Carolingian Chronicles

Object of the following research are Carolingian Chronicles. The aim of our essay is to

analyze the narrative voice of the Carolingian Chronicles. We are going to explore sort of

position taken by the author. Also we’ll give coverage to assumptions the narrator makes.

Original name of Carolingian Chronicles is “Annales regni Francorum.” There were

several publications of the document such as Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores in

usum scholarum by Friedrich Kurze. But we study the Chronicles under the translation of

Bernard W. Scholz and Barbara Rogers Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals and

Nithard's Histories. “Annales regni Francorum” is an official record of the rise and fall of the

Carolingian Empire. It provides an account of the years 741 to 829, during which time the

Carolingian Empire ascended to its peak of dominance and splendor.

To begin with we should give a definition of annals. This word is of Latin “annales”,

which comes from “annus” - a year. Annals are precise form of historical writing which

record events chronologically, year by year. Yet a chronicle (Latin: chronica) is an account of

events in chronological order. Carolingian Chronicles primarily was called Annales regni

Francorum. So it is annals, but the articles are so extent that we can denote this writing as

chronicle. Equal weight is given for important events and less important events, because the

purpose of Carolingian Chronicles was to record all the events that occurred.

First version of Carolingian Chronicles “Annales regni Francorum” was composed in

788 — 793 years during the Carolingian Renaissance. Recently the author of the writing

considered Einhard who was Frankish courtier and biographer of Charlemagne. Posterior

research rejected this fact. Nowadays historians believe “Annales regni Francorum” was

written by anonymous monks in monastery.

Carolingian Chronicles are valuable historical source, it provide information for

exploration the history of many nations. Traditional historiography, based on scanty

information provided by references in the Carolingian chronicles, divides the inhabitants of

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the Low Countries into three groups: Franks, Saxons, and Frisians. There was little or no

intercourse between Frankish territory in Gaul and the pagan Germanic peoples of the Low

Countries.

The main idea of the writing was to show how Carolingian Empire rose and to glorify

Charlemagne. Greater part of the text is dedicated to description of Bavarian campaign. With

the following words the author of the pro-Carolingian Annales regni Francorum describes the

final disgrace of Tassilo III, the last duke of the Bavarians from the Agilolfinger house—the

ducal family that had presided over this southeastern appendage of the Frankish kingdom

since the late sixth century.

Loyal Bavarians began to say that Tassilo egged on by his wife, was breaking

fealty and showing himself as downright treacherous. . . . Tassilo could not deny

it, but confessed later that he had made overtures to the Avars, had ordered the

vassals of the Lord King (Charles) to come to him, and had made an attempt on

their lives. (Carolingian Chronicles a. 788, 80-82)

Thus, by entering into a conspiracy with the Avars against Charlemagne, his king and

lord, Tassilo had forfeited any claim that he, or members of his line, had to lead the

Bavarians. Although the assembled warriors had clamored for his execution, the "generous"

king of the Franks allowed him to take the tonsure and to enter a monastery. Not only did the

"official" Annales regni Francorum have little good to say about him, but even the Bavarian

bishop, Arbeo of Freising, produced during Tassilo's lifetime Saints' Lives that must be

considered pro-Carolingian, anti-Agilolfinger propaganda.

The narrator of Carolingian Chronicles tells us how Liudewit also won an encounter

against Borna in 819, driving him out of his territory and winning over the Guduscani, who

deserted the Dalmatian leader before the battle took place. The description of this invasion

merits our attention because it illustrates the type of warfare routinely practiced in this region.

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According the the Royal Annals, "When Borna saw that he was no match for Liudewit, he

stored all he could in his castles, and attacked Liudewit's army with crack troops. Hampering

him now in the rear and now in the flank, he wore him down day and night and would not let

him stay in his province (Carolingian Chronicles, 106)." In the end, Liudewit was forced to

retreat. "Three thousand men of Liudewit's army were killed, more than three hundred horses

captured, and baggage and all sorts of spoils seized." This passage is an excellent illustration

of the tactical use of elite forces operating from castella to wear down a numerically superior

invader. While Borna prevented Liudewit from spreading his rebellion into Dalmatia, the

situation remained serious for the Franks in Pannonia and Carantania. In January 820, the

emperor summoned Borna to an assembly in Aachen for advice. The decision was reached "to

dispatch three armies from three directions at once in order to lay waste Liudewit's territory

and curb his pretensions (Carolingian Chronicles a. 820, 152.)."

Once again this was a large invasion force including troops recruited from most of the

East Frankish provinces. "When winter was over and grass could provide fodder for the pack

animals (iumenta)," the revised Royal Annals report, "three armies were sent against Liudewit

(Carolingian Chronicles, 161)."

The passage describing the expedition of 820 deserves to be quoted:

The two [armies] which moved on the right and left went slowly, since one was

hindered in the Alps by enemy forces, while the other was slowed down by the

length of the route and by the river Drava, which had to be crossed. But the one in

the center, which entered by way of Carantania, although meeting resistance in

three places, luckily overcame it each time, crossed the Drava, and arrived at its

destination more rapidly. Liudewit undertook nothing against this force but lay

low with his men behind the bulwark of a castle that he had built on a steep

mountain. He reportedly said nothing about war or peace, either in person or

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through his envoys. But when the armies had united, they ravaged almost the

whole land with fire and sword and then returned home without suffering any

serious losses. But the army which marched through Upper Pannonia suffered

misfortune when crossing the Drava. From the unhealthy land and water, it was

also severely stricken with dysentery, to which a considerable part of it

succumbed. These armies had been recruited in Saxony, East Francia, and

Alamannia, as well as Bavaria and Italy. After their return home the people of

Carniola, who live along the river Sava and border almost on Friuli, surrendered to

Balderich, and so did those of the Carantanians who had defected from us to

Liudewit (Carolingian Chronicles, a.820, pp. 152-53).

Besides Bavarian campaign narrator of Carolingian Chronicles pay attention on deeds

of Charlemagne. The author tells how Charlemagne stipulated for the Saxons a policy of

forcible conversion to Christianity by the year 785. Royal Frankish Annals provide

information about conversion by compulsion to the Christianity. There is record by under the

year 775: "While the king spent the winter at the villa of Quierzy, he decided to attack the

treacherous and treaty-breaking tribe of the Saxons and to persist in this war until they were

either defeated and forced to accept the Christian religion or entirely exterminated

(Carolingian Chronicles, 51)."

To concludethe essay we should say that Royal Frankish Annals is really important

example of medieval historiography. Written by men close to the power, the Annals and

Histories provide fascinating glimpses of how the Carolingians viewed themselves, their

actions, and their times.

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Works Cited

Scholz, Bernhard and Rogers, Barbara. Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish

Annals and Nithard's Histories. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1970.

Friedrich Kurze, ed., Annales regni Francorum, in Monumenta Germaniae Historica,

Scriptores in usum scholarum. Hannover: Impensis Bibliopolii Hahniani, 1895; reprint 1950.

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