after which they are named. Their account is taken to cover the period 830-82, thus continuing the Royal Frankish Annals , from which, however, it has circulated...
and largely – but not always literally – employed by the early compilers of the East Frankish Annales Fuldenses
Annales Fuldenses
The Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Francia with the accession of the child-king, Louis III, in 900...
.
Sources
- Kurze, Friedrich (ed.): Annales regni Francorum (741–829) qui dicuntur Annales Laurissenses maiores et Einhardi. Post editionem G. H. Pertzii (Scriptores rerum germanicarum in usum scholarum, 6), Hannover 1895.
- Loyn, H.R. and J. Percival (trs.). The Reign of Charlemagne. London, 1975. pp. 38–42. [AD 757, 788, 796 and 800]
- King, P.D. (tr.). Charlemagne: Translated Sources. Kendal, 1987. Selections available online: years 775-776, 808-810 and in the Revised Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks, years 782-4.
External links
- Annales regni Francorum at The Latin LibraryThe Latin LibraryThe Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. The texts have been drawn from different sources. Many were originally scanned and formatted from texts in the Public Domain. Others have been downloaded from various sites on the Internet . Most of the recent texts have been...
- Annales regni Francorum at Monumenta Germaniae HistoricaMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...