History 323 The Middle Ages

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History 323The Middle Ages

• The Carolingian Renaissance

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King Charlemagne

• The most important Carolingian king was named
  Charlemagne (768-814), also called "Charles the
  Great
• He was the son of Pepin the Short and the
  grandson of Charles Martel
• Coronated Holy Roman Emperor in 800 by the Pope
• Einhard, Charlemagnes biographer, described him
  as pure of body and heart. Why did he emphasize
  both physical and moral purity?

A contemporary and realistic statue of
Charlemagne (mid-800s)
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Life Among the Carolingians
Reconstruction of basic Frankish dwellings for
people and animals among the Carolingians, c. 800
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Above Large, one-roomed house, animal, and
fodder pens, c. 800 Left Frankish workers are
depicted doing basic tasks in a manuscript
showing calendar and zodiac
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Life Among the Carolingians
A Christian Church from the Carolingian period
(9th century) Romanesque in style and a rather
plain in the interior (Western Germany)
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Frankish Burial Practices
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Frankish Burial Practices
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Expansion and Administration

• The Carolingians ruled by military expansion.
  Charlemagne was a Germanic king who controlled
  warrior-aristocrats that survived by continually
  conquering new land
• Charlemagne appointed counts to supervise local
  administration within his territories. These men
  supervised the courts, collected tolls,
  administered crown lands, and taxed
• Dukes were appointed as military leaders.
  Bishops managed religious issues and controlled a
  few cities in place of counts
• Charlemagne created a new coinage system based on
  silver
• He administered the kingdom using written records
  and instructions called capitularies
• He sent representatives from his court (missi) on
  tours throughout the countryside to relay his
  instructions personally
• He lived in the capital city of Aachen (Germany)
  but traveled around too, leading armies,
  supervising counts and dukes, and listening to
  complaints

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Social Arrangements and Feudalism

• Charlemagne had no standing armypower was built
  on the ability to assemble temporary armies each
  spring, win battles, and gain booty
• To gain support, Charlemagne established feudal
  relationships with local nobleshe gave them land
  or power in exchange for their military support
• This relationship was sealed with a formal oath,
  and the local noble became a vassal of the king

King Charlemagne and his knights visit a duke
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The Carolingian Renaissance

• The Carolingian Renewal or Renaissance was a
  rebirth of the artistic and scholarly activities
  which had been the crowning achievements of
  ancient Rome, but had been lost in the more
  primitive cultures of the early Middle Ages in
  Western Europe
• This rebirth was fuelled by Carolingian wealth
  and the scholarly activity of Alcuin, a highly
  educated advisor of King Charlemagne

An illustrated copy of the Psalms
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Carolingian Miniscule

• Over time, the Carolingians developed a new,
  clearer way of writing Latin called Carolingian
  Miniscule
• Previous texts were all uppercase, without
  punctuation or spaces
• The new minuscule script was written in upper and
  lower case letters and abbreviations
• Several monasteries then specialized in the
  production of hand copied texts using the new
  methodbooks became popular again

A 9th century Carolingian text
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Carolingian Musical Notation
The Carolingians were the first to introduce
musical notation in Europe, at first just tiny
squiggles without a staff along side Gregorian
Chant
Later texts featured staffs and polyphony
(harmony), such as this 12th century text
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Carolingian Art

• Carolingian artists embellished church interiors,
  created statues, and executed wall paintings like
  late Romans artists
• They excelled especially at painting and
  decorating sacred manuscripts, such as this
  liturgical book for the Mass, created during the
  reign of Charles the Bald (d. 877), grandson of
  Charlemagne
• Note the geometric patterns reminiscent of
  Byzantine, Islamic or medieval Irish art

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Carolingian Art
Ivory book covers for a Psalter (Psalm
collection), 794 A.D. near Paris This carving
style is influenced by Roman sculpture (note
drapery and classical styling). It depicts King
David and his court in several scenes (a favorite
ruler of the Franks)
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Carolingian Book Making
The Lorscher Evangeliar (Gospel)
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Charlemagnes Relics
This later shrine was created to hold
Charlemagnes skull and other relics. Notice how
idealized the famous king now looks! Why might
his body be a source of special interest for
medieval Europeans?
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History, Literature, and Court Culture

• The importance of writing history and literature
  were restored, and Carolingians created their own
  literary works, as well as copying and preserving
  the writings of the ancient world
• Einhards Life of Charlemagne is a good example
  of Carolingian history writing (compare with
  Plutarchs Life of Alexander)
• After the 774 invasion of Italy, Carolingian
  court culture became an imitation of Italian
  court culture
• Alcuin, an English scholar (York) who organized
  education and writing at Charlemagnes court, was
  the primary innovator

Interior of Charlemagnes Aachen Cathedral, 805
A.D.
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Carolingian Law

• Charlemagne was the most systematic among the
  Franks in creating laws that could be
  consistently administered through his Empire
• The laws were written in Latin and carried by
  missi throughout the realm. Local courts
  enforced them
• For example, the Saxon Capitularies (775-790)
  listed numerous laws for a newly conquered
  Germanic (pagan) group called the Saxons in North
  Germany, including the following law
• 16. All infants shall be baptized within a
  year and if any one shall have despised to bring
  his infant to baptism within the course of a
  year, without the advice or permission of the
  priest, if he is a noble he shall pay 120 solidi
  to the treasury, if a freeman 60, if a litus 30.