Charlemagne History and Legend

Contents The Fall of Western Rome and Rise of the Franks The Life of Charlemagne The Legacy of Charlemagne to 1066 Charlemagne in the British Isles after the Norman Conquest The Legend of Charlemagne to Modern Times

The Fall of the Western Roman Empire By the end of the fourth century, the Roman Empire was divided in two: the western part was ruled from Rome, while the eastern part was ruled from Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, numerous successor states emerged Some of the most powerful included the Franks, the Burgundians and the Visigoths These successors are sometimes referred to as the ‘Barbarian’ Kingdoms The Eastern Roman Empire lived on (and would do until 1453) as the Byzantine Empire Above: 1) The divide in the Empire by 395 (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Theodosius_I%27s_empire.png) 2) The ‘Barbarian’ kingdoms that emerged after the collapse of the Western Empire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian_kingdoms#/media/File:Europe_and_the_Near_East_at_476_AD.png)

The Rise of the Franks By the end of the 700s, the Franks had come to prominence in the region now known as France, but also in Holland and parts of Germany Their great rise came during the reign of King Clovis in the sixth century The language spoken by the Franks is known as Old Frankish Over the course of the period from the fall of Rome to the rise of Charlemagne, Old Frankish was gradually replaced and incorporated into the versions of Latin spoken in these regions, which would evolve into Old French and Old Dutch The Territories of the Franks by 511 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_I#/media/File:Conquests_of_Clovis.png)

The Life of Charlemagne (I) Born c. 742 – this date has been calculated with numbers provided by Charlemagne’s biographer, Einhard Most likely born in Aachen (modern-day Germany) Son of Pepin the Short (king of the Franks, 751–768) and Bertrada of Laon Pepin was the first king of the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty Charles the Great (later known as Charlemagne) succeeded his father as king of the Franks in 768 We must be careful, though. Charlemagne’s biographer, Einhard, writing shortly after Charlemagne’s death said: ‘It would be folly, I think, to write a word concerning Charles' birth and infancy, or even his boyhood, for nothing has ever been written on the subject, and there is no one alive now who can give information on it’. Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne The Fordham Medieval Sourcebook (https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/einhard.asp#Charlemagne's%20Ancestors)

The Life of Charlemagne (II) Charlemagne’s reign is remembered for numerous reforms in various areas of life and society, such as education, writing, the church and the economy He is best, known, though, for his wars and conquests: areas of Saxony, Italy, Spain and France were all brought into his domains (he is sometimes referred to as the father of Europe) One of his most famous battles was his defeat in northern Spain at a place called Roncevaux in the year 778 – a battle that would later be commemorated in the famous poem, The Song of Roland Charlemagne was so powerful that on Christmas Day in the year 800 (32 years after becoming king), he was crowned emperor of the Romans by the pope On his death in 814, his empire encompassed much of modern-day Europe The Frankish Empire on the Death of Charlemagne in 814 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne#/media/File:Frankish_Empire_481_to_814-en.svg)

The Legacy of Charlemagne to 1066 Charlemagne’s empire began to fracture in the decades after his death After a civil war in the period 840–843, his grandsons agreed to the terms of the Treaty of Verdun (843): Lothar I ruled Middle Francia Louis the German ruled East Francia (Germany) Charles the Bald ruled West Francia (France) One year earlier, Louis and Charles had agreed to the Oaths of Strasbourg, which were recorded in several languages, including the earliest known version of what would become French These states split further over the next century, and in 911 the Capetian dynasty came to rule West Francia (France) Historical writing about Charlemagne’s life continued throughout the period, and he began to appear in knightly literature The twelfth-century chronicler William of Malmesbury reported that a version of the most famous song of Charlemagne, The Song of Roland, was sung in the army of William the Conqueror in 1066 Left: The Oaths of Strasbourg, Bibliotheque Nationale de France (https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84238417/f29.image)

Charlemagne in the British Isles after the Norman Conquest After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the ruling class spoke French One of the most popular forms of entertainment for this social class were songs about knightly deeds in combat, and Charlemagne commonly appeared in such works The earliest known version of the most famous legend of Charlemagne, The Song of Roland, was produced in England somewhere around the year 1130 Songs of Charlemagne's deeds remained popular in England throughout the Middle Ages Charlemagne romances were among some of the first works to be printed with the introduction of the printing press in the late fifteenth century The legends of Charlemagne were passed down in the numerous languages spoken in the British Isles in the Middle Ages, including French, English and Latin Above: The oldest known version of The Song of Roland (c. 1130), Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 23 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_Chanson_de_Roland_-_MS_Oxford.djvu) Above: Charlemagne pictured in the Chanson d’Aspremont, thirteenth century (Nottingham, University of Nottingham Archives, MS WLC/LM6)

The Legend of Charlemagne to Modern Times Charlemagne’s legend was maintained and developed through the early modern period One example is the Charlemagne Head of the Bayard’s Colts, now held in Walsall, which was an early modern processional stick There are numerous examples of Charlemagne’s legacy today: The Charlemagne Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has undertaken work in the service of European unification Computer games have made use of his name, such as an expansion pack of Crusader Kings II It is possible that the king of hearts in a deck of cards is a representation of Charlemagne He remains an important figure in the modern world Right: The Charlemagne Head of the Bayard’s Colts; the Charlemagne Medal

Charlemagne History and Legend