The Annals of St-Bertin: Ninth-Century Histories, Volume I

by Janet L. Nelson (Translator)

The Annals of St-Bertin, covering the years 830 to 882, are the main narrative source for the Carolingian world in the ninth century. This richly-annotated translation by a leading British specialist makes these Carolingian histories accessible in English for the first time, encouraging readers to reassess and evaluate a crucially formative period of European history.

Produced in the 830s in the imperial palace of Louis the Pious, The Annals of St-Bertin were continued away from the Court, first by Bishop Prudentius of Troyes, then by the great scholar-politician Archbishop Hinemar of Rheims. The authors' distinctive voices and interests give the work a personal tone rarely found in medieval annals. They also contain uniquely detailed information on Carolingian politics, especially the reign of the West Frankish king, Charles the Bald (840-877). No other source offers so much evidence on the Continental activities of the Vikings.

Janet L. Nelson offers in this volume both an entrance to a crucial Carolingian source and an introduction to the historical setting of teh Annals and possible ways of reading the evidence.

The Annals of St-Bertin will be valuable reading for academics, research students and undergraduates in medieval history, archaeology and medieval languages. It will also fascinate any general reader with an interest in the development of European culture and society.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

267 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 882

About the author

Dame Janet Laughland Nelson, also known as Jinty Nelson, was a British historian and professor of Medieval History at King's College London.

Reviews

[Michael A. Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more entertaining than I expected, lots of betrayals, pleas for forgiveness, invading Northmen, court intrigue. Thank goodness I was able to push past the Introduction! It can bog down a bit in parts where Hincmar gets stuck in minutiae.

[Vittorio Pareto · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are fortunate that during the late ninth century a handful of clerics took it upon themselves to write a chronology of contemporary events. These were not official records and they were not sponsored by the king. They were the work of a series of individuals, who out of combination of habit and their own initiative, continued the traditional Roman practice of keeping chronological records.
The unofficial nature of the work did not make them unbiased. The clerics had a point of view and they were not shy about sharing it. Fortunately for us, two annals covering the late ninth century have survived and they present rather different perspectives on the same underlying facts.

The Annals of St. Bertin, was written in Rheims by Archbishop Hincmar. Hincmar of Rheims was close to King Charles and clearly had access to information about the entire realm. His annals are strongly biased in favor of the Western Franks (roughly modern France).

The author of the Annals of Fulda is not known, but he is believed to have been based in the east because his account is strongly biased in favor of the Eastern Franks (roughly modern Germany). As with Hincmar of Rheims the author must have been well placed for he was clearly privy to extensive inside information concerning King Ludwig’s (Louis the German’s) court.

Together, these two annals present a fascinating view of the time. However, please keep in mind these are not novels. They read more like blogs written by conscientious, but very biased and opinionated writers.

They are nevertheless extraordinary important documents and rich in period detail. Any historical account written about the period will be heavily based on these two annals. In these pages you will find the first known description of ironing of a shirt, detailed and lurid accounts of extramarital affairs, and intimate accounts of nobles caught between conflicting loyalties.

Janet Nelson's translation is excellent and well annotated with helpful background information.

[Steve Bivans · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent translation of a key primary source for the Ninth Century Franks, and the Viking narrative. Indispensable to scholars of the Viking Age.