Hariulf's History of St Riquier - (Manchester Medieval Sources) (Paperback)

About the Book

A new translation of an important source for medieval monastic history that provides interesting insights the background to the Norman Conquest of England.

Book Synopsis

A new and accessible translation of Hariulf's History of St Riquier, this book examines the history of a monastic community from the seventh to the eleventh century. It covers the ascetic life of the founding saint and the development of the community under the Carolingians in the late eighth and ninth centuries. There were setbacks when the house was sacked by the Vikings and the founder's relics were stolen for political ends, but it recovered in the tenth and eleventh centuries and developed the links with both the Norman and English courts that enable Hariulf to make interesting observations about the Norman Conquest of England. Hariulf's description of the monastic site with its three churches and the liturgical arrangements practised there, as well as the relics, treasures, books and endowments of a great monastic foundation, make his history an important source for monastic history.

From the Back Cover

This is the first English translation of Hariulf's History of St Riquier, which describes the history of an important monastic community in northern France from its foundation in the seventh century until the closing years of the eleventh century. Writing in a period of intense religious and political change, Hariulf presents the history of his house as he would like it remembered, as a source of social and political stability and a centre of monastic excellence. Under the protection of its founder and patron, Richer, whose miracles recur throughout the history, Hariulf portrays his brothers in religion at work and worship. He recounts the support the community received from the emperor Charlemagne in building the great monastic church, providing historians with important descriptions of the material and spiritual treasures accumulated by the monks.

In Hariulf's pages we see the creation of a great monastic estate, the problems of maintaining it and the complexities of its management as experienced by a succession of abbots. The tenth-century seizure of the relics of the community's patron, and their recovery during the many conflicts that took place as the Carolingian empire collapsed, reveal the political as well as the religious importance of relics. Hariulf's is a long and sweeping narrative with a cast of many characters; this new translation offers the opportunity to consider the work as an exercise in the writing of history, the creation and representation of the past, and how a community's history might be presented to foster a communal identity in a changed and changing society.

About the Author

Kathleen Thompson is an independent scholar and senior honorary research fellow in History at the University of Sheffield.