1st Edition

Books, Scribes and Learning in the Frankish Kingdoms, 6th–9th centuries

By Rosamond McKitterick Copyright 1994
    352 Pages
    by Routledge

    The focus of this volume is the book production of the Frankish regions of Western Europe in the early Middle Ages. By means of a detailed scrutiny of individual manuscripts, groups of manuscripts, and categories of texts, Dr McKitterick shows how they can be used to throw light on questions such as women and literacy, the knowledge of canon and secular law, and the English contribution to the religious culture of the Continent . Some of the studies are more concerned with palaeography and the achievements of particular scriptoria; studies; others look primarily at the fact of production, the dissemination of the texts, and their implications for intellectual and cultural history. Au centre de ce volume se trouve la production du livre dans les régions franques d’Europe occidentale au début du Moyan Age. Au travers d’un examen approfondi de manuscrits individuels, de groupes de manuscrits et de catégories de textes, le docteur McKitterick démontre l’utilisation qui peut en être faite afin d’éclaircir un certain nombre de questions dont: les femmes et l’alphabétisation, la connaissance du droit canon et séculaire, ainsi que la contribution anglaise à la culture religieuse de continent. Certaines des études s’attachent plus spécifiquement à la paléographie et aux résultats de certains scriptoria; d’autres examinent avant tout le fait même de la production, la dissémination des textes et leurs implications quant à l’histoire intellectuelle et culturelle.

    Contents: Preface; The Scriptoria of Merovingian Gaul: a survey of the evidence; Knowledge of canon law in the Frankish kingdoms before 789: the manuscript evidence; The diffusion of insular culture in Neustria between 650 and 850: the implications of the manuscript evidence; The Anglo-Saxon missionaries in Germany: reflections on the manuscript evidence; Frankish uncial: a new context for the work of the Echternach scriptorium; Carolingian uncial: a context for the Lothar Psalter; Nuns’ scriptoria in England and Francia in the 8th century; Some Carolingian law books and their function; A 9th-century schoolbook from the Loire valley: Phillipps MS 16308; Knowledge of Plato’s Timaeus in the 9th century: the implications of Valenciennes Bibliothèque Municipale MS 293; The Gospels of St Hubert; Carolingian book production: some problems; Women and literacy in the early middle ages; Index of people and places; index of manuscripts.