Annales Bertiniani

As the Annals of St. Bertin ( Annales Bertiniani ) refers to the research since the 19th century, a historical work, which was created in the 9th century in the West Frankish kingdom as a continuation of the Carolingian Empire annals. It reports on the period 741-882; the annals are considered the most important source for the time of the West Frankish king Charles the Bald, Louis the Stammerer, Louis III. and Carloman.

Overview

The naming of the annals according to the monastery of St. Bertin goes back to the oldest surviving manuscript, which dates from the 10th or 11th century. Maybe even older is a copy of Reims, which is, however, known only by a late copy of the 17th century.

Can be distinguished three parts. The first covers the period between 741 and 835 The presentation of the financial to 829 is essentially a copy of the annals with some additions; only from 830 reports of the authors independently. The Erzkaplan Fulk, Abbot of Saint- Hilaire -de- Poitiers is likely to have been the initiator of this part.

The second part reports on the events of 835-861. It was written by Prudentius, one originating from the Iberian Peninsula priest who was chaplain of Louis the Pious and was raised mid-forties of the 9th century bishop of Troyes. Due to its position Prudentius therefore had a good understanding of the processes at the royal court, and offers insightful insights about the politics of that time.

This second part is particularly important to the effect, than he., The first mention of the conquests of the Scandinavian Varangians, also known as Rus ( Old Norse for rowers ) are known, describes in northern Russia, from which would later emerge, the kingdom of Kievan Rus The annals describe a survey was carried out to Ingelheim am Rhein a delegation of Rus by Emperor Ludwig in 839; a year earlier, the delegation had been a guest at the Byzantine court in Constantinople, and had decided then to take the way home on the Baltic Sea in order from the frequent Plünderangriffen to be safe in the steppes of Eastern European level by the Magyars, how it is of Ludwig permission to cross the Frankish Empire needed. On questioning, the Emperor declared the Russians that their tribe originally from Sweden and under the leadership of a chosen from among them chacanus have established ( the Latin name for Khagan ) in northern Russia. The title of a Khagans should have known through the agency of the Avars, the Rus, the both the Franks and with Ostrom stood in fortdauerndem conflict during its then spread in Eastern and Southeastern Europe; the name was still several centuries in the name of the Rus - khanate ( which eventually the modern name Russia derived ), as well as the title of prince Knaz which, from the Germanic kuningaz for: had derived "king" until far consisted in the modern era.

The third part covers the years between 861 and 882 Its author is the Archbishop Hincmar of Reims. Hincmar the Bald ( 877) was the latest after the death of Charles the leading political figure in western France and had lots of information about the political events of his presence. This makes his detailed reports on one convenient source. Must not be overlooked, however, that the representation is strongly influenced by Hincmar's personal judgments.

Temporally close to the Annals of St. Bertin, the Annales Vedastini (up 900).

Editions

• Annales de Saint- Bertin. Edited by Félix Grat / Jeanne Vielliard / Suzanne Clémencet ( with introduction by Léon Levillain ), Paris 1964.
• Annales Bertiniani. In: Georg Heinrich Pertz et al (eds): Scriptores ( in folio ) 1: Annales et chronica aevi Carolini. Hannover 1826, pp. 419-515 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, digitized )
• Georg Waitz (ed.): Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum separatim editi 5: Annales Bertiniani. Hannover 1883 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, digitized )

Translations

• Annales Bertiniani / Yearbooks of St. Bertin ( sources Carolingian Empire History, Part 2). New Edit. v. Reinhold Rau ( Freiherr vom Stein Memorial Issue 6 ), Darmstadt 1969, pp. 11-287 (Latin / German, from 830).
• The Annals of St- Bertin ( Ninth - Century Histories, Vol 1). Edited by Janet Nelson. Manchester New York 1991.